Windows 10: After a clean install of Windows 10, I still get a popup saying I must activate license or...

Hello all --

I have a second-hand laptop that was running Windows 10 Pro just fine. Apparently this operating system was installed under a volume license by a computer shop. Everything worked great until recently. Now I get a popup telling me I must activate the license or it will expire.


So I visited the Microsoft site to perform a clean install of Windows 10:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

I was not given a choice of Pro vs. Home, not before the download nor during installation. The installation seemed to go well -- no hiccups. My Activation windows tell me I have Windows 10 Pro installed, but I still get that dreaded popup!


For reference, here's a screenshot:




I realize it says Home edition, however, my laptop was running Windows 10 Pro just fine until recently.


Is there anything else I can try? I wouldn't mind regressing to an earlier version of Windows! I don't want to have to pay $139 for the Home version.


Thanks for any insight,

Betty

:)

 

Activate windows 10 after a clean install through digital license.

Windows 10 Digital License

When you upgraded from a previous version of Windows or receive a new computer preinstalled with Windows 10, what happened is the hardware (your PC) will get a digital entitlement, where a unique signature of the computer will be stored on Microsoft
Activation Servers. The Windows 7 or Windows 8 genuine license you were previously running will be exchanged for a diagnostics key.

Anytime you need to reinstall Windows 10 on that machine, just proceed to reinstall Windows 10. It will automatically reactivate. You will prompted to enter a product key a couple times through the installation, click I don't have
a key and Do this later.

There is no need to know or get a new key, but if you have issues with Digital Licensing or the Activation Troubleshooter, you can utilize an existing Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 product key you already own to
reactivate if necessary. or use the reset function in Windows 10.

Activate Your Windows 10 License via Microsoft Chat Support

Reinstall by Performing a Direct Clean Install

If Windows 10 was already installed and activated on your system, just proceed to perform a direct clean install as described in the following articles.

Step 1: How
to download official Windows 10 ISO files

Step 2:

• How to: Perform a clean install of Windows 10

 

Windows 10 Activation (Insider)

I did a full clean install of Windows 10 a while back and it will not activate. I didn't do a clean install from Windows 7/8/8.1 it was from Windows 10 (activated) so I expected it to activate just fine since it was fine before hand.

My Windows 10 license wasn't created from a previous Windows 7/8/8.1 key I got it from signing up to be an insider back in Nov of 2014. I installed a preview build on my laptop from the insider program and it worked just fine and it automatically upgraded to newer and newer preview builds and then to the full release automatically, fully activated and working fine. I did a full clean install not long ago (expect it to go through without issue since it was working before) and now it will not activate and I can't find any info on how to get it to activate and I can't seem to find the insider Windows 10 key.

Microsoft online support was useless and the gave me the toll free number to tech support.. I am currently on the phone waiting, they said it could be a 1hr 30min wait.. sigh.. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Clean Install Workaround for Vista

You may remember this news story on techPowerUp! a couple of days ago relating to the lack of clean installs when using the Upgrade Editions of Vista, which required an old OS to be installed. However, Paul Thurrott has managed to find a workaround for this issue, which ironically lets users do a clean install Vista without any previous version of Windows, albeit a little tedious. Here are the steps:

• Boot from the Windows Vista Upgrade DVD as normal
• When prompted for a product code, leave this blank
• Select the version of Vista you have purchased and let Vista install
• When you boot to your desktop for the first time, run the Vista setup from Windows
• This time enter your product key
• When asked whether you want to do an Upgrade of Custom install, select custom and choose a clean install
• Windows will now install for a second time and you should be able to activate it

Remember, these steps are only advised for use in order to achieve a clean install of Vista, it is only legal to use the upgrade editions if you have previously purchased the appropriate version of Windows.

Source: DailyTech