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I always used the gatherosstate trick without any updates. Because it saves so much time
I always used the gatherosstate trick without any updates. Because it saves so much time
Typically a Win7 PC will have had most or all of the recent updates installed before attempting to use gatherosstate. I wanted to see if that was a factor, rather than testing on a clean install of Win7 SP1 without any further updates.
I used the MCT to make the latest Win10 21H2 ISO, build 19044.1288. I used that to do a clean install of Windows 10, deleting all existing partitions. During the clean install the machine was connected to the internet, so would have been able to check for updates. To ensure I could set up the new install with just a local account I disconnected from the internet just before the OOBE setup phase. Once signed in and reconnected Windows was not activated. I then copied over the GenuineTicket.xml. I can confirm that after a restart it would not activate this install.
I then wiped the machine and repeated the clean install, using exactly the same ISO and GenuineTicket.xml. But this time I disconnected the machine from the internet before booting from the ISO, and did not reconnect until after I had installed Windows, copied over the GenuineTicket.xml and shut down the machine. I then connected to the internet and restarted. This time it did get activated with a digital licence.
So it seems the key change that has happened recently is that you now need to perform all the steps in @Brink's tutorial while offline, and only connect after you have the GenuineTicked.xml in place and ready for use.
Hi.
I was running a genuine Windows 7 Professional, and followed the steps to make the .xml file by copying the .exe file to the desktop before running it as an administrator. Got the .xml file, and put it on an usb stick.
Then I did a clean installation of Windows 10 Pro, with the same language, and copied the .xml file into the GenuineTicket folder.
After restart, Windows 10 wasn't activated, so I restarted it. But still not activated.
Then I checked the GenuineTicket folder, and it was empty.
Copied the .xml file to the folder again, and restarted. The .xml file disappeared again.
Have tried this several times, every time it disappears.
What now?
I thought for sure I clean installed 10 on a few Windows 8 machines without the upgrade but can't be sure. Can someone confirm that the upgrade is needed or not on Official Windows 8 machines?
That's great to hear Navy, thanks!
Bilbo Sekker
When you finally got it to activate after three days were you trying repeatedly for three days or did you abandon it and just come back with one last go for luck and it worked?
I'm having the same problem - I wonder if it's anything to do with the time gap, or just if you try it sufficiently often eventually it will work.
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To elaborate: I have three school laptops running Windows 7 Pro 32-bit (although they are 64-bit machines) which I am trying to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro 64-bit. Using the method in this tutorial I have successfully upgraded and activated one (proving the method is still working), but the other two stubbornly refuse to activate despite me following the same procedure as far as I can tell.
These machines must have OEM licences as the Productid keys in the registries have 20 characters, not 25 (as for a retail product key).
For the one that did activate I had had several failures trying a clean install of Win 10 32-bt, intending to go to 64-bit later, but it worked when I restored Win 7 then went straight to a clean install of Win 10 64-bit.
Unfortunately this didn't work with the other two.
BilboSekker's experience might suggest whatever route you go it is just random whether it picks up the genuine ticket or not and if you keep recopying the xml file and rebooting it will eventually work. Can this possibly be right?
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Update to update: success with one of the two laptops!
Method:
making sure Windows 7 had all available updates; recreating genuineticket.xml; disconnecting the internet; clean installing Windows 10 64-bit; copying the xml file; restarting then connecting the internet to validate the digital id.
I'll try the same with the other laptop, but have limited confidence it will work...
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It did work. So I second @Bree's observation above - that you should do the whole installation disconnected from the internet.