Win 10 Install and Upgrade-Preview Future Release 1703. Aka Creators Edition.

[us3rnotfound]

Not sure anyone's mentioned it, but running Magic Jelly Bean Key finder worked for me to uncover my Win10 product key.

 

[pcgeek11]

That is the kicker, you didn't upgrade first. That is a requirement as I posted above the info from Microsoft...

A pure clean installation Will Require a Windows 10 Key ( which you do not have ). You will need to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.X. Then you can do a clean installation and it will recognize the key automagically.

I would def image before doing any of this...

 

[us3rnotfound]

That is the kicker, you didn't upgrade first. That is a requirement as I posted above the info from Microsoft...

A pure clean installation Will Require a Windows 10 Key ( which you do not have ). You will need to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.X. Then you can do a clean installation and it will recognize the key automagically.

I would def image before doing any of this...

How does it magically get the key when you reformat after the upgrade? What is the real reason people want to do a clean install, and is there any obvious improvement from doing a clean install?

 

[boomerang]

That is the kicker, you didn't upgrade first. That is a requirement as I posted above the info from Microsoft...

A pure clean installation Will Require a Windows 10 Key ( which you do not have ). You will need to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.X. Then you can do a clean installation and it will recognize the key automagically.

I would def image before doing any of this...

Yeah, and I gave a long answer where a short one would have sufficed. My curse ...

Thank you for your patience.

 

[QuantumPion]

If you upgraded to Windows 10 on this PC by taking advantage of the free upgrade offer and successfully activated Windows 10 on this PC in the past, you won't have a Windows 10 product key, and you can skip the product key page by selecting the Skip button. Your PC will activate online automatically so long as the same edition of Windows 10 was successfully activated on this PC by using the free Windows 10 upgrade offer.

I'm curious, how will this work if I upgrade my motherboard/CPU/hdd? I had previously assumed I would just use my Win 7 retail product key. MS has said that you can transfer a retail license to another computer as long as you remove it from the old one first. How do you remove a license from one and transfer it to another?

 

[Puffnstuff]

A clean install would leave you with the purest registry possible without a lot of miscellaneous entries to sort through which slow things down and can confuse future installation packages by introducing conflict. When I upgraded my desktop I lost the use of all of my software including MS Office 2010 Pro which I need for college. Once I saw how badly the upgrade bungled my machine I had no choice but to immediately roll it back and restore my functioning pc. At the end of this semester I will clean install windows 8.1 along with all of my software and get the registry free of all of the extra entries.

Now if MS can get their installation package and supporting software improved before the free upgrade period ends I might give it another shot. On the downside asus hasn't released a driver for my xonar dx2 so I will lose the use of it in 10 and that also doesn't sit well with me.

 

[AdamK47]

Install went fine using the stand alone content creator.

 

[JackMDS]

How does it magically get the key when you reformat after the upgrade? What is the real reason people want to do a clean install, and is there any obvious improvement from doing a clean install?

Step 1. Image*** the current Win7/8 Installation to an External Computer/Drive.

Step 2. Download and make a DVD/Flash Drive of the compatible version of Win 10.

Step 3. Use the DVD/Flash drive to do In-place Upgrade to the current Win7/8.

Step 4. When the Upgrade is done Make sure that every thing is OK and Activated by looking at the Control Panel/System screen.

Step 5. use a Key Finder to find the Activated Key of Win 10 (many freeware choices - http://pcsupport.about.com/od/productkeysactivation/tp/topkeyfinder.htm ).

Step 6 (optional) Make an Image*** of the working Win 10 In-Place upgrade.

Step 7. Boot from the Win 10 DVD/Flash drive and make a Fresh Install.

Use the saved Win 10 key to Activate the Fresh Install. *****

*** I use Acronis TI 2015, it takes 8 Minutes to image full installation of Windows 7/10.

***** I tried it on few installations and while it worked on two computers other two rejected the save Win 10 Keys.

As mentioned in few post, at the moment it is hard to make a judgement about what works or Not because of the Land on the Activation Servers and general confusion with part of the process. Hopefully in the near future these issues would be resolved.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Step 1. Image*** the current Win7/8 Installation to an External Computer/Drive.

Step 2. Download and make a DVD/Flash Drive of the compatible version of Win 10.

Step 3. Use the DVD/Flash drive to do In-place Upgrade to the current Win7/8.

Step 4. When the Upgrade is done Make sure that every thing is OK and Activated by looking at the Control Panel/System screen.

Step 5. use a Key Finder to find the Activated Key of Win 10 (many freeware choices - http://pcsupport.about.com/od/productkeysactivation/tp/topkeyfinder.htm ).

Step 6 (optional) Make an Image*** of the working Win 10 In-Place upgrade.

Step 7. Boot from the Win 10 DVD/Flash drive and make a Fresh Install.

Use the saved Win 10 key to Activate the Fresh Install. *****

*** I use Acronis TI 2015, it takes 8 Minutes to image full installation of Windows 7/10.

***** I tried it on few installations and while it worked on two computers other two rejected the save Win 10 Keys.

As mentioned in few post, at the moment it is hard to make a judgement about what works or Not because of the Land on the Activation Servers and general confusion with part of the process. Hopefully in the near future these issues would be resolved.

Got it, use a keyfinder, totally agreed on this method.

But, I don't get how the other user just does the upgrade in-place from win7/8.1, then activates, and then reformats and installs a clean win10 via ISO on DVD or usb flash drive, and it automatically enters the win10 key. I must be missing something. Or, unless the fresh Win10 is somehow tied to his Microsoft Account, which knows his device by a hash computed against its internal hardware.

 

[gizbug]

did a clean install of windows 10 pro (was eligible from my windows 8.1 pro).
It didn't like my product key. So it seems like others have said, u have to do the upgrade first, then wipe, then clean install. PITA

 

[us3rnotfound]

did a clean install of windows 10 pro (was eligible from my windows 8.1 pro).
It didn't like my product key. So it seems like others have said, u have to do the upgrade first, then wipe, then clean install. PITA

Did you have to use a keyfinder to get the windows 10 product key post upgrade operation, to be used in the fresh install operation?

 

[gizbug]

Did you have to use a keyfinder to get the windows 10 product key post upgrade operation, to be used in the fresh install operation?

no, used no key finder.

 

[us3rnotfound]

no, used no key finder.

Oh, okay, just wondering, then, where did you get the product key? Or did you try your Windows 8 key?

 

[gizbug]

I tried windows 8.1 key. error code: 0xc004e016, called ms. said activation servers are busy try in 2 days

 

[us3rnotfound]

I tried windows 8.1 key. error code: 0xc004e016, called ms. said activation servers are busy try in 2 days

I'm sure you don't need to hear from me, but it doesn't ask for a Windows 8 key, it needs a Windows 10 key, probably.

 

[Puffnstuff]

did a clean install of windows 10 pro (was eligible from my windows 8.1 pro).
It didn't like my product key. So it seems like others have said, u have to do the upgrade first, then wipe, then clean install. PITA

Microsoft was quite clear on their windows 10 site about the steps you have to follow in order to be able to do a clean install and the in place upgrade was first in line along with activation. Once activated you were supposed to be able to come behind it with a clean install after the ms activation server had the hardware id of your system. When I tried to do a clean install last night after the in place upgrade botched my desktop the installation program wanted my key which ms didn't give me on any machine I upgraded. I ended up just rolling back to 8.1 and will clean install 8.1 later on when I get time at the end of my current semester after my finals.

 

[Dahak]

Step 1. Image*** the current Win7/8 Installation to an External Computer/Drive.

Step 2. Download and make a DVD/Flash Drive of the compatible version of Win 10.

Step 3. Use the DVD/Flash drive to do In-place Upgrade to the current Win7/8.

Step 4. When the Upgrade is done Make sure that every thing is OK and Activated by looking at the Control Panel/System screen.

Step 5. use a Key Finder to find the Activated Key of Win 10 (many freeware choices - http://pcsupport.about.com/od/productkeysactivation/tp/topkeyfinder.htm ).

Step 6 (optional) Make an Image*** of the working Win 10 In-Place upgrade.

Step 7. Boot from the Win 10 DVD/Flash drive and make a Fresh Install.

Use the saved Win 10 key to Activate the Fresh Install. *****

*** I use Acronis TI 2015, it takes 8 Minutes to image full installation of Windows 7/10.

***** I tried it on few installations and while it worked on two computers other two rejected the save Win 10 Keys.

As mentioned in few post, at the moment it is hard to make a judgement about what works or Not because of the Land on the Activation Servers and general confusion with part of the process. Hopefully in the near future these issues would be resolved.

Actually you should be able to skip step 5, as you should not need the key at all.
During the install it gives you the option to skip it and it should activate automatically once connected to the internet.

But with the load on the activation servers, it may take a bit to do so

 

[JackMDS]

Actually you should be able to skip step 5, as you should not need the key at all.
During the install it gives you the option to skip it and it should activate automatically once connected to the internet.

But with the load on the activation servers, it may take a bit to do so

If you do a Fresh install from Boot DVD the HD is wiped at the first step and thus does not contain any Info.

In theory your scenario might work if the Activation server has Data about your specific computer hardware that is detached from keys, and its programed to make the deduction that you are a Good Guy.

In a while when the "Dust would settle in" may be it will work this way. Right now it does not.

 

[us3rnotfound]

If you do a Fresh install from Boot DVD the HD is wiped at the first step and thus does not contain any Info.

In theory your scenario might work if the Activation server has Data about your specific computer hardware that is detached from keys, and its programed to make the deduction that you are a Good Guy.

In a while when the "Dust would settle in" may be it will work this way. Right now it does not.

I think he meant do an in-place upgrade and activate first, vice fresh install right off the bat.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I had to upgrade to VirtualBox 5 - (4.x doesn't seem to want to lauch.)

Otherwise, everything is peachy.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I'm curious, how will this work if I upgrade my motherboard/CPU/hdd? I had previously assumed I would just use my Win 7 retail product key. MS has said that you can transfer a retail license to another computer as long as you remove it from the old one first. How do you remove a license from one and transfer it to another?

Yeah I'd like to know this as well. I plan on doing a clean install today (I did my upgrade yesterday).

I will also swap to a new SSD in this process. WHo knows if that will screw things up, but I'm guessing a SSD replacement won't kill it all. However, what happens when I plan on doing a hardware refresh in the fall when Skylake comes out?

 

[Dahak]

I think he meant do an in-place upgrade and activate first, vice fresh install right off the bat.

Yes that is what i meant.

@JackMDS, the reason why i said to skip step 5, is just to do one less step. Although it may not hurt to have the key, but it seem that is a generic key anyway so I do not think it matters (at least from Reddit they say it is) I have only upgraded 1 machine personally

 

[Ketchup]

Yeah I'd like to know this as well. I plan on doing a clean install today (I did my upgrade yesterday).

I will also swap to a new SSD in this process. WHo knows if that will screw things up, but I'm guessing a SSD replacement won't kill it all. However, what happens when I plan on doing a hardware refresh in the fall when Skylake comes out?

It would work like any other OS. SSD/HD replacement wouldn't affect anything. Core component upgrade may take a call to MS for OEM, nothing special for Retail.

 

[JujuFish]

To all those discussing extracting Win10 key after upgrade: that's just a generic key. You don't need it at all to do a fresh install. Windows will automatically recognize your PC from a fresh install if you have already upgraded and activated Windows on that machine.

Generic keys:
Windows 10 Home - YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7
Windows 10 Pro - VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

 

[CU]

What is the advantage of upgrading then reinstalling Win10 vs upgrading and telling Win10 to reset? My plan is:

Pull my current Win7 HD
Install new SSD
Install / activate Win7
Upgrade / activate Win10
Save Win10 key just in case
Do a Win10 reset

Reseting seems simpler and faster as I wouldn't be reading from a USB drive.