New
#20
Major problem
I recently upgraded from windows 8.1 to windows 10 legit version of 8.1
I wanted to get rid of all the bloat and start fresh, I used the product key to retrieve my activated windows 10 key I assumed that it was correct.
I then installed and formatted my drive and I am unable to proceed past the part for key entry to proceed?
Hello bruteforce, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)
When doing a clean install for the free Windows 10, you would want to "Skip" entering the product key number during Windows Setup to have it activated. The activation of the free Windows 10 on your PC is registered on Microsoft activation servers, and will automatically activate when installation is complete.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...n-install.html
I guess that would explain why both my Win 10 Pros have the same "key". One was an upgrade from 7 and the other from 8.1 on the same PC.You do not get a product key with the free upgrade of Windows 10. Instead, it's just a generic key for installing that cannot be used to activate with.
The activation for the free offer of Windows 10 is registered on the Microsoft activation servers, and is referenced by the hardware (motherboard/CPU/graphics card) of the PC it was upgraded on.
Last edited by Ex_Brit; 05 Sep 2015 at 09:59.
That would have come in handy on the second remote case I have here when swapping out the old memory and seeing the activate in 3 days reappear for a day or so. I removed the 4gb of Mushkin Enhanced for the new 8gb of Kingston Hyper X Fury and watched as 10 reactivated itself automatically being a minor hardware change while if this had been a recent install of 7 as seen once before I would have had to call into MS to have the previous version reactivated!
When running the tool be sure to use the save option a few times one in a local folder outside the usual found in the Windows.old users, Program Files, Program Files(x86) as well as on a separate drive if you have one! You could even print it out for safe keeping if you should end up needing to repair or replace the existing 10 install sometime later and after next July! Good for the long term haul!
The OEM key seems to be useless as it can be used on only the original computer, and we're unable to use the OEM key to activate Windows installed on another computer. The OEM key is embedded in the UEFI/BIOS firmware so we will also never lost it. When you perform a reset/refresh/reinstall, Windows will automatically detects and uses the OEM key embedded in UEFI/BIOS. Is it correct?
Hello Joya, :)
Unless the PC came preinstalled with Windows 10, the OEM key in UEFI firmware chip will not be used.
The information in the blue note box at the top of the tutorial on the first page and below can help with activation.
Activate Windows 10
Hi When I used ShowKey Plus, My installed key shows up as BBBBB all the way. What does that mean?