Windows 10: can't activate Windows 10 Pro clean install vs 8.1 to 10 upgrade

hey all,

i'm running into an issue with activating a fresh install of Windows 10 Pro on my netbook.

i did an upgrade on the same netbook from Windows 8.1 Pro to Windows 10 Pro, which installed and activated fine.

i decided to try wiping the drive (SSD) and install Windows 10 clean.. the installation went fine, but Windows failed to activate (didn't see any details, just indicated the activation didn't work).

shouldn't the clean install activate if it's been done on the same hardware as the upgrade install? from what i've read, this is officially supported.

am i doing something wrong? has anyone else run into this issue?

thanks!

:)

 

Activate Windows 10 Pro with Windows 8.1 pro product key

Hello everyone, is there any way to activate Windows 10 Pro with Windows 8.1 pro product key without perform upgrading process? If there is no way to do it, then can I install Windows 8.1 Pro, then activate it, then upgrade to Windows 10 Pro, and then deactivate
it in VM environment to upgrade my product key to Windows 10 Pro, then activate my Windows 10 Pro on my PC with that key?

Background story:

I asked my friend to upgrade my PC from Windows 8.1 Pro to Windows 10 Pro (to upgrade my product key) and then clean install Windows 10 Pro on my PC, and install lots of programs and applications. He did everything except upgrading part, which cause my product
key still stuck at Windows 8.1 Pro, but I don't want to reinstall Windows 8.1 Pro, then activate it, then upgrade to Windows 10 Pro, and then clean install Windows 10 Pro again to upgrade my product key because it will cost more than 16 hours to do that (including
reinstall all of the programs and applications that I use.) One way that I figured out is install Windows 8.1 Pro, then activate it, then upgrade to Windows 10 Pro, and then deactivate it in VM environment to upgrade my product key to Windows 10 Pro, then
activate my Windows 10 Pro on my PC with that key, but this process still takes some time like 2 or 3 hours to do that.

 

Clean install of windows 10 wont activate, why must it be this way?

When you do a clean install , it will ask for a key number, you Must click Skip, and continue the install.

The install will complete. You do not enter a key, always Skip.

After install you manually go online with Edge, and with Edge open , also visit the Store. Windows 10 will auto activate.

Please note that your clean install should be a Custom install, you must also select the correct version to install, 32 vs 64 bit, Home Prem for Home Prem, Pro for Pro.

You must have 10 upgrade installed and activated to do a clean install.

On a clean install, if you have multiple hard drives with old copies of windows on them, unplug them.

In your case if the current install is not an activated upgrade, you should reinstall and activate the old windows.

Yes you must upgrade 8 to 8.1 to do the free upgrade.

 

Lots of people have run into the same problem. Some have waited for a couple of days and it activated. Some have had to go back to their previous operating system and do the upgrade again. Are you sure you stayed with the exact same version of Windows 10 Pro and are you sure the upgrade was from Windows 8.1 Pro to Windows 10 Pro? There are "N" editions of Windows 10 and Single Language Editions of Windows 10. If you didn't clean install the EXACT same version of Windows 10, it won't activate.

Yes, a clean install of the exact same version of Windows 10 that was previously upgraded to on the same computer is supposed to activate itself without a product key.

 

yes to all questions.. i added a license key the first time i did the clean install, but have since wiped the SSD and reinstalled using the skip/do this later options.. unfortunately, still hasn't activated. i'll check my date/time settings since apparently that can cause issues with activation as well.

 

I'm betting you are going to have to go back to an activated Windows 8.1 and upgrade again. *Sad

 

I think your are going to have to go back and do it again also , i went through the same thing . It never activated even though previously it said my machine was permanently activated .

Went back to Win 7 and went through the Windows upgrade thing again and that time it activated and it was a clean install. A pita i know but just do it and get it over with .