Insider build to RTM = Genuine version?

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  1. Posts : 22,740
    Windows 10 Home x64
       #11

    caperjack said:
    you could stay in the insider program and keep using win10 until it ends when ever that is ,I'm doing it, just to see what happens in the end, and how long it goes
    But, he wants to install a new SSD and with the activation down for the insider program he would have to either upgrade from an existing OS.. 7/8.1 or get a retail copy of 10.
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  2. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #12

    Camberwell said:
    For this pc I would need to buy Win 7 or 8.1 as I don't have a spare license, so I may as well buy Win 10 for the same price. Many thanks for your help though, it is much clearer to me now!
    Just do a clean Windows 10 install first. If it doesn't activate, all you will waste is time, but it might save you $200. Opt out of the Windows Insider program under the Update settings. When it is all said and done, from an elevated command prompt type slmgr /xpr and that will tell you if you are permanently activated or if the license has an expiration date. If it has an expiration date, all you have to do is buy the retail license and change the product key.

    On you current installation of Windows 10 if you run slmgr /xpr from an elevated command prompt I'll bet it tells you that you have a permanent activation. That means the clean install on a new hard drive - if all the other hardware stays the same - should activate permanently.
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  3. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #13

    BunnyJ said:
    But, he wants to install a new SSD and with the activation down for the insider program he would have to either upgrade from an existing OS.. 7/8.1 or get a retail copy of 10.
    Hi there

    Backup existing system with Macrium / Acronus etc and then restore on new SSD - this type of approach doesn't normally require re-activation -- if it did I'm sure there would have been ZILLIONS of complaints to Ms -- load and loads of people have changed HDD's - got bigger / faster one's / changed faulty drives or simply installed SSD's.

    This will preserve activation of whatever system you are currently using.

    Unless you have something really "Mission Critical" I can't see what's wrong for a HOME user to continue the insider program until it ends. W10 seems stable enough now that any new builds from Ms shouldn't cause major problems.

    The current program ends in Oct - but I'd imagine new builds will have a later expiration date - IMO it's pointless getting 100,000's of people to install a new build which expires say a week (or even a month) later.

    I got proper RETAIL RTM as I had old TechNet licenses (still valid) but if I hadn't had those I'd still be quite happy using Insider W10 (except on 1 system where I do have special work to do on it). I can think of loads of things I'd rather spend 200 USD on (plus tax) than another copy of Windows. !!!!

    Cheers
    jimbo
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  4. Posts : 11
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #14

    NavyLCDR said:
    Just do a clean Windows 10 install first. If it doesn't activate, all you will waste is time, but it might save you $200. Opt out of the Windows Insider program under the Update settings. When it is all said and done, from an elevated command prompt type slmgr /xpr and that will tell you if you are permanently activated or if the license has an expiration date. If it has an expiration date, all you have to do is buy the retail license and change the product key.

    On you current installation of Windows 10 if you run slmgr /xpr from an elevated command prompt I'll bet it tells you that you have a permanent activation. That means the clean install on a new hard drive - if all the other hardware stays the same - should activate permanently.
    Hi, it does indeed say permanent activation. Does this mean that if I download the Win 10 Pro iso and make a clean install, it will activate itself, or are there any further steps I would need to make (I'm guessing signing in somewhere with my Microsoft account)?
    Thanks for helping out a noob!
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  5. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #15

    Camberwell said:
    Hi, it does indeed say permanent activation. Does this mean that if I download the Win 10 Pro iso and make a clean install, it will activate itself, or are there any further steps I would need to make (I'm guessing signing in somewhere with my Microsoft account)?
    Thanks for helping out a noob!
    Yes, that means you should be able to do a clean install by making a bootable USB stick or DVD from the Windows 10 ISO. and it will activate itself. I would make the USB stick or DVD with the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. When it asks to enter a product key during the install, click on the tiny little text that will skip it. Do not enter any product keys. There are no extra steps to make it activate - a Microsoft account has nothing to do with it. Also, do not have the old hard drive installed when doing it. Put the old hard drive back in only after you install Windows 10 on the SSD. That way you have a pretty reliable backup to fall back on if the install for some reason fails.

    What the permanent activation on your current Windows 10 means is that the hardware configuration for your computer is now stored on Microsoft activation servers with a permanent activation. Replacing a hard drive only does not trigger a change in hardware configuration so the new Windows 10 will see your old activation on the Microsoft activation server based on the hardware configuration and retrieve the permanent activation that way.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 11
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #16

    NavyLCDR said:
    Yes, that means you should be able to do a clean install by making a bootable USB stick or DVD from the Windows 10 ISO. and it will activate itself. I would make the USB stick or DVD with the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. When it asks to enter a product key during the install, click on the tiny little text that will skip it. Do not enter any product keys. There are no extra steps to make it activate - a Microsoft account has nothing to do with it. Also, do not have the old hard drive installed when doing it. Put the old hard drive back in only after you install Windows 10 on the SSD. That way you have a pretty reliable backup to fall back on if the install for some reason fails.

    What the permanent activation on your current Windows 10 means is that the hardware configuration for your computer is now stored on Microsoft activation servers with a permanent activation. Replacing a hard drive only does not trigger a change in hardware configuration so the new Windows 10 will see your old activation on the Microsoft activation server based on the hardware configuration and retrieve the permanent activation that way.
    OK great, that's good to know. I'm guessing that if the motherboard packs up in the future (it's an old basic S775) then I will be out of luck, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

    Many thanks to everyone for your responses, I very much appreciate it!
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 5,702
    insider build 10586.3 win10 pro 64
       #17

    BunnyJ said:
    But, he wants to install a new SSD and with the activation down for the insider program he would have to either upgrade from an existing OS.. 7/8.1 or get a retail copy of 10.
    yeah, i know what he wants to do ,but he wants to do it with out a legit win7 or 8 to begin with ,,so my suggestion was just to stay with what he got if he want to use win10,,,, his other options are to buy a new win 10 or a copy of win8 /7 to upgrade from
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