Installation key for Windows 10 upgrade is generic


  1. Ztruker
    Posts : 14,046
    Windows 11 Pro X64 22H2 22621.1848
       New #1

    Installation key for Windows 10 upgrade is generic


    I did the upgrade from Windows 8.1 Pro to Windows 10 Pro and my installation key is the generic Windows 10 key.
    Windows 10 is now activated and it is not an Insider system.

    What the heck is going on here?

    Did anyone get a real key or are they not going to be used any more?
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  3. COMPUTIAC
       New #2

    Ztruker said:
    I did the upgrade from Windows 8.1 Pro to Windows 10 Pro and my installation key is the generic Windows 10 key.
    Windows 10 is now activated and it is not an Insider system.

    What the heck is going on here?

    Did anyone get a real key or are they not going to be used any more?
    Hi Rich,
    No, key's will not be required any longer.
    All your 'puter info. will be stored on the MS server's.
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  4. Ztruker
    Posts : 14,046
    Windows 11 Pro X64 22H2 22621.1848
    Thread Starter
       New #3

    So everyone who upgrades will get the generic key then, used or not? I find that confusing to say the least since that is the same key I have on my two Insider laptops.

    If they are not going to use the key any more they should have deleted it.

    This computer never had any of the Insider builds on it, always 8.1 Pro X64.
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  6. COMPUTIAC
       New #4

    Ztruker said:
    So everyone who upgrades will get the generic key then, used or not? I find that confusing to say the least since that is the same key I have on my two Insider laptops.

    If they are not going to use the key any more they should have deleted it.

    This computer never had any of the Insider builds on it, always 8.1 Pro X64.
    Since you did the upgrade correctly, the key you had will be stored on the MS server's.

    It doesn't matter that you were not an insider. Because you did the upgrade from a valid 8.1 and it is now activated,
    you can do a clean install anytime you want to and it will not ask for a key.
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  7. Ztruker
    Posts : 14,046
    Windows 11 Pro X64 22H2 22621.1848
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    I understand that but it's still going to be very confusing. MS should have picked a better way to differentiate between Insider and non-Insider systems that we as users can query and understand.

    Not a big deal but I've already seen several posts about this.
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