Installataion and Activation of Windows 8.1

Well I have now spent the best part of 4 weeks trying to sort this problem out. I originally had Toshiba Laptop with Windows Home premium already installed and the sticker stuck on the bottom blah blah blah. I went through all the free upgrades from windows 8 through to windows 10 Anniversary with no problem whatsoever. And I was really happy with the windows 10.

unfortunately my system and hard drive crashed and failed so I had to try and fix it with a live Linux disk. When it came to installing windows back on the system well windows just wouldn't entertain it. I tried for a solid week to get some sort of windows installation back but had Constant driver not available errors. I tried all windows editions which were all legally downloaded from the Microsoft account. I even went to the extent of trying a windows 98 edition that's how bad things got.!!!!

However after hours and hours of not giving up and NOT throwing the laptop out of the window, which I was tempted to do so many times. Windows finally started to load up on the windows 8 version. I completed installation signed in Microsoft remembered my account and everything. I had no intention of keeping windows 8 I wanted to go back to the windows 10 that was previously installed. But Microsoft have other ideas. Now I am unable to upgrade to windows 10 as Microsoft want the product key which I have tried to activate but with constant errors. I have phoned the support tried numerous times but they will just not accept the activation code. The original windows7 code has practically rubbed off and I can barely see the numbers. I just feel there is no support whatsoever and I am certainly not paying for another product key that I don't want anyway. I have tried again with a complete reinstall for windows 10 but the dreaded driver problem appears again. Just seems funny that the only disk to load is the windows 8 no driver problems there with a wiped hard drive. I think this is just Microsoft's method to conning people.!!!!!

If this problem persists I will have no choice but to remove Microsoft completely from every device my family and I own an even the business ones and I will opt for a LINUX Distro..

If anyone has a solution I would be greatly appreciated.

alphanumeric said:

7 Home Premium gets you 8 Core

Was there a free upgrade from 7 to 8?
My memory was that I had to pay a small amount for a machine which at the time was a recent Windows 7 purchase (less than 6 months old if I remember), but in doing that, I got Windows 8 Pro.
My key point is, the OP may have paid a small amount but in doing so, got themselves Win 8 Pro (which would lead to 8.1 Pro and then 10 Pro).

I imagine that getting the right edition of Windows 10 is the important thing to resolve here?

Try installing Windows 8 again and upgrade to Windows 10. Since you have a digital license for Windows 10, when it asks you for a key, just use Windows 10 Generic Keys. It will automatically activate when you go online. You have to install the same version of Windows you had previously (Home, Pro or Home Single Language).

Generic key to install Windows 10 RTM - Winaero

TrustMe said:

Try installing Windows 8 again and upgrade to Windows 10. Since you have a digital license for Windows 10, when it asks you for a key, just use Windows 10 Generic Keys. It will automatically activate when you go online. You have to install the same version of Windows you had previously (Home, Pro or Home Single Language).

Generic key to install Windows 10 RTM - Winaero

That Winaero article gives THE WRONG GENERIC KEY for Windows 10 Home. I have that on the highest authority - @Superfly told me off for giving out the one ending in H8Q99.

Superfly said:

PLEEZ... Do not advocate that key , we have had so many problems with that...

But as cereberus says, you don't need a key at all. Skip entering a key for 10 and it should activate from the digital licence on Microsoft's activation servers.

[QUOTE=Bree;1124670]That Winaero article gives THE WRONG GENERIC KEY for Windows 10 Home. I have that on the highest authority - @Superfly told me off for giving out the one ending in H8Q99.

I did not know that. I used that key when I upgraded from Win 7 to Win10. I could be wrong but I think back then it forced you to enter a key. I know it's changed now. If you say Superfly told you not to use it, that's good enough for me.

alphanumeric said:

I think 7 Home Premium gets you 10 Home...

Confirmed. I had Win7 Home Premium, the free upgrade took me to 10 Home.