Win 10 Won't accept my 8.1 product key. Any ideas?

Question

Hi everyone. I have a Lenovo G510, purchased brand new about 6 months ago. Windows 8 was installed and the various updates seem to have 'improved' it to 8.1. I'm not bad with computers, I can write a basic webpage and use the control panel properly. I'm not an expert. BUT I'm not stupid and I DO read all the boxes when I install something. So, I have the upgrade button. I have put myself on the upgrade list but reading Microsoft's own blurb they say I can get the media and do it myself instead of waiting. Great. I have downloaded the 64bit version, burnt the .iso to a DVD and it is working perfectly to try to install the upgrade. EXCEPT it won't accept the 8.1 product key I have in my laptop. Why not? I know using the DVD will be a clean install, not an upgrade. Not that it's mentioned anywhere where you get the files, but I'm fine with that. That's still no reason to refuse the product key.  I've read in other forum posts that Lenovo may have just left a mass production key in my system and I may have to find another key. Hmmm, that's not written anywhere in the upgrade path or in a sticky post (that I saw) on these forums. There is no product key sticker on the laptop and there was virtually no information in the box when we bought it. (It was brand new from a reputable company, not a back street deal.) I am using the key in the laptops memory, having extracted it using Belarc Advisor and then again with a utility called Keyfinder. They both show the same key stored in the Laptops BIOS. Any explanations anyone? Please? Thanks. Mike.     

Answer 1

>you can only install as an upgrade. Says who, where? Why does microsoft supply a link to the iso files FROM their upgrade button if that is so? >you have to have a verified licensed copy of windows 7, or 8. I have.  >I used downloaded ISO and it just installed over my existing version 7. Which is what I'm trying to do with this laptop. Glad it worked for you. > you do not need to enter a key, it installs one automatically. The update might, but using the DVD does not. The Microsoft supplied iso asks me for a key. I can't go past this stage. >also wait a couple of days to let it verify itself as genuine What is "it"? Win 10? Not yet installed (due to needing the key) so nowhere near that stage. Win 8.1? It's been on the Laptop for 6 months plus so their servers should have done as much verification as they need. >I had a panic attack at first as it says not licensed but it does sort itself out. if you've overwritten the new key with windows 8 you will have to reinstall / rollback and do it again. As I said, it hasn't reached that far. Thanks for reading anyway.