Windows 10: Activating an offline machine running Windows Vista - Is is possible?

Hi there!I’m having an issue with my old Vista machine. I can’t seem to activate Vista over the internet. It’s a 32 bit system running Windows Vista, and because of the hardware, it will not run Windows 8 or higher. I could re-install Windows Vista but it’s very annoying having to install everything again.I have contacted the Product Activation Phone Service to no avail. If someone can help, that would be great.Thanks!Alex H.

:)

 

Windows Vista Activation

I have 4 sytems in my home running vista(1 ult.-3 prem).The ultimate & 1 premium took SP1
wthout a hitch.1 premium required re-activation?,The other premium did not list SP1 in windows up-date,So i manually installed it without any re-activation required.
Also have to add that SP1 has increased performance in every comp.The ultimate machine actually got a 1,100 point increase in 3d 06 without any other changes at all.

 

Windows Vista Activation

Holy *Eek! ! 1100pts from going to SP1? That's awesome! I can't wait until this weekend! *Big Grin

 

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.