Windows 7 to Windows 10 and back again...

[RVB]

I recently updated and upgraded my wife's old laptop. It had Windows 8.1 and Microsoft allowed me to update to Windows 10 (it also received SSD upgrade).

I'm now planning/hoping to update a couple of old computers to Windows 10 from their current Windows 7.

However, there's a small chance I might need to put them back to Windows 7.

If I manage to successfully update them to Windows 10, will they retain their old Windows 7 key or will Microsoft assign a new one and/or do something which might prevent me going back to Windows 7?

Thanks,
R

[anonymous-user]

By memory once you have upgraded you can't go back. I guess you would have to mirror the existing HDD and keep that as a backup.

[unanonymoususer]

If you have a physical key as in the ones you have on the case you should be able to go back to windows 7 via a fresh install
You will have to do it as a fresh install and use the windows 7 key when prompted. You will obviously need windows 7 install media or a manufacturers recovery media.

Or
In some cases it may be possible to do a full factory restore from the partition which will cause it to revert to the operating system as supplied

Or as the other reply says clone the disc before upgrading to windows 10

[technobob]

You could make a disk image of the windows 7 parttiton, upgrade to windows 10, then make a further disk image of windows 10, then you should be able to restore from the appropriate image which IIRC wipes all the data and replaces the original software. You need to use something like Acronis to do this and store on an external HDD. Hope this helps