Windows 10: Activating windows on a mostly new machine

Discus and support Activating windows on a mostly new machine in Windows 10 Updates and Activation to solve the problem; Hey! So i just upgraded my computer to a new processor, motherboard, and ram. I'm still using the same drives from the old machine but i did... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Updates and Activation' started by Soakinginlava, Aug 14, 2019.

  1. Activating windows on a mostly new machine


    Hey!


    So i just upgraded my computer to a new processor, motherboard, and ram. I'm still using the same drives from the old machine but i did reinstall windows. I am now getting asked to reactivate windows... i know about the reactivate windows on new hardware thing but this is the problem. My windows 10 copy is an upgrade from windows 7 and i never wrote down my windows 10 product key and i can't seem to find it under the Microsoft device manager thing. Is there any way to recover this product key? is it the same as the windows 7? How can i activate windows without buying a new copy because i already have one?

    :)
     
    Soakinginlava, Aug 14, 2019
    #1
  2. Kari Win User

    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.
     
  3. windows xp installation and dual core am

    could someone please list the steps they follow to install windows with a dual core processor and windows xp service pack to. I'm reletively new to amd dual core and i feel i'm missing a step. All help will be appreciated. thanx
     
    exodusprime1337, Aug 14, 2019
    #3
  4. Activating windows on a mostly new machine

    Andre Da Costa, Aug 14, 2019
    #4
Thema:

Activating windows on a mostly new machine

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