W10 Won't Install Because of Domain

The page linked by BunnyJ is good and I've read most of it at one time or another but to condense it down I'd find out if the computer in question has the Enterprise version of Windows on it. That version doesn't allow the free Upgrade to Win10, has to be done a different way, usually through the company and its IT department.

Thanks for that Jeff........it's a strange one this, the owner bought laptop brand new about 4/5 years ago, and has no idea why it is part of a domain........the way I read it, someone else has control over the machine.......most annoying as it is preventing the W10 install........trying to find a way around this is proving quite difficult..........Del.

Berton, Thanks for that......System info. just says that it is Windows 8.1.......no version showing......is this normal ?.........Del.

It was brand new, from a shop.......the only thing I can think of, is that owner has somehow joined a domain, without knowing......I do have a W7 installation disc from when I did mine.........Del.

Check in the System properties to see if it lists a domain. I've blocked out my domain and computer name, but this screen will tell you if it is a workgroup or a domain.

The problem is, you don't just accidentally join a domain. Someone isn't giving you all the information. In order to join a domain, you need an authorized account on that domain, a computer account created on that domain, and a domain controller to answer an authenticate the computer. That doesn't happen automatically.

You should also look in to how the user is logging in. If it is with a local, non-domain account, you may be able to remove the computer from the domain and put it back on a workgroup. Assuming this is an activated computer, I would probably back up the data, wipe it clean, install Windows 10, and then activate with the Windows 8.1 key.

The only suspect thing that the owner has installed on this machine is a thing called'' Stay Protect''........some sort of virus protection site........I wonder........

One thing of note, I've come across a few computers in my repairing of individual's computers that were bought from local shops that appeared to have a version of Windows that were bought by the shop/s under the Enterprise [Volume Licensing] program, not quite legal but wouldn't have been a problem if the computer/s were taken back to the same shop for repair, no one else would have found out. Only had one that couldn't be dealt with and cost the client a new license.