Microsoft product key on the back wont validate windows to upgrade to 10

[Doran Parry]

i found a (ok) gateway laptop that someone had tried to reformat with 7. (thats what it had when it was new)
the disk (or something) wasnt complete or what ever so i used a old 7 OS i had on a disk and reformated it! It went great but now im done I cant validate it with the number on the sticker!

[Doran Parry]

  i tried at the end of the install...Where it says Product key? (and asks for it) THAT DIDNT WORK! I tried every number anyway it could e miss read! Then I started installing windows 10 and it asked for the key again... The install said the upgrade was free so its wanting the product key for 7?

[Geek-9pm]

Windows 10 is free. With some limits.
Links like the one below can be sim-leading.
http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/get-windows-10-free

Now about your specific issue. If the number on the sticker will not validate, it is for another version of Windows 7.
You said:

i found a (ok) gateway laptop

How did you find it? In a spawn shop? Do you have the model number? Was there any documents of disks with it?

You might be able to get the original Windows 7 disk from the Gateway company.  Here is a link to Gateway:
http://us.gateway.com/gw/en/US/content/support-overview
Do you have the model number?

[camerongray]

Windows 10 will not accept a Windows 7 product key, you need to install Windows 7 using the key and then from within that install of 7 perform the upgrade to 10.

[patio]

Old laptop...
Found old Win7 CD and installed to laptop...
Updated to Win 10...

What did you expect to happen ? ?

[Calum]

Windows 10 will not accept a Windows 7 product key, you need to install Windows 7 using the key and then from within that install of 7 perform the upgrade to 10.

The "Fall update" or Threshold 2, or whatever you want to call it, is actually supposed to take a Windows 7 or 8 product key to activate Windows 10, without having to perform an upgrade install from the earlier Windows version.  From what I've read, the Media Creation Toolkit offered this as a download, it was then pulled, but it's supposedly been re-updated (if that's a word?) - I've just downloaded the tool and it reports it's version 10.0.10586.0 which is the latest including the new update.  So in theory if you use the latest Windows 10 download from Microsoft, you should be able to just enter the Windows 7 product key - assuming you're using the right key.  By this I mean you'd need to be using a Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium key to activate Windows 10 Home, or a Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate key to activate Windows 10 Pro.

Hope this makes sense and is of some help.