Installation :: Clean Install Using USB Cannot Verify Key As No Network

My kids Windows 7 machine had major issues, so decided to do a fresh Windows7 install. Format disk etc. install worked, windows update did not. Would do nothing but say "checking for updates", for hours, and hours. Spent 6 hours trying to fix that when i said what the heck, lets go to Windows 10. I have a windows 7 OEM key.

I used the tool to download and create a USB install and went from there.

Windows 10 goes through the install phase without issue, asks for the key, i provide the Windows 7 OEM key. Hangs for like 10 seconds then says the key is not usable. I sit there scratching my head. I can do a Windows 7 reinstall on this machine with the key, but not a Windows 10 ? Windows 10 upgrade website says you can do a fresh install in this way, using the Windows 7 key.

I talked to a MS guy, pretty useless. Kept wanting to connect to my computer to take a look, despite me not having completed the install because the key would not work.

BUT, here is the root of the problem i believe, i have no network connection, because Windows10 seemed to not install a driver for it. No green light on back of machine(when i do a fresh windows7 install, it does install a driver, and all is good).

I download the necessary driver from the MSI website, use the "install driver option" from the Win10 screen asking me for a windows key, yet the driver install files wont even show up when i click browse.

Then i click the "skip" option, thinking i can go into Windows, install the drivers that way and then put my key in later. Heh, stupid me, no, clicking skip just takes you back where it will reinstall everything and then ask you for the key again. So, install, skip, install, skip, install, skip.....

Pretty disgusted with MS right about now.