System-image on the laptop my brother gave to me?

Question

My brother gave me his laptop that he changed from windows 7 to windows 10 . Do I need a License Key to create a system-image? He didn't give that, and he's no longer available to do so.

Answer 1

System Images are just backups so you will not need the key for that. I have linked an article from Microsoft below on how to create a system image below!

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/4376853/article-how-to-create-a-system-image-in-windows-10

Answer 2

No, you do not need a product key to create a system image.

Creating a system image is a local backup operation, not an activation or licensing process. Windows does not check for or request a product key at any point while creating one.

#### Why no key is needed

A system image simply copies the contents of your hard drive (OS, settings, programs, and files) into a backup file. It doesn't touch activation status in any way — that check only happens during installation/reactivation, not backup.

How to create the system image in Windows 10

1. Open Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore (Windows 7) (Yes, this tool still exists in Windows 10 — it was never removed.)
2. In the left-hand pane, click "Create a system image."
3. Choose where to save it — an external hard drive, USB drive, network location, or a set of DVDs.
4. Select the drives you want included (the system drive is selected by default).
5. Click Next, then Start backup.

This will run without ever prompting for a key.

When you would need a key (for context)

A product key only becomes relevant if you ever need to clean install or reactivate Windows from scratch — for example, moving to new hardware. Simply backing up an already-installed, already-activated system doesn't require one.

About the license on this laptop

Since your brother upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10, the installation almost certainly carries a digital license, not a traditional typed-in product key. This digital license is tied to the hardware itself and stored on Microsoft's activation servers.

You can confirm this by going to: Settings > Update & Security > Activation

If it says "Windows is activated with a digital license," that confirms the license is hardware-linked. In that case, even a future clean install wouldn't need a key — Windows would reactivate automatically once connected to the internet, because it recognizes the device.

Optional (not required for your current task)

If you want extra peace of mind for the future, you can link this digital license to a Microsoft account via Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Add a Microsoft account. This makes reactivation even more reliable if you ever reinstall Windows later — but it's not necessary just to create the system image now.