Windows 10: I have to activate Windows 10 every single day.

Sorry for the delayed response. Yes, these are two sets of stats. One from the PC. One from the laptop. Surprisingly, to me, the laptop's history is cloudier, but as it appears to have a legal license and has never requested activation in the manner the PC now is, I will assume the proper steps were taken by me or the previous owner to adequately license the unit.

The PC, therefore, comes back into question. How did I get from Windows 8 home to Windows 10 pro? Frankly, I don't remember.
(try to follow this) The original retail version of windows 8 was installed in this PC's predecessor as an upgrade from Windows 7. I believe it is here, in this next step that something could have happened. I had to return the aforementioned/original PC (bought with 7, upgraded to 8) It was my intention (based on the warranty status) to simply swap the original computer for a new one. Complete swap out. The only way we could accomplish this was for the retailer to remove the installed HD (with the installed OS) and let me put mine (from original PC 1 in its place). We did this and I proceeded forward with a brand new PC with a previously installed SSD HD running W8.
This all happened coincidentally with the introduction of Windows 10 and I became an insider immediately. I have not (nor ever noticed) or have ultimately forgotten any licensing issues during this period.
In retrospect, putting the HD with OS of a licensed PC into another one of unknown license seems suspect?
Also, refresh my memory, but in the early days of 1,. when they were giving it way to licensed owners of pratically anything else, WAS there a distinction between Home and Pro? Seems to me it was just "10"?
I'm shooting in the dark.
I'd appreciate any of your thoughts or further questions.
Kevin

 

@kkorotev,

How bad would it be to do a clean install of Windows 10 for you? Or maybe make a separate partition for a separate clean install of Windows 10, even just temporarily?

This is what I would do....either wipe the hard drive and start over, or create a partition for a second install of Windows. Get the latest released version of Windows 10, just plain Windows 10 with nothing behind it like N or Single Language, just plain Windows 10:
Windows 10 ISO Download - Windows 10 Forums

Make a USB flash drive from it:
USB Flash Drive - Create to Install Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Boot the computer from it and clean install Windows 10 either to the wiped hard drive or the empty partition, it will read the Windows 8 product key in bios, automatically install Windows 10 Home, and should permanently activate without ever asking you for a product key (Microsoft is still handing out activations based upon Windows 7/8 product keys but we don't know for how long). That will give you a good, permanent, Windows 10 Home license for that computer. If there is an existing good and permanent license for Windows 10 Pro for that computer, this will NOT affect that.

It is not clear, at this point in time, that you ever had a Windows Pro license that you were entitled to use. If you can explain where a legitimate Windows 10 Pro license came from, we can tell you how to upgrade to Pro.

 

Just so I understand:
These little third party programs telling me I have a product key, and having that prudoct key work everytime I need to activate (daily) could still point to an invalid license?

Also know that in the course of the last 2 years I have clean installed windows 7 times...never encountering this before.

I'm not being belligerent, just curious. It seems that from an old school perspective 1 and 1 aren't making 2 here.

 

That little third party program is telling you that you have the generic Windows 10 Pro product key installed now which comes from upgrading from a previously activated version of Windows 7 or 8 Pro (or Windows 7 Ultimate). Millions of Windows 10 Pro users have that exact same product key, including me on about 10 computers at home. Now there seems to be no previously activated Pro or Ultimate version of Windows 7 or 8 in your memory of the computer's history. We can't tell you what is wrong with your current license or activation for Windows 10 Pro because you have not provided us with any legitimate basis for you to have a Windows Pro license.

What we can offer you is how to make sure you have a proper and permanent license to Windows 10 Home stored on Microsoft activation servers - at least while MS still is handing them out based upon Windows 8 licenses.

1 and 1 are not adding up to 2 because you can't explain, as of yet, a valid basis for having a license to Windows 10 Pro other than "well, Microsoft hasn't had a problem with it in the past".

 

OK. I get that. Makes sense now. Thanks for taking the time NavyLCDR, I am downloading the W10 .iso now.
BTW: From the info I provided about the laptop: Can you see a valid license here?

BTW: From the info I provided about the laptop:

 

The thing that bothers me about the license shown for the laptop is that it was "trusted" on 12/1/2016 which is yesterday. Maybe @Superfly can help provide more information on that. I'm not at any of my home computers so I can't tell you what mine says, but I believe the trusted date should be the date that Microsoft activation servers first issued the activation for the computer.

 

Thus the need for a diagnostic report... (my guess is you'll find corrupt files)

Digital licences are not key related thus the "old school" way is not applicable...

 

I'd be happy to submit a report to you...how do I generate it?

...the "old school" way is not applicable...
I think I have a new mantra...

 

Way back in July, 2015 when Windows 10 first went RTM, it seemed like some people who were on the insider builds of Windows 10 ended up getting permanent digital licenses for Windows 10 even though they had no previously qualifying OS to base it on. I suspect that might be where the license for Windows 10 Pro came from in this situation. But without having a specific upgrade path to Windows 10 Pro from a known license source such as Windows 7 or 8 Pro or Ultimate it's more difficult to determine what is wrong.

If you install Windows 10 Home, you will get a known good and permanent license that can be tracked back to the Windows 8 Product Key in the computer's bios/UEFI. Then you will be able to upgrade that Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro just by changing the product key to the generic Windows 10 Pro product key you have now. If Microsoft activates it, well at least they say you have a license for Windows 10 Pro. This would fix any corruption in the license files that Superfly is suspecting. If Microsoft will not activate the Windows 10 Pro - then you can re-install Windows 10 Home and know you should have the digital license for that stored on Microsoft activation servers. Installing an activating a Windows 10 Home now is your safety net.

 

Ok...download progressing...

Your scenario is ringing a little bell...

 

Windows reports two activation versions which can be confusing - but in a nut-shell slmgr /dlv uses your new mantra, whereas there are other components now that determine digital activation (like ClipSVC etc)

 

What day is it? How long have I been at this?
LONG story shortened: After dozens of attempts, work-arounds, re-boots, re-installs, etc, I have an activated fully licensed Win10 OS. It seems I am stuck with the HOME edition despite having owned Windows 8 Pro. It's OK. I'll live with it.
Thanks for all your help.
Kevin

Also: Ever notice when you get real deep into stuff like this you have to make 3 identical attempts before it "takes"?