Will windows 10 update provide a product key for clean install?

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  1. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #41

    Miklos said:
    Thanks for input. I have successfully installed Windows 10 in a dual boot as before with Win 8.1. According to MSoft Technical via a phone call there is no way to activate Win 10 this way unless I first upgrade Win 8.1 by overwriting it which I did not want to do.

    Why this is necessary when MS could still read my Win 8.1 and hardware config via clean install of Win 10 on my dual boot arrangement. Its all on same machine!
    Here's the way to do it, Miklos:
    Activating windows 10 after major hardware change help - Page 2 - Windows 10 Forums
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 10
    Windows 10
       #42

    NavyLCDR said:
    You might try this, although I don't know if it will work once you have tried once to activate Windows 10 clean install and failed:
    Why Activate? - Windows 10 Forums

    Basically, make sure your computer has no ability to connect to the internet. Run the gatherosstate program on your Windows 8.1 partition. Copy the resulting XML file to the proper location on you Windows 10 partition. Reboot Windows 10 at least once with the XML file saved. Then connect to the internet again with Windows 10 and hope for the best.
    Thanks again. Thats seems a way to connect the two eligible OS without actually merging them in an overwrite. Will give it a try.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 2
    Windows 10
       #43

    Several Upgrade attempts from 7 to 10, wish I could say successfully!


    Miklos said:
    Thanks again. Thats seems a way to connect the two eligible OS without actually merging them in an overwrite. Will give it a try.
    Hi all,
    I thought I would share what happened when I tried to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10. I received the free offer to upgrade so I tried several times through Windows Update only for it to fail in the middle of it with a black screen. I would then have to force a shut down and it would attempt the repair of the upgrade and then would revert back to Windows 7. I did this 3 times and then started to search for a better way. I then tried using the MediaCreationTool provided by Microsoft directly from the PC I was trying to upgrade (I have several PC's, the one I'm typing on was 8.1 and successfully upgraded to 10 the first time). The upgrade failed again in the middle of the install with a black screen. Again, forced a shutdown and it went back to 7. After a little more digging I found a forum where someone tried by making an install disc from the mediacreationtool and then completely shut off the internet and the virus scan software. So I started the process and I only shut down the internet, it asked me if I wanted to upgrade this PC or save the files to upgrade another PC. I chose the second option and it also asked if I wanted to burn an ISO or save the files to a USB stick. I chose the USB stick and it went through the download and saved everything to my 16GB USB. Now for the extremely annoying part.... the actual upgrade.... So, I shut down the internet, I plug in the stick and start the upgrade. It goes through an initialization that I can't quite remember (sorry, I wasn't really paying attention.... thinking that it would just SHABANG and install without my help at all!! Silly me....). Then you get to the black screen that says "Upgrading Windows" and "Your PC will restart several times. Sit back and relax." which is a complete farse!! Big circle in the middle that shows your progress and then at the bottom of your screen you'll see three phases of the install:
    Copying Files
    Installing features and drivers
    Configuring settings

    Now... here's the tricky part. After it goes through the first phase of copying files (you'll see the percentage go up to 100%), it's going to go to restart, right when the PC restarts, you need to remove the USB stick. Wait until it goes back to the "Upgrading Windows" screen with the circle showing your progress, then plug the stick back in again. You'll then see that it's at the second phase, "Installing features and drivers" and that percentage will go up to 100%, the PC will then restart again. You, again, have to remove the USB stick once the PC shuts down to restart. Again, it will go back to the upgrade screen and you can then plug the USB back in. You'll now see it's at the last phase, "Configuring settings" and that percentage will slowly go up to 100%, or so I thought. I'm not as the last phase, the upgrade is 76% complete... and I'm hanging at 4% Configuring Settings.... doesn't move... I do a hard restart, unplug the USB, and expect to get back to the install screen and BOOM.... it tells me that it's "Restoring your previous version of Windows". It appears as though 5 times is NOT A CHARM!!! If anyone has any answers I would greatly appreciate it!! Extremely irritated that this wasn't tested and user's weren't informed of upgrade issues with the different versions. Don't offer me the darn free upgrade if I'm going to have to spend hours to try and troubleshoot what you should have already done the troubleshooting on!!! Sorry.... aggravated!
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2
    Windows 10
       #44

    I should also add....


    mishfams said:
    Hi all,
    I thought I would share what happened when I tried to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10. I received the free offer to upgrade so I tried several times through Windows Update only for it to fail in the middle of it with a black screen. I would then have to force a shut down and it would attempt the repair of the upgrade and then would revert back to Windows 7. I did this 3 times and then started to search for a better way. I then tried using the MediaCreationTool provided by Microsoft directly from the PC I was trying to upgrade (I have several PC's, the one I'm typing on was 8.1 and successfully upgraded to 10 the first time). The upgrade failed again in the middle of the install with a black screen. Again, forced a shutdown and it went back to 7. After a little more digging I found a forum where someone tried by making an install disc from the mediacreationtool and then completely shut off the internet and the virus scan software. So I started the process and I only shut down the internet, it asked me if I wanted to upgrade this PC or save the files to upgrade another PC. I chose the second option and it also asked if I wanted to burn an ISO or save the files to a USB stick. I chose the USB stick and it went through the download and saved everything to my 16GB USB. Now for the extremely annoying part.... the actual upgrade.... So, I shut down the internet, I plug in the stick and start the upgrade. It goes through an initialization that I can't quite remember (sorry, I wasn't really paying attention.... thinking that it would just SHABANG and install without my help at all!! Silly me....). Then you get to the black screen that says "Upgrading Windows" and "Your PC will restart several times. Sit back and relax." which is a complete farse!! Big circle in the middle that shows your progress and then at the bottom of your screen you'll see three phases of the install:
    Copying Files
    Installing features and drivers
    Configuring settings

    Now... here's the tricky part. After it goes through the first phase of copying files (you'll see the percentage go up to 100%), it's going to go to restart, right when the PC restarts, you need to remove the USB stick. Wait until it goes back to the "Upgrading Windows" screen with the circle showing your progress, then plug the stick back in again. You'll then see that it's at the second phase, "Installing features and drivers" and that percentage will go up to 100%, the PC will then restart again. You, again, have to remove the USB stick once the PC shuts down to restart. Again, it will go back to the upgrade screen and you can then plug the USB back in. You'll now see it's at the last phase, "Configuring settings" and that percentage will slowly go up to 100%, or so I thought. I'm not as the last phase, the upgrade is 76% complete... and I'm hanging at 4% Configuring Settings.... doesn't move... I do a hard restart, unplug the USB, and expect to get back to the install screen and BOOM.... it tells me that it's "Restoring your previous version of Windows". It appears as though 5 times is NOT A CHARM!!! If anyone has any answers I would greatly appreciate it!! Extremely irritated that this wasn't tested and user's weren't informed of upgrade issues with the different versions. Don't offer me the darn free upgrade if I'm going to have to spend hours to try and troubleshoot what you should have already done the troubleshooting on!!! Sorry.... aggravated!
    Prior to removing the USB stick throughout the install, it would ask me for a Key that I obviously didn't have and entering my Windows 7 key wasn't working. Then I realized that it wanted me to remove the USB prior to each phase and then it no longer asked me for a key. Hitting the "skip" button only brought me to a screen that said "shut down your PC and removed the media". But it bombed 3/4 of the way through anyway... ugh
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 10
    Windows 10
       #45

    I kind of thought I might run into problems with a USB flash drive clean install of Win 10 so I chose to go with burning a ISO bootable DVD. It went without a hitch so give this way a try. I did install Win 10 by dividing my Laptops 1TB HD to a separate partition with my exisiting Win 8.1 installation. I am now gradually reinstalling the apps and hardware (printers, scanners etc) I need to run with Win 10. This way I can check alls well as I go along.

    My eligible Windows 8.1 upgrade to Win 10 remains as before ie. NOT UPGRADED as I chose not to overwrite it with Win 10. If I did this I know 10 will knock out some apps I still use eg Nero 6 Burning CD Rom. Meanwhile MS keeps nagging me to activate my copy of Win10 and directs me to their Web store stating as I have no valid activation key I must buy a pristine copy of Win 10!

    Unbelievable carry on! I suppose eventuality this way my install of Win 10 will gradually decrease in functionality untill it is useless. However I will still have my original Win 8.1 set up to fall back on.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 490
    Windows 10 Pro
       #46

    Miklos said:
    I kind of thought I might run into problems with a USB flash drive clean install of Win 10 so I chose to go with burning a ISO bootable DVD. It went without a hitch so give this way a try. I did install Win 10 by dividing my Laptops 1TB HD to a separate partition with my exisiting Win 8.1 installation. I am now gradually reinstalling the apps and hardware (printers, scanners etc) I need to run with Win 10. This way I can check alls well as I go along.

    My eligible Windows 8.1 upgrade to Win 10 remains as before ie. NOT UPGRADED as I chose not to overwrite it with Win 10. If I did this I know 10 will knock out some apps I still use eg Nero 6 Burning CD Rom. Meanwhile MS keeps nagging me to activate my copy of Win10 and directs me to their Web store stating as I have no valid activation key I must buy a pristine copy of Win 10!

    Unbelievable carry on! I suppose eventuality this way my install of Win 10 will gradually decrease in functionality untill it is useless. However I will still have my original Win 8.1 set up to fall back on.
    It will begin rebooting every three hours 15 days before shutdown.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #47

    Miklos said:
    Unbelievable carry on!
    Why is it unbelievable? All Microsoft ever offered to do was give you a free upgrade from Windows 7/8/8.1 to 10. Right now you aren't running an upgrade. You are running a completely 100% separate and new installation of Windows 10 - Microsoft never offered to give that to you for free.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 10
    Windows 10
       #48

    NavyLCDR said:
    Why is it unbelievable? All Microsoft ever offered to do was give you a free upgrade from Windows 7/8/8.1 to 10. Right now you aren't running an upgrade. You are running a completely 100% separate and new installation of Windows 10 - Microsoft never offered to give that to you for free.
    I guess what I mean is that Microsoft informed me my OS system was eligible for an upgrade to Windows 10 by knowing I had a valid copy of Windows 8.1. However it also ran a check on my set up flagging up some applications that were problematic for Windows 10 but were running well in Windows 8.1 (compatibility mode).

    OK, so as we have seen in this forum and elsewhere some have had problems upgrading to 10 over an eligible previous version of Windows viz. not all has gone smoothly and then needed to revert back: perhaps with some losses.
    I've had no further communication from Microsoft since being informed I was eligible for 10 and not wishing to chance overwriting 8.1 and not run/recover all my existing apps I noted MS was making available a stand alone ISO file for Windows 10 so I went that route as described.

    I had no idea (at the time) going this way would lead to complications in activation as I already had an authentic copy of Windows 8.1 installed on the very same machine as I'd installed Windows 10. I figured if MS was making 10 available this way, and as long it was installed on the same machine that they had already given validation for I would be OK. Well, as I know now, it appears not to be the case.

    The carry on refers to me going through all this without the full facts it seems, trying a phone install to no avail, direct talks with MS technical and still no resolution.

    If I did go for an overwrite to upgrade 8.1 to 10 I don't think anyone is going to guarantee my original installation when I roll it back to 8.1 which is still going to be needed. I guess I'll hang fire for the moment.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 490
    Windows 10 Pro
       #49

    Miklos said:
    I guess what I mean is that Microsoft informed me my OS system was eligible for an upgrade to Windows 10 by knowing I had a valid copy of Windows 8.1. However it also ran a check on my set up flagging up some applications that were problematic for Windows 10 but were running well in Windows 8.1 (compatibility mode).

    OK, so as we have seen in this forum and elsewhere some have had problems upgrading to 10 over an eligible previous version of Windows viz. not all has gone smoothly and then needed to revert back: perhaps with some losses.
    I've had no further communication from Microsoft since being informed I was eligible for 10 and not wishing to chance overwriting 8.1 and not run/recover all my existing apps I noted MS was making available a stand alone ISO file for Windows 10 so I went that route as described.

    I had no idea (at the time) going this way would lead to complications in activation as I already had an authentic copy of Windows 8.1 installed on the very same machine as I'd installed Windows 10. I figured if MS was making 10 available this way, and as long it was installed on the same machine that they had already given validation for I would be OK. Well, as I know now, it appears not to be the case.

    The carry on refers to me going through all this without the full facts it seems, trying a phone install to no avail, direct talks with MS technical and still no resolution.

    If I did go for an overwrite to upgrade 8.1 to 10 I don't think anyone is going to guarantee my original installation when I roll it back to 8.1 which is still going to be needed. I guess I'll hang fire for the moment.
    But you did know that the Get Windows 10 program is an upgrade. You don't upgrade by doing a clean install. You also know that it is de rigeur to do a system backup before making an important change to your computer. A backup that allows easily recoverying the computer to the state it was in before the change. And you do know how to read and follow instructions.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #50

    Miklos said:
    If I did go for an overwrite to upgrade 8.1 to 10 I don't think anyone is going to guarantee my original installation when I roll it back to 8.1 which is still going to be needed. I guess I'll hang fire for the moment.
    You did a clean install of Windows 10 to a separate partition. In order to make that an UPGRADE, which is what was promised, why not just install a second install of Windows 8.1 to the separate partition, then UPGRADE that to Windows 10?
      My Computer


 

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