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How to do a clean install of win 10 after a 8.1 upgrade *Retail v.*
There is a lot of questioning about making a clean install of windows 10 once you upgraded from Windows 8.1 retail version. Well i had this questioning and i didn't found any clear instruction on forums or anywhere else. I spoke with microsofts agents, i had good anwers and i wanted to share it.
So there it is :
-If you have NEW hardware : So if you want to make a clean install of win 10 on you're new computer (actually it all depend on you're motherboard). You will need to re install windows 8.1 with you're licence that came with (Of course install it on you're new comp). Then you have to make the free upgrade again. In other words you have to restart from 0. And yes you're licence is still good for windows 8.1. After the free upgrade win to 10, it will save you're new motherboard with you're microsoft account to the microsoft activation server. Well, its good as long as the upgrades are free (One year from the launch)!
--So for later re install, as long as you don't change you're MotherBoard,you can start from the Win 10 installer and you will not need to enter any licence key. You just skip these steps and when you get on the internet and log on to you're microsoft accound it will auto detect you're account with you're mobo and activate automaticly. In other words, there is no key from free upgraded windows 10
-If you don't have new hardware : Well its verry simple, you mobo is allready saved with you're microsoft accound so you can just install you're win10 from the installer. You do not enter any licence keys and it should activate by itself when you connect to internet.
I think its allways good to have a retail version for the actual system that we use with a good licence key.
**Sorry for my broken english, i hope that i am understandable ! (I'm french canadian)
I hope i can clear some minds here with that post !
In other words you do not really have a real Windows 10, you have a Windows 8.1 Upgraded.