Clean Install Windows 10  

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  1. Posts : 17
    Windows 10 Pro
       #540

    Bree said:
    If you upgraded W7 Home Premium to Windows 10 on this PC it would have got a digital license for Windows 10 Home stored on Microsoft's activation servers. This means you could clean install Windows 10 Home without providing a key and it will activate automatically from the digital license as soon as it can contact the activation servers.

    You could clean install W10 Pro, but it won't activate if the PC's digital license is only for Home.

    Unless you have previously installed W10 Pro and activated it on this PC, then if you want to activate Pro, or to upgrade an activated Home to Pro, you'll need to purchase a key for Pro.
    oh dang it. I guess I'll have to give another try at a repair install again.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 31,551
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #541

    Pragnesh89 said:
    oh dang it. I guess I'll have to give another try at a repair install again.
    Do you have W10 Pro installed at the moment? Does it say in Update & Security > Activation that "Windows is installed with a digital license...." ?

    If so then there is a digital license for this PC on the activation servers. You can clean install W10 Pro and skip entering a key when asked. It will activate from the existing digital license.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 17
    Windows 10 Pro
       #542

    Bree said:
    Do you have W10 Pro installed at the moment? Does it say in Update & Security > Activation that "Windows is installed with a digital license...." ?

    If so then there is a digital license for this PC on the activation servers. You can clean install W10 Pro and skip entering a key when asked. It will activate from the existing digital license.
    Yes it says Windows is activated with a digital license. Don't remember when I upgraded but its been over a year. The 2004 win 10 version literally made everything worse. It's a lot better now except for the fact that it takes me 10 minutes for my pc to boot up. So that's why I wanted to try a clean install.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2,487
    Windows 10 Home, 64-bit
       #543

    Clarify what is activated:

    Win 10 Home?

    Win 10 Pro?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 17
    Windows 10 Pro
       #544

    ignatzatsonic said:
    Clarify what is activated:

    Win 10 Home?

    Win 10 Pro?
    Win 10 Pro

    Clean Install Windows 10-windows-10-activation.jpg


    Ok I think I now know what happened. When I bought the PC originally in 2012, It came with Windows 7 Home Premium. I must have upgraded it to Windows 7 Pro sometimes after buying through my college. And that freed upgraded it to Windows 10. My college doesnt offer Pro versions anymore so I would not have the key that I installed for Win 7 Professional. Sorry for the confusion.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 2,487
    Windows 10 Home, 64-bit
       #545

    Given that..............I don't think you would have any activation issue with a clean install of Win 10 Pro.

    You'd delete all partitions from the drive early on in the installation process, leaving only "unallocated space".

    Let Windows make whatever partitions it sees fit, then examine them in Windows Disk Management.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 31,551
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #546

    Pragnesh89 said:
    Ok I think I now know what happened. When I bought the PC originally in 2012, It came with Windows 7 Home Premium. I must have upgraded it to Windows 7 Pro sometimes after buying through my college. And that freed upgraded it to Windows 10. My college doesnt offer Pro versions anymore so I would not have the key that I installed for Win 7 Professional. Sorry for the confusion.
    That's great news. Your PC has a Digital License for W10 Pro. You can clean install W10 Pro and it will activate.

    As this was a W7 PC it won't have a key in its bios, that only started with machines built for W8 or above. So when you start the clean install you'll be asked for a key. You should click on 'I don't have one'. Then you'll be asked which edition to install. Choose Pro, once it can contact the activation servers it will activate from the existing digital license.
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 17
    Windows 10 Pro
       #547

    Bree said:
    That's great news. Your PC has a Digital License for W10 Pro. You can clean install W10 Pro and it will activate.

    As this was a W7 PC it won't have a key in its bios, that only started with machines built for W8 or above. So when you start the clean install you'll be asked for a key. You should click on 'I don't have one'. Then you'll be asked which edition to install. Choose Pro, once it can contact the activation servers it will activate from the existing digital license.
    Just a quick question, does it matter if I do a cloud install or a local install while resetting windows 10? Will it affect the digital license?
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 31,551
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #548

    Pragnesh89 said:
    Just a quick question, does it matter if I do a cloud install or a local install while resetting windows 10? Will it affect the digital license?
    I've never tried the 'Cloud' reset, it's a relatively new feature.

    But however you put Windows back on the machine, whether you wipe the drive and do a clean install, or you Reset the existing Windows install (Cloud or locally) activation remains the same. As soon as it can connect to the internet the first thing the newly installed Windows will do is send the hardware ID of the PC to the activation servers. If they reply that there is an existing digital license for that ID then Windows will activate.
      My Computers


  10. Posts : 17
    Windows 10 Pro
       #549

    Bree said:
    I've never tried the 'Cloud' reset, it's a relatively new feature.

    But however you put Windows back on the machine, whether you wipe the drive and do a clean install, or you Reset the existing Windows install (Cloud or locally) activation remains the same. As soon as it can connect to the internet the first thing the newly installed Windows will do is send the hardware ID of the the PC to the activation servers. If they reply that there is an existing digital license for that ID the Windows will activate.
    Thank you for responding this late in the night. Let me give this a try. It wont hurt.
      My Computer


 

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