I've read the instructions on various websites.
I had Windows 8.1 Home activated and updated.
Upgraded to Windows 10 Home. It activated and updated.
Did a clean install of Windows 10 Home and it won't activate. I skipped both key input screens and it says my key is blocked.
Every install was Windows 10 Home. I think the first time, I upgraded from Windows 8.1 using the wuauclt.exe /updatenow method. I downloaded the media creation tool for the clean install and loaded it on a USB drive. When I did the clean install, I deleted all partitions.
After I realized it wouldn't activate, I restarted the process to see if I messed up. I downgraded to Windows 8.1, activated, but this time I used the USB drive to upgrade. Windows 10 was installed and activated. This time, I left all partitions alone and only formatted the C drive with a clean install.
I have no idea what the GWX/update method is.
As long as the edition of Windows you created on USB with the MCT (not certain if you mean same thing by "loaded it on") is Win10 Home and you had Win10 home from the upgrade (versus Win10 Home Single Language on USB, for example, or Win10 Home on USB after upgrading to Win10 Home Single Language, a difference that matters), it normally would have worked OK, especially deleting all partitions for truly clean install.
What do you mean by "downgraded" to WIn 8.1 - reinstalled Win 8.1 from manufacturer supplied media or other means ?
(wouldn't expect a difference in 2nd attempt having formatted C: other than an extra recovery partition as a result)
Same as what you started with, just that you apparently took a cmd prompt rather than routing through the "Get Windows 10" (GWX) icon in the system notification tray.
I'm sure I chose Windows 10 Home and not Home Single Language for the USB. Would the system information screen show the distinction? I have screenshots of all the activation screens.
I don't know where my Windows 8 disk is or if MSI even provided me with any. I just downloaded the Windows 8.1 MCT and used that to do a clean install. It activated as soon as I connected to the internet.
The first time I upgraded, I had the Get Windows 10 icon in the tray. It never did anything and I got tired of waiting, so I looked up how to trigger the download of Windows 10 manually through CMD. When I reinstalled Windows 8.1, the icon never came back (although I didn't spend too much time in Windows 8.1). This was after I updated everything. I then used the USB to upgrade to Windows 10 and it was fine, but when I tried to clean install after, the same issue appeared.
Long story short, I used the Windows 10 MCT to upgrade from Windows 8.1 and it activated, but using the same USB to clean install resulted in a blocked key.
Definitely sounds like a Microsoft Activation Server issue. So, you can call Microsoft and insist that they activate your Windows 10 for you. You can use Showkey from this forum to get your Windows 8 product key from bios:
Showkey - Windows 10 Forums
OR, you can use the method below, but you will have to go back to Windows 8.1 first, get the file you need for Windows 10, then clean install Windows 10 again:
Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First - Windows 10 Forums
OR you can wait and hope that your unactivated Windows 10 updates to the build that is supposed to allow you to activate it with your Windows 8 product key reported to be coming in November, then enter your Windows 8 product key obtained with Showkey and hope it works.
I'll try the second method first. I'm a little picky and I want to delete the other partitions with a clean install. I think Windows 8 creates 1 partition more than Windows 10. If it doesn't work, then I'll try the other options. Thanks.
Edit:
It worked! Thanks a lot. You saved me from pulling all my hair out.
Will I have to paste this GenuineTicket.xml every time I clean install or just this time?
Last edited by yingjai; 24 Oct 2015 at 02:09.
Glad it worked for you! After the first upgrade, you are supposed to be able to clean install with nothing extra-just skip the product key entry. I would keep the .xml file in a backup, though, just in case. At least once you have it, it doesn't add much effort to the clean install process.
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