Windows 10: How to do a clean install of win 10 after a 8.1 upgrade *Retail v.*

There is a lot of questioning about making a clean install of windows 10 once you upgraded from Windows 8.1 retail version. Well i had this questioning and i didn't found any clear instruction on forums or anywhere else. I spoke with microsofts agents, i had good anwers and i wanted to share it.

So there it is :

-If you have NEW hardware : So if you want to make a clean install of win 10 on you're new computer (actually it all depend on you're motherboard). You will need to re install windows 8.1 with you're licence that came with (Of course install it on you're new comp). Then you have to make the free upgrade again. In other words you have to restart from 0. And yes you're licence is still good for windows 8.1. After the free upgrade win to 10, it will save you're new motherboard with you're microsoft account to the microsoft activation server. Well, its good as long as the upgrades are free (One year from the launch)!

--So for later re install, as long as you don't change you're MotherBoard,you can start from the Win 10 installer and you will not need to enter any licence key. You just skip these steps and when you get on the internet and log on to you're microsoft accound it will auto detect you're account with you're mobo and activate automaticly. In other words, there is no key from free upgraded windows 10

-If you don't have new hardware : Well its verry simple, you mobo is allready saved with you're microsoft accound so you can just install you're win10 from the installer. You do not enter any licence keys and it should activate by itself when you connect to internet.

I think its allways good to have a retail version for the actual system that we use with a good licence key.

**Sorry for my broken english, i hope that i am understandable ! (I'm french canadian)

I hope i can clear some minds here with that post !

In other words you do not really have a real Windows 10, you have a Windows 8.1 Upgraded.

:)

 

I need to do a clean install of win 10 with a digital win 10 pro licenes

Hi You should be fine. Here's some information!

How activation works in Windows 10: Digital license vs. product key • Pureinfotech

 

I need to do a clean install of win 10 with a digital win 10 pro licenes

To check if your computer is activated;

Right click Start, click Command Prompt(Admin)

enter slmgr /xpr Then hit the Enter key

It will tell you when it expires.

 

There's a couple of errors (or maybe just misunderstandings) in your post. First one is that having a Microsoft account to log into has absolutely nothing to do with activation. The activation process works exactly the same for a person who has no Microsoft account and uses only local accounts on their computer.

The motherboard is the main component that makes up the Hardware ID that is used as the basis for hardware activation, but it isn't the only component in that equation.

Finally, if you don't have new hardware - it's still the same process. If you want Windows 10 to activate for free, it has to come from an in place upgrade from a previously licensed and activated Windows 7/8/8.1 first. Only after that can you clean install Windows 10 and get it to activate without purchasing a unique Windows 10 Product Key.

And...this information is widely available on this forum and other places on the internet, but thank you for posting it again anyway.