Reload Windows 10 Pro, need product ID? -> No record of it...

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  1. 56Kruiser
    Posts : 301
    Windows 10 Home 1909 18363.900
       New #1

    Reload Windows 10 Pro, need product ID? -> No record of it...


    I have an older PC with Windows 10 Pro on it. It has some kind of serious issues with installing updates. I would like to just reload it and let it do updates.

    Trying to do recovery, reset etc. all fail, with no specific error...just says it failed. This is why I want to do a fresh install.

    At the Windows 10 dowload page it states "To get started, you will first need to have a licence to install Windows 10", which is no surprise to me.

    Any suggestions of how to get the license s/n from the PC so I can reload it?
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  3. Paul Black
    Posts : 18,044
    Win 10 Pro 64-bit v1909 - Build 18363 Custom ISO Install
       New #2

    Hello @56Kruiser,

    56Kruiser said:
    I have an older PC with Windows 10 Pro on it. It has some kind of serious issues with installing updates. I would like to just reload it and let it do updates.

    Trying to do recovery, reset etc. all fail, with no specific error...just says it failed. This is why I want to do a fresh install.
    You could try . . .

     In-Place-Upgrade - Repair Install

    Information & Tutorials:

    This is a Non-Destructive Process which keeps ALL your Apps, Programs, and Personal Data etc Intact . . .

    IMPORTANT: This is an extract from the Tutorial below . . .

    • You will only be able to do a repair install of Windows 10 from within Windows 10. You will not be able to do a repair install at boot or in Safe Mode.
    • You will need at least around 10 GB + what Windows is currently using of free space available on the Windows drive.
    • The installation media (ex: ISO or USB) must be the same edition and same or newer build as your currently installed Windows 10. If it's not, then the repair install will fail.
    • The installation media (ex: ISO or USB) must be the same base language (aka: system default language) as your currently installed Windows 10. If it's not, then you will not keep anything.
    • If you have a 32-bit Windows 10, then you must use a 32-bit ISO or USB.
    • If you have a 64-bit Windows 10, then you must use a 64-bit ISO or USB.

    > How to Do a Repair Install of Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

    Basically . . .

    [1] Download the ISO to the Desktop.
    [2] Right-click the ISO > Mount.
    [3] Open File Explorer.
    [4] Double-click the Mounted Drive to open it.
    [5] Double-click setup.exe.
    [6] Choose the Upgrade option.
    [7] Select Change what to keep.
    [8] Select One of the following . . .

    • Keep Personal Files and Apps.
    • Keep Personal Files Only.
    • Nothing.

    [9] Unmount the ISO by right-clicking the Mounted Drive > Eject.

    The only downside is that you could POSSIBLY lose some of your personalizations.

    Recommendations:

    DISABLE:

    ANY Non-Microsoft . . .

    Temporarily Disable Secure Boot before performing the In-Place-Upgrade - Repair Install to be on the safe side.

    • Antivirus Software.
    • Firewall software.
    • Drive Encryption Software.


    56Kruiser said:
    Any suggestions of how to get the license s/n from the PC so I can reload it?

    To Retrieve [ FREE ] any Product Keys / License Keys for any installed software use . . .

    > Belarc Advisor - Shows in your Browser.
    > ShowKeyPlus - Win10.Guru - Toolkit Item.
    > Speccy - Download Page.


    I hope this helps.
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  4. Try3
    Posts : 16,938
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       New #3

    If Settings, Updates, Activation shows that you are activated with a digital licence then you need do nothing. It will automatically reactivate when you go online after reinstalling.

    Clean Install - TenForumsTutorials

    Denis
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  6. 56Kruiser
    Posts : 301
    Windows 10 Home 1909 18363.900
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    I am not having success booting with the USB drive I created following the instructions in the Clean Boot tutorials linked above.

    On the old PC, I get Invalid Partition error. I tried booting it on this laptop, and I get a blank screen. If I click the power button, it seems to go into sleep mode, and when I click the power button again, it opens into the login screen. I did set bios on this one to legacy, etc.

    Looking at the contents of the USB, it appears to have all the files for a Windows 10 install.

    BTW...I tried re-creating the USB boot, and I get the same results. Maybe I should try creating a boot DVD.
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  7. Try3
    Posts : 16,938
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       New #5

    There are several options in the guidance for making the USB. How exactly did you make it? Did you try letting the MCT make it itself?

    Denis
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  8. NavyLCDR
    Posts : 18,432
    Windows 11 Pro
       New #6

    I agree with @Try3, we need to know exactly how you created the USB flash drive. It needs to be MBR partitioned with a FAT32 partition marked as active. The easiest way to do that is with Microsoft's Media Creation Tool and just let it create the USB flash drive for you - or create the USB flash drive manually with an ISO file saved from Microsoft's Media Creation Tool.
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  9. 56Kruiser
    Posts : 301
    Windows 10 Home 1909 18363.900
    Thread Starter
       New #7

    Here's the process I followed:

    Per link earlier in this thread, I went here (Tenforums How to Clean Install Windows 10). I followed this instruction:

    One of the first things instructed:
    Before you get started installing Windows 10, be sure that you temporarily disable Secure Boot and Fast Boot in your UEFI firmware settings until finished. Some motherboards may not support booting from a USB flash drive while these settings are enabled.

    Once installation has finished, you can enable Secure Boot and Fast Boot again if you like.

     If you have not already, you will need to create a bootable Windows 10 installation USB that supports UEFI mode (recommended) or Legacy BIOS (CSM) for how you want to install Windows 10.

    As noted in my OP post, I am working with an old PC. There is no UEFI to change settings with, and the BIOS has noting about it or Legacy mode. I presumed at this point that this was in fact a legacy PC.
    1
    From that page, I clicked on Download for Option 1, which takes me to a Microsoft page to download the Media Creation Tool. I downloaded that tool, plugged in the USB drive, and ran the tool. It appearred to work fine.

    I so no instructions about how to format the USB drive.

    I tried on both a USB SSD drive, and a USB flash drive. In both cases I got "Invalid Partition" errors.

    Last thing I tried for rebooting into the media drive was boot menu, and selected USB HDD. Same result.
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  10. bobkn
    Posts : 4,453
    Win 11 Pro 22000.708
       New #8

    56Kruiser said:
    Here's the process I followed:

    Per link earlier in this thread, I went here (Tenforums How to Clean Install Windows 10). I followed this instruction:

    One of the first things instructed:
    [FONT="]Before you get started installing Windows 10, be sure that you temporarily [/FONT]disable Secure Boot and Fast Boot in your UEFI firmware settings until finished. Some motherboards may not support booting from a USB flash drive while these settings are enabled.

    Once installation has finished, you can enable Secure Boot and Fast Boot again if you like.

     If you have not already, you will need to create a bootable Windows 10 installation USB that supports UEFI mode (recommended) or Legacy BIOS (CSM) for how you want to install Windows 10.

    As noted in my OP post, I am working with an old PC. There is no UEFI to change settings with, and the BIOS has noting about it or Legacy mode. I presumed at this point that this was in fact a legacy PC.
    1
    From that page, I clicked on Download for Option 1, which takes me to a Microsoft page to download the Media Creation Tool. I downloaded that tool, plugged in the USB drive, and ran the tool. It appearred to work fine.

    I so no instructions about how to format the USB drive.

    I tried on both a USB SSD drive, and a USB flash drive. In both cases I got "Invalid Partition" errors.

    Last thing I tried for rebooting into the media drive was boot menu, and selected USB HDD. Same result.
    The Media Creation Tool will format the USB drive. (As FAT32.) I believe that if the drive is larger than 32GB, it'll create a FAT32 partition, and do something else with the remainder of the space.

    I don't know why you are unable to create a bootable USB drive. Assuming that is, in fact, your problem.
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  12. MisterEd
    Posts : 2,190
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit v22H2
       New #9

    Burning an ISO to a DVD is an option if you have a DVD drive on the computer. The only gotcha is that the ISO for Windows 10 64-bit is too large for a regular DVD. For it you need to use a double-layer DVD.

    Windows 10 21H1 ISO (English)
    • 32-bit: 4.14 GB
    • 64-bit: 5.82 GB

    DVD capacity
    • Regular = 4.7 GB
    • Double-layer = 8.5 GB
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  13. 56Kruiser
    Posts : 301
    Windows 10 Home 1909 18363.900
    Thread Starter
       New #10

    Yeah. It seems wierd. I've done this in the past, albeit quite a while aback.

    I keep wondering if I am selecting wrong thing to load with, ie. HDD, USBFDD, USBHDD, etc. None work.
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