Un-activated Windows 10 from free trial/upgrade: some questions

marzipan said:

#1. Can I use the Windows 7 product key (on the sticker located at the bottom of the laptop) in place of the Windows 10 product key during installation, or would it be best if I purchase an actual Windows 10 product key? I have read that some folks have difficulty activating their Windows 10 install from an OEM - that's why I'm asking if it would be best if I just bought it outright.

Welcome to Ten Forums.

There should be no need to use (or buy) any key. If this PC had previously been upgraded from an activated W7 Home to W10 Home then it should have a digital licence for W10 Home stored on Microsoft's activation servers. If it got the free upgrade to Windows 10 through the GWX app that should have happened automatically.

Does the PC have Home or Pro installed? If it's now got an install of Pro then that will not activate from a digital licence for Home. Your son may have tried a clean install of Pro at some time after it got the free upgrade, if so you'll need to clean install Home.

Is it connected to the internet? An internet connection is required to check for activation. If it's been turned off for a long time then it may need to check its activation status, without an internet connection it would say it can't determine the activation status.

If you do have Home installed and it currently say it's not activated, but you are connected to the internet, then open a command prompt and type the command slmgr /ato to re-establish its activation.

If that fails to activate your Windows 10 Home, then change the installed product key to the Windows 7 Home one from the CoA sticker (an internet connection is required for this too).

Change Product Key in Windows 10


If there is an existing digital licence for Home (and there should be if it used the GWX app to get the free upgrade) then you can do a clean install of W10 Home and skip entering a key when asked. It will activate from the existing digital licence as soon as it can contact the activation servers.



Clean Install Windows 10

#2. I have read about downloading the Media Creation Tool and using it to do a clean install. A few weeks back, my daughter installed Windows 10 on her new hard drive, but she had bought a retail version of Windows 10 on a USB drive. She forgot to take it home with her. Could I just use that USB drive to install Win10 on my laptop instead of the Medial Creation Tool.

Yes, you probably could. but it will almost certainly be an installer for an older build of Windows 10. What build did it install on your daughter's PC? If it was build 1907 or earlier then Windows Update will shortly download the current build (21H1) to upgrade it. That download will be as large as the download the MCT will do, so you might as well use the MCT to make a USB for the latest build.

Another problem would be if the retail USB was for Windows 10 Pro, you need to install Windows 10 Home and it may be configured to only install Pro. Your PC's existing digital licence will only activate an install of Home, so you'd need to use the MCT anyway.

Use this tutorial to check which build the retail USB contains.

See Full Details about a Windows 10 ISO file or USB

Doing a clean install, I usually ...
- (re)create a new boot USB with Media Creation Tool. Chances are the last one I created is probably an out-of-date version which will require more updating after installing. Otherwise, just use an existing one and apply those extra updates released since it was created.
- disconnect the internet
- boot from USB, wipe any/all existing partitions and install
- jump the license key request. You can indicate you don't have one
- jump any request to connect the internet. MS will threaten with an incomptete installation .... Bollocks! It's just you don't end up with MS bloatware bells-and-whistles
- turn off (slide switches)/skip/ignore other options for Windows add-ons. You're there to install Windows, not connect your phone, not to setup your XBox, etc. Do that later after installation is complete.
- once up and running, connect the internet and update. Don't forget optional updates which usually include drivers.

Note in respect of this last step to connect the internet. Once connected, Windows will try to activate. If you don't have a license key then it will still run perfectly. You just won't be able to pretty-up your menu and desktop preferences.

BUT .... I accidentally discovered, for the first time, that if I didn't connect the internet, I could change my display options and layouts, then connect the internet. The changes remain, but once MS find out it's an un-activated installation, no more changes are possible until a license key is provided. Not sure whether this was a one-off or that's the case every time.

EDIT : You can add the (old) Windows 7/8.x key later. However the key type must match the installation version (Home installed > Home key, Pro installed > Pro key). I have known users to visit auction houses, buy an old laptop for next-to-nothing, use the sticker key and throw away the laptop. Cheaper than having to buy a retail version.

marzipan said:

...I could not wait to apply the wisdom you all shared and it went very well!

Thanks for returning and posting an update. Glad to hear that it all worked out for you.