Windows 10: Product Key for Created Install Media or Already Availabe DVD

Hi,


Quick question about Product Keys in general. I purchased a product key from a reseller to activate a clean installation of windows. The reseller is based in the United States and from everything I can tell, is legal and above board. Rather than use the 'Create Windows Installation Media' tool from Microsoft.com, I already had access to a DVD containing Windows 10 Professional the purchased product key was also labeled as 'for Windows 10 Professional and proceeded to install Windows 10 Pro as usual. Long story short, the activation key doesn't work, and while the reseller is currently working on a replacement key for me, I noticed in the reseller's install instructions that they say to use the Media Creation tool to install the Operating System rather than the method I employed. Does this make any kind of difference in the activation/product key?

:)

 

Windows product key/Fresh install

Hi,

To assist you better, kindly write back to us with the following information.

• How you have installed windows 10 in your system, i.e., through windows upgrade or through clean installation.
• When you say "unable to repair the software", how exactly you are trying repair the system?

If the Windows 10 was activated before the system crash happened, in such cases if you create a bootable Windows 10 drive and try to do a clean installation, it won’t ask for the product key. Once the installation is done, Windows 10 gets activated automatically.

Follow the below link to download the Media Creation Tool.

Download Windows 10

After downloading the Media Creation Tool, refer to the section Perform a clean installation using a USB or DVD under
Using the media creation tool section in the above given link.

As per your query, I like to inform you that; before performing clean installation of window 10, we recommend you to try repairing the system using Windows 10 installation media.



I suggest you to follow the below steps and check if it helps.

• Create installation media for windows 10.
  
  Refer to the below link:
  
  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/media-creation-tool-install

• Insert the Windows 10 installation DVD in the DVD ROM and restart your computer.
  
• After you boot your computer using Windows DVD or System Repair Disc, a black screen appears with gray text "Press any key to boot from DVD". Press any key.
  
• Select the correct time and Keyboard type.
• Click Repair your computer in the lower left corner.
• Follow the on screen instruction.

Hope the information helps. Kindly write back to us for further assistance on Windows. We will be happy to assist you.



Thank you.

 

Create media for automated unattended install of Windows 10  

The hard disk will be wiped empty if WillWipeDisk value is set to true (tutorial step 3.11).

About signature issue, I have not a a clue what you mean. If you follow this tutorial step by step, when you have finished capturing your customized install.wim, everything needed to create a bootable USB drive is in folder ISO_Files (or whatever folder you selected in step 2.2).

I use then my own PowerShell script to create bootable USB from ISO_Files folder as shown in this tutorial: PowerShell Scripting - Create USB Install Media for Windows 10 - Windows 10 Tutorials

If you want to make Windows Setup completely automatic, "hands-free", then yes, a generic key is required. If not given, setup will stop asking the key.

Generic keys are not activation keys, they are only used to skip product key prompt in Windows Setup, and in case of install media containing multiple editions, to select edition. Activation will then be based on existing digital license, or must be done using a product or volume licensing key.

 

windows 10 Installation media disk

Hi Shaela,

To create a Windows 10 recovery DVD or USB, we suggest that you download and use the media creation tool from the

Microsoft software download website. To create an installation or repair media, follow the steps below:

• On a working PC, go to the
  Microsoft software download website.
• Download the media creation tool and then run it. You need to be an administrator to run this tool.
  
• Select Create installation media for another PC.
• Choose a language, edition, and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit).
• Follow the steps to create installation media, and then select Finish.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to send a reply.