Can I upgrade my Surface 3 to Windows 10 Pro using a (currently) unused Windows 8.0 Pro licence?

[Windows Central Question]

Hi, I'd like to use my currently spare Windows 8.0 Pro product key to upgrade my S3 (not Pro) to Windows 10 Pro, rather than paying $149.00 on line to upgrade it.

The S3 is currently running Windows 10 Home. I'm prepared to take it back to Windows 8.1 if necessary (or 8.0 if possible ...). $149 is a decent incentive to do so.

Winver on the S3 says its currently running Windows 10 Home v. 1511 Build 10586.36).

For clarification, the spare Windows 8.0 Pro product key was previously in use on another PC. I've erased the Windows installation on that PC to (I hope) free up its Windows 8.0 Pro product key, but Windows 10 on the S3 wouldn't accept the upgrade using the 8.0 Pro product key.

Anybody know if I can somehow upgrade my S3 using my spare Windows 8.0 Pro product key?

Thanks.

 

[pizza lover]

Now I've created an account ***and*** logged in, I can add that the above spare Windows 8.0 Pro licence is a Retail licence.

 

[eran says]

From my understanding, Windows 8 and up registers your copy of Windows when you open the windows store app. At that time it takes a hardware id profile from the computer and associates that license with that profile.

I believe that since the sp3 will have a different hardware profile, you would have to perform a phone activation with Microsoft, explaining to them that you are transferring an old license to a new computer.