Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First  

If you have upgraded from a previous version or followed the steps here in securing the GenuineTicket.xml file and tucking that away on a removable or other safe place and plan a complete clean install you would need to buy a key. Changing over from the 32bit to 64bit once 10 has been activated won't null the record of the activation from the previous 32bit install. That simply gets transferred over to the fresh 64bit.

Here I saw the second clean install for the 64bit on the laptop go and activate following the first when I found I had to nuke the entire drive since the factory partition could not be resized to see a second backup partition created. Once the drive was wiped that second 64bit install activated on the spot since the record of the initial upgrade was kept by MS. The hardware profile ID remains the same just as if you had bought 7 retail years back and had both dvds for the 32bit and 64bit. You could easily wipe the 32bit off at any time for the 64bit or go back to the 32bit after putting the 64bit on. Likewise once the machine has been activated the first time you can reinstall the same version/edition of Windows an endless number of time for either kernel.

As far as the article there that only applies if this guide hadn't been posted or simply if no one had found out the option to avoid he need for the upgrade install first in order to see 10 activated which is what this guide explains. In fact once you have the xml file from the previous version you should be able to simply slap the 64bit 10 and not have a worry since that doesn't determine whether or not 10 or any other previous version gets activated.

The method outlined in the guide sees the previous version's activated status transferred to the fresh 10 install regardless of it being 32bit or 64bit since you are not performing a direct upgrade type of install. The record of the activation isn't stored locally on your drive but on the MS servers making that possible!

In fact that's how they keep track. Software companies also do the same and require you to uninstall their programs while connected online so their own server keeps a record of the uninstall while they only a few reinstalls to be seen before charging you again! That's another big difference in how MS is handling their activation policies.

Steffan said:

As a plan B, can I extract this genuineticket and then use it to activate in case something goes wrong? Would that work? Also, should I donwload 10240 or the latest build available? Does that matter?

EDIT It seems that this genuineticket activation does not work, so the only option is the one you meantioned.
Clean Install Windows 10: The Activation Myth - Softpedia

The genuineticket activation does indeed work if done properly like in the tutorial on the first page here. It would be good to have this as a backup if it doesn't automatically activate for you normally after doing a clean install on the PC that you previously upgraded on.

It should work as long as it's for the same edition and language.

Since you have previously upgraded to Windows 10 on the PC, you may not even need the geniuneticket file, but it's good to have as a backup just in case it doesn't automatically activate for you as it should.

Steffan said:

What about the build version? Does it work regardless of the version that I am using right now?

EDIT One more question: Can I download the English version? Or do i have to stick with what I chose before? I assume I can choose any language.

Activation is version/edition specific. Same language is required for upgrades in order to keep apps and settings.

New RTM next week will probably make genuine ticket unnecessary in future (unless you have Win 7 OEM without a COA sticker)

Superfly said:

Activation is version/edition specific. Same language is required for upgrades in order to keep apps and settings.

New RTM next week will probably make genuine ticket unnecessary in future (unless you have Win 7 OEM without a COA sticker)

The latest 10586 Insider Preview build actually be labeled that any longer but seen as the Threshold 2 for 10 where you do not see any watermark for the build as well as seeing once showing Windows isn't activated. I just saw the two Home and Pro editions alike activated on two different VMs on two separate machines using a product key.

The process of upgrading from the 10240 to 10586 Threshhold 2 will be replacement of the OS core since the MinWin kernel introduced with 7 has gone further in seeing that modular rather then embedded into the OS as seen with the earlier 3.0 through Vista models. The activation will be fussy about what keys are considered valid much more then previously seen so I wouldn't exactly count that as a guaranteed option this soon for 10!

As far as already being previously activated the only real problem with any wait was during the first week of the initial launch! It might take a full day for any upgrade to activate the first time around but days before any second likely being a repair of the first needed followed by a clean install taking time as well back in early August. Now regardless of clean install on a previously activated 10 machine or with the GenuineTicket.xml seen to it should take place immediately.