Windows 10: Clean install using USB, cannot verify key as no network

Having a frustrating day.
My kids Windows 7 machine had major issues, so decided to do a fresh Windows7 install. Format disk etc. install worked, windows update did not. Would do nothing but say "checking for updates", for hours, and hours. Spent 6 hours trying to fix that when i said what the heck, lets go to Windows 10.
I have a windows 7 OEM key.

I used the tool to download and create a USB install and went from there.

Windows 10 goes through the install phase without issue, asks for the key, i provide the Windows 7 OEM key. Hangs for like 10 seconds then says the key is not usable.
I sit there scratching my head. I can do a Windows 7 reinstall on this machine with the key, but not a Windows 10 ?
Windows 10 upgrade website says you can do a fresh install in this way, using the Windows 7 key.

I talked to a MS guy, who i am sorry to say was pretty useless. Kept wanting to connect to my computer to take a look, despite me not having completed the install because the key would not work.

BUT, here is the root of the problem i believe, i have no network connection, because Windows10 seemed to not install a driver for it. No green light on back of machine(when i do a fresh windows7 install, it does install a driver, and all is good).

I download the necessary driver from the MSI website, use the "install driver option" from the Win10 screen asking me for a windows key, yet the driver install files wont even show up when i click browse.

Then i click the "skip" option, thinking i can go into Windows, install the drivers that way and then put my key in later. Heh, stupid me, no, clicking skip just takes you back where it will reinstall everything and then ask you for the key again.
So, install, skip, install, skip, install, skip.....

Pretty disgusted with MS right about now.

Can anyone point me in the right direction ?

:)

 

Windows 10 telling me to activate windows

I would try a clean install of Windows 10 using rufus tool/usb before going back to Windows 8.1. It seems like your pc has confused boot menu.

http://www.nextofwindows.com/how-to-make-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-to-install-windows-8/

You can use Windows 10 media tool to get ISO file for usb.

Download Windows 10

If your pc was activated before it will be activated again with clean install without using product keys. Just skip providing keys during install. After clean install finishes, you should sign into your microsoft account. Now verify MS account and go to
activatition under settings-update & security

 

Windows 10 ask License but in "Sytem Info" windows Actived

Your key is supplied by a business or corporate key and windows hasn't been able to verify the key in use for some time. So even though it shows it as activated the key will expire if the system cannot verify the key.

Is this device a personal computer and not part of a corporate network. How did you get Windows 10 on the device was it part of the free upgrade, supplied pre-installed with the device etc. Have you changed any hardware.

 

Did this PC ever get the notification for Windows 10 upgrade in the notification area ? Files get downloaded to the PC before this issue ever ? Did you want to upgrade and keep old OS to revert back before 30 days, because after 30 days you can not revert back ? You do have disc of Windows 7 or is it as a recovery on the hard drive ? I would either get Windows 7 working well first, we can try doing upgrade again from media creation tool, unless want a clean install for windows 10 i can show you a way, but will loose all software on PC so will need to back them up or have disc to reinstall them.
No key is needed for Windows 10 upgrade so something must of went wrong.

https://www.windowsphoneinfo.com/threads/upgrade-to-windows-10.8852/


Clean install without upgrade first, before this backup files and software, possible make a system image of Windows 7 if no recovery discs.
Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First

 

I would love to follow your cleaninstall instructions, however, as i said, when i click on the SKIP option when asked for a windows key, it does not complete my install, rather it cycles round and starts the install afresh.

 

In your case i would try the upgrade process first as you can always do a clean install after you know all is working and activated for windows 10. Having network issues, why i said to go back to Windows 7, resolve that issue first. OEM license should not be an issue means PC was shipped with Windows 7. Follow link i sent for upgrade again. I asked did you ever receive the notification for the upgrade before attempting any of this ?

 

Re-install windows 7 and verify that it is activated..
Then run Setup.exe from the windows 10 setup media while in windows 7

 

LOL ok forget it, i guess i needed to remove the USB before skipping.
It now finishes the install and then asks for the key again, now i have network but it still says bad key. Now i know why.
I guess i have to reinstall 7, follow this step guide before going clean on 10.
But i do not have faith in being able to create the genuineticket file if i am not able to update Windows7 past the base SP1.

NOTE: I could not do the Windows10 upgrade from base Windows7 SP1 (after fresh install of Windows7), i would download the tool and it just would not do anything.
NOTE2: yes i did get the Windows10 notification on the machine some time ago.

Thanks for your help.

 

Do need Windows 7 SP1 to upgrade. Why pull USB if that is where you made upgrade from Media Creation tool ? As said make sure all is well with Windows 7 before you proceed.

Another way to, besides ones i already linked.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/9...-download.html

 

You need to do exactly what Kyhi posted in step #5. It's as easy as that. Install Windows 7. Make sure it is activated with the OEM Product Key for it. You don't have to update it at all. Put in the Windows 10 USB and run setup.exe from it from inside Windows 7. If you downloaded the Windows 10 version that matches your Windows 7 version, it will upgrade without asking for a product key.

 

I think your missing my original point. I am failing to upgrade Windows7 past SP1. I install Windows7 SP1 fine, but the windows update just hangs with the message "checking for updates". It hangs for hours, 6 of them. I manually installed the latest windows update, still does it.
Followed countless other possibilities to fix this issue from various forums, still does not update.
I cannot update my Windows7 beyond SP1.

The windows10 updater does not work at this point, and as i have just tried executing the gatherosstate.exe as admin, this produces no file either.

Like i said, pretty disgusted with MS.

 

I do this, execute setup from the USB and it does nothing.

 

Is the Windows 7 activated?

 

Copy the utility gatherosstate.exe on your desktop and right-click and Run as Administrator. You should see the GenuineTicket.xml on your desktop. In case your USB installer is not working properly, download the ISO from here and create the USB installer again. These ISOs can install both Home and Pro versions, depending on your previous Windows version. If you boot with the USB installer to clean-install Windows 10, click Skip when asked for a serial and then select Windows 10 Home if you have Windows 7 Starter or Home Basic or Home Premium. If you have Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, select Window 10 Pro instead. Download any drivers before you install Windows 10, so you won't have any problem if you cannot connect to the internet.

 

When i was at Windows 7 SP1 base nothing would work. Neither the windows update of windows 7, the tool to upgrade to windows 10 or the USB i created from a different windows machine to "upgrade a different PC" worked at this point.

I set windows 7 to check for updates and came back 12 hours later. It had finally done something (nice one MS)
4 hours later my windows 7 machine is now fully updated.

I goto the MS website for updating to Windows 10 (I really dont know why i didnt leave it at Win7 at this point) and start the tool to upgrade the PC i am on.
I am not expecting to have to enter a windows key during upgrade, and i did not get asked for one.
After many hours of it telling me its installing, updating and then messages like "this wont take long" i finally have a windows 10 machine. Yahooo.......or so i thought.

No sound, hmmm thats funny, its an upgrade not a fresh install, where did my driver go ?
OK, download latest driver for sound on motherboard (as i have done before when installing windows7), install driver, middle of install Windows10 crashes on me, and it will not recover.
In i go again into another endless loop of reboot followed by a message basically telling me theres something wrong, maybe a reboot might help. No repair option in windows 10 ?

So, i decide a clean install option is the way to go. WIN10 USB inserted, start over, fresh install, asks for windows key, enter key, not a valid key.

Hang on, i just upgraded from windows 7 to windows 10, at what point does my key get upgraded ? surely at the point of the win10 install finishing ?