How can I update my laptop to 1909 from 1809?

I have an outdated PC that's been serving me well for a while now, but I'm starting to experience some issues. When I try to update the operating system, I'm getting a message saying that it's too outdated to proceed with the installation of Windows 10 version 1909. 

The question is, would using a generic or product key have any positive impact on this situation? Or do I really need to consider upgrading to a more modern PC as it's recommending? I'd appreciate any insight, as I'm fairly new to PC maintenance and don't want to make things worse.