Windows 10: Next big Windows 10 release will ease activation hassles

There is a special file called pkeyconfig-downlevel that has been added to the lastest build.
As noted above OEM:SLP keys are excluded.

Below are all the editions that qualify for direct upgrade:

Code: Win 8.1 RTM Core OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreN OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreCountrySpecific OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEMM Win 8.1 RTM Professional OEMM Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalN OEMM Win 8.1 RTM Core OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreN OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreCountrySpecific OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM Professional OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalN OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM Core Retail Win 8.1 RTM CoreN Retail Win 8.1 RTM Professional Retail Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalN Retail Win 8.1 RTM Core OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEMM Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalWMC Retail Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnected OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnected OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnected Retail Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedN OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedN OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedN Retail Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudent OEMM Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudent OEMM Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudent OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudent Retail Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudentN OEMM Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudentN OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudentN Retail Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedSingleLanguage OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedSingleLanguage OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedCountrySpecific OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedCountrySpecific OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM Professional;ProfessionalN Volume:MAK Win 8 RTM CoreN Retail Win 8 RTM Core Retail Win 8 RTM ProfessionalN Retail Win 8 RTM ProfessionalN Retail Win 8 RTM Professional Retail Win 8 RTM ProfessionalWMC Retail Win 8 RTM CoreN OEMM Win 8 RTM CoreN OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM CoreCountrySpecific OEMM Win 8 RTM CoreCountrySpecific OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEMM Win 8 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM Core OEMM Win 8 RTM Core OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM ProfessionalN OEMM Win 8 RTM ProfessionalN OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM Professional OEMM Win 8 RTM Professional OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM Core OEMM Win 8 RTM Professional OEMM Win 8 RTM CoreCountrySpecific Retail Win 8 RTM CoreSingleLanguage Retail Win 8 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEMM Win 8 RTM Professional;ProfessionalN Volume:MAK Windows 7 Home Basic OEM:COA Windows 7 Home Basic OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Home Basic Retail Windows 7 Home BasicN OEM:COA Windows 7 Home BasicN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Home BasicN Retail Windows 7 Home Premium OEM:COA Windows 7 Home Premium OEM:COA Windows 7 Home Premium OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Home Premium Retail Windows 7 Home PremiumN OEM:COA Windows 7 Home PremiumN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Home PremiumN Retail Windows 7 Professional OEM:COA Windows 7 Professional OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Professional Retail Windows 7 ProfessionalN OEM:COA Windows 7 ProfessionalN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 ProfessionalN Retail Windows 7 Starter OEM:COA Windows 7 Starter OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Starter Retail Windows 7 StarterN OEM:COA Windows 7 StarterN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 StarterN Retail Windows 7 Ultimate OEM:COA Windows 7 Ultimate OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Ultimate Retail Windows 7 Ultimate Retail Windows 7 UltimateN OEM:COA Windows 7 UltimateN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 UltimateN Retail Windows 7 StarterE Retail Windows 7 UltimateE Retail Windows 7 UltimateE OEM:COA Windows 7 ProfessionalE Retail Windows 7 StarterE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 UltimateE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 UltimateE Retail Windows 7 HomePremiumE OEM:COA Windows 7 StarterE OEM:COA Windows 7 ProfessionalE Retail Windows 7 HomeBasicE Retail Windows 7 StarterE OEM:COA Windows 7 HomeBasicE Retail Windows 7 HomePremiumE Retail Windows 7 ProfessionalE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 ProfessionalE OEM:COA Windows 7 HomePremiumE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 HomePremiumE OEM:COA Windows 7 HomeBasicE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 HomePremiumE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 HomeBasicE OEM:COA Windows 7 ProfessionalE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 ProfessionalE OEM:COA Windows 7 ProfessionalE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 All Volume Editions Volume:MAK Windows 7 Home PremiumE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 ProfessionalN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 ProfessionalN OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasic Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 StarterN OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 HomePremiumN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasicN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 UltimateN OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasicN Retail Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasic OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 Professional OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 HomePremium OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 UltimateN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 StarterN Retail Windows 7 SP1 Starter Retail Windows 7 SP1 StarterN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 Starter OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 ProfessionalN Retail Windows 7 SP1 HomePremiumN Retail Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasic OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 Professional Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 HomePremium OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 Starter OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 UltimateN Retail Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 ProfessionalN Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 Professional Retail Windows 7 SP1 Professional OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate Retail Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasic Retail Windows 7 SP1 HomePremium Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 HomePremiumN OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasicN OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 HomePremium Retail Windows 7 SP1 UltimateN Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 HomePremiumN Retail:WAUx[/quote]

 

@Superfly
What do you mean by direct upgrade?

All,

This is how I assume things will be done but I could be wrong.

For those who have OEM:SLP keys.

If doing an upgrade from windows 7 OEM:SLP. Change your key to the one on the back or bottom of machine. Activate, reboot, then install windows 10 using windows update, iso or media creation tool. This should also allow you to do a clean install of windows 10 in the future without using a key. If you want to do a clean install, install windows 10, then you would need to insert or change your windows 10 key to windows 7 oem key that listed on the back or bottom of the machine. It is still not clear how the windows 7/8.x key is going to be inserted.



After my testing with builds and the release. I actually prefer the upgrade route. It keeps everything installed.

 

Upgrading your Win7/8 licence to Win10 without installing the qualifying OS.

NB: The sticker is the OEM:COA key which is allowed. Only those Win 7 OEM PC's with faded stickers needs to go the whole upgrade route.

 

Good move. Until now, if you clean installed the Insider Preview on a PC that Windows 10 was never activated on, (no digital entitlement) it would not activate. You would have to install your qualifying OS and do the free upgrade. Then activate and then set it to accept insider builds. Now you can clean install and just enter your product code for the qualifying OS. It will be the same deal for the Consumer release ISO a latter on. No having to actually do the free upgrade first to be able to clean install latter. Just clean install from the het go. OEM-SLP keys will be blocked, they would have to or anybody could use them. You would use the OEM keys from the Windows 7 COA sticker. I would say install media will read Windows 8 and 8.1 keys from the BIOS? Otherwise showkey is going to get a workout. Auto reading the keys on install could pose a wrinkle for some. It will for me if I use my MSDN ISO. My laptop has a 8.0 Core OEM key, so if it reads that key I get 10 Home. I did the free upgrade from 8.1 Pro though to 10 Pro. I'll have to add a PID.txt file to skip installing Home. Or use a Pro only ISO.

 

Yes, I recently used Belarc on Windows 8.1 to retrieve a key, I then reinstalled, used the key and it worked.

It won't work on Windows 10 as they have some sort of generic key, I know because I tried that as well.

 

If you did the free upgrade to Windows 10, you get a digital entitlement, and a generic key. There is a Home key and a Pro key. All for of my home PC's got the same generic Pro key when I did the free upgrade on them. Be carful what program you use to get your key. It may not get you the key your looking for. Some of these utilities like Belarc pull the key from the registry. That key may of may not be the same key as the one stored in the BIOS. It won't be for me. showkey will show you both keys and more. https://www.tenforums.com/software-ap...7-showkey.html

 

Ed Bott has an article where he explains the new activation options for windows 10. Supposedly you would be able to activate Windows 10 with a Windows 7 or Windows 8 key. Check out the URL below for the full article.
It should become available with build 10562 eventually
http://www.zdnet.com/article/next-bi...ation-hassles/

.

 

Once you do the free upgrade and activate Windows 10, you get a digital entitlement. When you clean install on that PC after that, you don't need to enter a product code, you just click skip. The digital entitlement gets you your activation with a generic key. You can enter the key if you want, but you don't have to. If that PC doesn't have a digital entitlement recorded on the activation server it will fail activation generic key or no generic key.

 

That's the same link that's in the first post in this thread.

 

alphanumeric,

Yes, you are correct. I did read the full article when I first quoted the paragraph, but it looks like it was updated but my memory is not that great. I really don't remember reading about ED's key test results. Which means you can enter the windows 7/8.1 key at anytime during installation of windows 10. I am actually surprised he didn't get a block key doing that much testing.

 

Yeah, that happens, they update the original when your not looking. I'm sure with his reputation, he could easily call and get a key unblocked if it happened. I'm not in IT, but I've done a lot of installs, sometimes back to back and never had a key blocked. What they are doing sounds good to me. I liked it when they recoded 8.1 install media to accept 8.0 keys. this is even better. Anybody that has had issues trying to do the free upgrade can now just skip it and clean install straight up.

 

I have solved the problem to get Win 10 to install from Win 7 Home Prem, Legit COA. I was having issues trying to get win 10 to take my Key but found out why.

Seems you need to Install Win 7BUT YOU NEED A STAND ALONE VERSION with your COA key and activate it..

Then you need to update it to Service Pack 1 (7600)

Once you do this you can then upgrade to Windows 10.. If it fails just copy the Win 10 contents to another disk drive and install it from there. Seems the Optical drive fails or burps causing the fail to happen.

Once I copied my win 10 to a separate drive and ran setup it took off and automatically activated with me doing anything..

I hope this helps other cause those outsource retorts at MS sure can't say anything but Sorry sorry.. Face it I don't think there is a fix from the Volume Licenses that came from companies like HP, Dell, Acer, Cyberpower, etc..

To confirm this worked I installed win 10 on my sons machine the same way and his after running Win 10 from a separate drive installed right off.

I tried everything including buying a new SSD Evo and doing a fresh install.. I did at least 3 tries before I gave the Win 7 OEM standalone disc a shot and it worked just like my sons machine..
I cannot confirm if a USB stick works the same as the optical though.

Enjoy..

 

I've done an upgrade from a Windows 7 factory OEM-SLP install to Windows 10 with no issues. Activated just fine.

 

Well, I stand corrected.

I just did a check and it is the same key. I swear in the past I have tried this and the key(s) were not correct or wouldn't work. But, admittedly that was 4-5+ years past, so I never tried it again. Perhaps I misread the key or they have changed the software.

Were your Windows 10 retail versions? if not, I suspect a purchased retail version, would probably show.

 

Hopefully they will not mess up how it works now... All be safe. Cliff M.