Windows 10: 10 upgrade fail - should I reinstall 8 or 10

Hi, just acquired a Asus x205ta laptop because last owner failed in upgrade from 8 to 10. Current state = no boot, but I can access bios and boot from USB. I created a Win 8.1 USB drive and recovery options failed but proposed boot into Win10 which fails. I can access command prompt and see windows.old. Tried fresh 8.1 install but prompts for COA (which is stored in BIOS).

I have no COA on this machine - should I be attempting a Win10 USB media or Win8 (which probably was the original OS pre-loaded).

Any tips appreciated....thx

:)

 

upgrade to windows 10 home

I have gone through all these articles, but nothing addresses the issue. I repeatedly receive these messages when I "Review Update History"

Name Status Importance Date Installed

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/10/2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/9/2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/9/2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/8/2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/7/2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/7/2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/6/2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/5/2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/4/2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/3/2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/2/2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home Failed Important 8/2/2015

It appears that Windows 10 Home has been attempting to install since 8/2/2015, but can not for some reason. I'd like to know what I need to do to correct the problem so the download can complete.

 

I had upgraded to Windows 10 pro. My HDD failed, and I tried to reinstall Windows 10 Pro, using the upgrade key from the original installation. Can't reinstall Windows 10. Help?

I had upgraded to Windows 10 pro*, and it was running. My HDD failed, and I tried to reinstall Windows 10 Pro in a new HDD, using the upgrade key from the original installation. . It failed, with the following message: "Windows could not prepare the computer
to boot into the next phase of installation. To install Windows, restart the installation".
(Installation was cancelled). I understand that the machine; not the HDD is registered with Microsoft. How can reinstall Windows 10 Pro on the new, blank HDD? (Also, I attempted to reinstall Windows 8, and then 8.1. Same message). Do I need a
new upgrade product key? What do I have to do to get Windows 10 reinstalled in the new HDD?

*Windows 7, to Windows 8, to Windows 8.1, to Windows 10 Pro.

 

If there has never been a successful upgrade to Windows 10 with Windows 10 activated, then doing a clean install of Windows 10 won't activate. You are probably attempting to install a retail version of Windows 8 which won't read the OEM Windows 8 key stored in Bios (if there is one).

What I would do is do a clean install of Windows 10 - the version that you think the laptop had of Windows 8 before - probably Home. Use showkey from this forum to see if there are Windows keys stored in Bios. Make sure to download an OEM version of the old windows that matches the key in Bios. Shrink the Windows 10 partition to leave about 75 gb free on the hard drive and then clean install the old Windows version on the free space. Upgrade that windows to Windows 10 and make sure it activates. Then you can just delete that partition and extend the first Windows 10 partition to fill the free space and the first Windows 10 installation should then activate.

 

There ought to be a COA. Is it hidden in the battery compartment?

You can only activate the free Win 10 upgrade if it is installed once as an upgrade over an activated qualifying OS (7 or 8). After that, you may clean install on the same hardware and activate online.

 

And it probably looks just like this one:

 

this is a very lite laptop - 32gb EMMc only, no hard drive, no replacable battery (basically a disposable laptop *Smile) so no COA anywhere visible, except apparently in BIOS.

Currently creating Win10 media and will take NavyLCDR advice to upgrade, retrograde, then activate then upgrade again, failing that, will just install another OS with key....thx

 

appears to have worked - Win10 installed and is now showing as activated, previous owner probably got that far but then crashed, lucky me...thanks for your advice...

 

Starting with Windows 8, the OEMs stopped providing COAs, ; instead, the product key is embedded in the firmware. When you reinstall the preinstalled OS version, it finds the product key and automatically reactivates.