windows 10 upgrade asking for product key

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  1. Posts : 2
    windows 8.1
       #1

    windows 10 upgrade asking for product key


    i have downloaded the windows 10(home x64) ISO file and made a USB flash device using it,and now whenever i try to upgrade my LAPTOP(it came with original windows pre-installed) it asks for a product key and there is no "skip" option available all i see is next and back option.Please help me
    PS-I have already reserved my upgrade but i don't to upgrade via windows update.windows 10 upgrade asking for product key-screenshot-136-.png
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 79
    Windows 10 Pro
       #2

    You have to upgrade first and have the license validated on MS servers. Once that is done, you can go ahead and do a clean install. There is no other way around that.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 16,325
    W10Prox64
       #3

    khushdeep said:
    i have downloaded the windows 10(home x64) ISO file and made a USB flash device using it,and now whenever i try to upgrade my LAPTOP(it came with original windows pre-installed) it asks for a product key and there is no "skip" option available all i see is next and back option.Please help me
    PS-I have already reserved my upgrade but i don't to upgrade via windows update.windows 10 upgrade asking for product key-screenshot-136-.png
    Hi khushdeep and welcome to TenForums!

    Navigate to the ISO on your system drive, right-click and select "mount ISO in virtual drive". Then run setup.exe from that.
    There should be an option to "upgrade this computer". After selecting that, any product key screens should have a "skip" option. Once you have upgraded, and verified the activation, you can clean install, if you wish.

    Hope this helps!
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 14,005
    Win10 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home, Win7, Linux Mint
       #4

    khushdeep said:
    (it came with original windows pre-installed)
    I didn't see mentioned which version of Windows it came with.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 79
    Windows 10 Pro
       #5

    Berton said:
    I didn't see mentioned which version of Windows it came with.
    Judging by the desktop, I would have to say it's either 8 or 8.1.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 14,005
    Win10 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home, Win7, Linux Mint
       #6

    neomatter said:
    Judging by the desktop, I would have to say it's either 8 or 8.1.
    Of those 2 choices it would have to be Win8.1 as Win10 is not supposed to Upgrade over Win8.0. I don't know that Win10 will do an Upgrade over Win8.0, may need to be a clean install an .iso file, USB drive or a DVD. I've only done the Win10TP from DVD to a clean drive, just now on the last 0.2GB of the full 64-bit .iso file download.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 18,432
    Windows 11 Pro
       #7

    Berton said:
    Of those 2 choices it would have to be Win8.1 as Win10 is not supposed to Upgrade over Win8.0. I don't know that Win10 will do an Upgrade over Win8.0, may need to be a clean install an .iso file, USB drive or a DVD. I've only done the Win10TP from DVD to a clean drive, just now on the last 0.2GB of the full 64-bit .iso file download.
    Upgrading from Windows 8.0 is supported by the ISO download method - just not from Windows Update. And in the screenshot on the taskbar is the get Windows 10 icon.

    To the OP:
    Run the Media Creation Tool again:
    Windows 10

    This time select the "Upgrade this PC now" option. Make sure you run the correct 32bit or 64bit version of the Media Creation Tool that matches what you have installed now.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 4,453
    Win 11 Pro 22000.708
       #8

    For the upgrade to proceed, the ISO must have the same "bitness" (32 or 64) as the Windows installation that is to be upgraded, the versions have to match, and the languages have to match. (I believe that additional considerations, like N or KN versions, also have to match.)

    If something doesn't match, the installer will ask for a key, which is not provided with the free upgrade.

    Does using the "upgrade now" option with Media Creation Tool automatically match everything, like the online reservation does? That'd be easiest. (I'd still want the right ISO, though, for my personal use.)
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 18,432
    Windows 11 Pro
       #9

    bobkn said:
    Does using the "upgrade now" option with Media Creation Tool automatically match everything, like the online reservation does?
    Yes. And I'll bet the reason the first attempt was asking for a key is because something in the version wasn't matching up.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1,254
    Windows 8.1, Win10Pro
       #10

    Come on folks...people come here with problems and do NOT need to be told to do things they clearly have already done!

    Consider:
    1) what version are they running -- big mystery! However, in BOTH their profile on the left and in their system specs, they clearly indicate Windows 8.1. How many more places to they need to tell us this?

    2) Run an upgrade -- just look at the screenshot. They are running the setup.exe file from INSIDE Windows. So clearly, they are trying to run an upgrade.

    3) Mount the ISO -- again, look at the screenshot. It clearly shows the ISO being mounted as the "E:" partition, and you can see the root folders and files in the screenshot.

    4) Bitness mismatch -- if you try to upgrade a 64-bit install from a 32-bit ISO, you won't even get to the product key page. As soon as setup runs, it puts up an error screen telling you to use the 64-bit version.

    5) Home/Pro mismatch -- THIS is the problem. Right after the Get important updates, it puts up that same Product key window.

    So, to the OP -- you need to download an ISO of the correct version -- Home or Pro.
      My Computer


 

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