Windows 10: Now on Windows 10 .. and preparing for a future clean re-install

I have successfully "upgraded" ( via Window's Update) four machines to Windows 10. All good.

I now want to prepare a bit , for a clean install down the road. In the past, out of habit, I always created installation media ( USB/ISO etc) and kept a paper ( and electronic record of the Windows activation/product key ( the one it sometimes prompt you for after a clean install, especially after a hardware change. I have created Win 10 install media, but have a question about product activation keys.

I read the tutorial here Windows 10 - Clean Install - Windows 10 Forums , and If I understood correctly,
-I wont need a product key for a future clean reinstall
-But, if I make a meaningful change to hardware, I may need to contact customer support to help with activation

So is there really no product activation key I can keep on file?

I do get some numbers ( different from WIn 8.1 number)s if I run various utilities right now, ie
-WinKeyFinder reports back that my 25 character key is T49TD-...
-Speccy and Belarc report back a different number, YTMG3-...
-and SLMGR at the dos prompt reports back a Partial Prodcut key of 8HVX7..

Are any of these valid, or am I at the whim of a future call to Microsoft customer support? Wont the line be busy with all those billions of users out there??

:)

 

How to transfer ssd to new computer with windows 10 without formating?

No, Windows 10 does not have that option. Refresh and restart re-install Windows on the
same computer; you want to move to a different computer.

If you want to be assured of success - now and in the future - you need to use the type of software I suggested. Take lots of time to prepare for this. It's complicated, but it works.

 

Can I upgrade for free later? Like much later?

Once your computer is activated on Windows 10, you can reinstall or clean install Windows 10 an unlimited number of times on the same computer forever. That means, for example, that you can go back to Windows 7 now and then re-install or clean
install Windows 10 at any time in the future until the end of time. Just make sure that your computer is currently activated on Windows 10.

 

The product key is the same for everyone who upgrades and is the same as build 10240 which was the last release for the Insider Program, so no, there is none you need.

If you ever go back to Win 8.1 on any of these computers it will use the key embedded in BIOS so agsain, none you need to remember.

 

So if I am ever prompted for a key down the road ( eg clean install with updated hardware on my current machine) what 25 character key do I enter? Is it posted somewhere given that we all now use the same key? I am not familiar with "build 10240" but I did google it and got back W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX. Is that the key to use?

 

You should not be prompted. If you are, click on Skip.

 

and, please, this question has been asked 100's of times on this forum in the last 2 or 3 days; please use the search function before starting a new thread

 

Just to be clear:

If you successfully upgrade to Win 10 on a PC, you can do a clean install on the same hardware using the free upgrade version. No key is given, or needed: click "skip" on the install screen.

I don't know how constant the hardware must remain before you'd have to activate by phone. For example: could you install on a new HD?

 

True.

But don't jump on people anyway. It's more annoying than redundant new threads.