Windows 10: 21h2 how to update to 24h2. on unsupported machine and still keep activation key

Greetings, I'm currently running Windows11 Pro on an unsupported machine. Up till now there has been no problems. however the time has come to update from version 21H2 to 24H2, the update did not happen automatically. I've tried downloading an iso file, used explorer and tried "mounting" the .iso file and running setup.exe and this gets me as far as the prompt telling the machine is unsupported and stops. next I tried downloading an .iso file and used Rufus to make a bootable USB drive. The machine will boot from the USB drive and start the installation process until it askes for an activation

:)

 

OEM key activated in 2 machines at the same time

After Windows 7 was released in 2009 Microsoft sold Windows 7 Home Premium - Family Pack. It came with both 32-bit & 64-bit DVDs. The single Product Key that came with it could activate up to 3 computers at the same time. I bought this ten years ago. I am not sure but over the years I think I used it on 4 different computers as shown below. I wonder how many times I can use the key before it is blocked. Desktop #1:

• Windows 7 Home Premium #1 32-bit
• Windows 7 Home Premium #1 64-bit
• Free update to Windows 10 Home 64-bit
• Windows 7 Home Premium #2 64-bit (dual boot)

Desktop #2:

• Windows 7 Home Premium #3

Laptop #1:

• Windows 7 Home Premium #4

Note Desktop #2 has not been used in a few years

 

Clean install of W10 not possible in Virtual Machine.


Please get a cup of coffee, lean back and think an answer for these two questions. Take your time, then check the answers below the questions:

Questions:

1. If you do a clean install of let's say Windows 10 Insider Build 10525 on a totally new computer which has never had an activated Windows 10 on it, does it activate?
2. If you do a clean install of Windows 10 Insider Build on a computer where the underlying Windows 10, upgraded from a qualifying old operating system has already been activated, does it activate?

Answers:

1. No, of course not.
2. Yes, of course.

Why do you think that a virtual machine would make any difference? You have tried to install Windows 10 on a totally new machine which has never had an activated Windows 10 installed, therefore the Microsoft activation servers block the activation due invalid machine ID. In the highlighted part in below quote you admit your mistake yourself, plain and simple, yet you when doing this wrong draw conclusion that even if done correctly it would not work:

What you have tried is essentially the same as if you took a brand new real physical PC without any operating system, which has never had any operating system, and then installed Windows 10 Insider Preview wondering why it does not activate! Virtual Machines behave exactly the same way; if you want to clean install Windows 10 Insider Preview and get it activated you must do it on an existing virtual machine, one which has already had an upgraded Windows 10 activated. This "computer", the virtual machine, its machine ID is marked on activation servers as valid and activated and it will of course activate.

Be it a virtual machine or a physical computer, you cannot activate a clean installed Windows 10 Insider Preview on a totally new machine. How difficult can this be to understand?

When clean installing Windows 10 Insider Preview on a computer which has already had a previous Windows 10 Insider activated, you do not use the product key! It will be asked twice, once before the installation starts and once after the last reboot to OOBE phase. In both cases you skip the product key and your Windows will be automatically activated.

 

Windows 10 fails to update


When you finish testing the Avast suggestion, make sure that you restart your machine.

Then if the issue persists, please return to the trouble shooting list in post# 89

I think there are three steps that remain; the WU troubleshooter, reset WU components, and manual WU reset.