Windows 10 product key not working after clean install

No, you get a generic key, that is useless for any purpose. You can't install with it, you can't use it for anything.

I am gonn try it, and see, I am gonna boot into the x64 Win10 DVD

Mystere said:

No, you get a generic key, that is useless for any purpose. You can't install with it, you can't use it for anything.

The generic key actually does serve a purpose - Windows 10 uses it to hash out the unique Hardware ID - along with a bunch of hardware specs/serial numbers . But, you are right, for the actual human user it is pretty much useless.

rive0108 said:

I am gonn try it, and see, I am gonna boot into the x64 Win10 DVD

It will probably work and if you just skip entering the license key, the MS activation server would just supply it anyway - exact same result.

It will probably work and if you just skip entering the license key, the MS activation server would just supply it anyway - exact same result.

Yes, but I am gonna test if off the Installation DVD.

Gonna reboot into DVD, completely do a destructive reformat of HDD, then enter the Key I have at the prompt, and see if it takes it for Windows Install, and see also, If it installs the correct version of 10 Pro.

I built this PC, and it doesn't store the key in BIOS, so in future I may want to upgrade the HDD or MB, (in which case I will have to most likely call MS to activate over phone since the hardware will be different)