Windows 10 Build 10240 for PC is now available

alphanumeric said:

From Gabe's tweet in post 1 of this thread, "We've removed ISOs and keys. At this point there isn't a supported clean install path. Just upgrades from here until 7/29." Like I said, maybe they haven't turned the activation servers back on yet? Or you need a new key that hasn't been released yet? The Insiders page looks like its active though? maybe you have redownload a new ISO? If you can't download a new ISO, that would tell me its still shutdown.

I think you're right. I think that activation on new hardware with Insider builds is still turned off since the middle of July or whenever it was.

The insiders page won't let you download a new 'Insider' PC build - it just sends you to the 'normal' Windows 10 ISO page. (I think you can download a Mobile build though, and therefore can still register your MSA as an Insider as well.)

I believe a clean install on a PC won't activate unless the hardware has previously been activated with Build 10240 (or maybe one of the recent Insider builds like10166 (???) which is about when they changed the activation servers over).

Also, if you upgrade to 10240 from an activated Insider build before 10240, I *think* it may still stay activated.

But I'm pretty sure new installations won't activate, even if you use the Insider email address. Certainly when I was firing up a new VM to try something, it wouldn't activate.

If you just want to test, why not download the Enterprise evaluation version of 10.10240:
Windows 10 Enterprise | TechNet Evaluation Center.

It is personalizable, functionally equivalent to Professional, and has a 90 days evaluation period which may be extended twice with rearms. Within the limits of the license, it is activated, but it does have a watermark. There are minor differences in Windows setup regarding whether you join an enterprise domain, but you just need to choose the alternative.

You can remain in the insider program, and receive fast or slow track updates as far as the advanced updates settings page shows, as long as you log in with your MSA, and if you have other systems (even 8.1) logged in with the same MSA, your settings follow you around.

Frankly I am not concerned about Activation status on insider builds - it's not as if I feel guilty at running some illicit system, but I guess we have become somewhat sensitized to it over the years - just like the lack of the Start menu.

The only system I installed since 17th July that activated was performed after the activation servers were supposedly downed was on an installation of 10.10166 that I upgraded immediately, without activating first, to 10.10240. Like previous upgrades it was a partial success, and I had to reset it, but it remained activated.

Just got (yesterday) Win 10 upgrade on my other PC (from Win 7 Pro).

I finally got my optical drive working. I found it on technet under "DVD drive not working in Windows 8.1"

Fafhrd said:

If you just want to test, why not download the Enterprise evaluation version of 10.10240:
Windows 10 Enterprise | TechNet Evaluation Center.

It is personalizable, functionally equivalent to Professional, and has a 90 days evaluation period which may be extended twice with rearms. Within the limits of the license, it is activated, but it does have a watermark. There are minor differences in Windows setup regarding whether you join an enterprise domain, but you just need to choose the alternative.

You can remain in the insider program, and receive fast or slow track updates as far as the advanced updates settings page shows, as long as you log in with your MSA, and if you have other systems (even 8.1) logged in with the same MSA, your settings follow you around.

Frankly I am not concerned about Activation status on insider builds - it's not as if I feel guilty at running some illicit system, but I guess we have become somewhat sensitized to it over the years - just like the lack of the Start menu.

The only system I installed since 17th July that activated was performed after the activation servers were supposedly downed was on an installation of 10.10166 that I upgraded immediately, without activating first, to 10.10240. Like previous upgrades it was a partial success, and I had to reset it, but it remained activated.

I'll consider that, Fafhrd. That may be the way to go.

simrick said:

What was wrong with it? I have a system here with optical drive issues, and I'm holding off upgrading it until I get this resolved.

Sorry, here's the link DVD - Technet solution