Windows 10: Product code for Win 10 Clean reinstall after upgrade

I have downloaded the Windows 10 Pro ISO file from MS and burnt it to a DVD.

It offers to install it as an upgrade over my Win 8.1 Pro installation on my PC.

Once I have done this, can I then format the hard drive, and do a clean installation of Win 10 on the same machine without a product code?

I'm assuming the product code will be installed in the BIOS and not needed to be put in manually?

Can anyone confirm that I have correctly understood how it works?

:)

 

can't active after reinstall

I had upgraded from win 7 license to win 10 (activated)

I backup product key, formatted hard drive and reinstall win 10 with iso file downloaded from internet.

after reinstall, window can't active with backup key, Error code: 0xC004C003

 

upgrade to Win10 - product key

Hello,

i initially purchased win 7 retail box and so i own a win 7 product key.

after this, i upgraded to win 8.1pro with an upgrade disk and now i would like to upgrade to win 10 online.

my question is: in the future when i will reinstall a clean copy of win10(formating the HDD and all) after the free upgrade....what product key will i need to use?

thanks in advance for your answer

 

Yeah, that should work. I clean installed 10 this morning and it's still activated. I was coming from 10 IP, but it should work for 7 and 8.1 as well.

 

This is indeed true. When you clean install after installing it as an upgrade, you'll be able to skip the Windows 10 key prompt during clean install after which it will be activated regardless.

Read here: Installing Windows 10 using the media creation tool - Windows Help , you'll find the following written about doing a clean install and it asks you for a key:

"Note

If you upgraded to Windows 10 on this PC by taking advantage of the free upgrade offer and successfully activated Windows 10 on this PC in the past, you won't have a Windows 10 product key, and you can skip the product key page by selecting the Skip button. Your PC will activate online automatically so long as the same edition of Windows 10 was successfully activated on this PC by using the free Windows 10 upgrade offer. "

 

While everything said is true, Don't be surprised if you have issues activating the 2nd time, the activation servers are dead in the water and it may take a few days (I spent 45 minutes dealing Microsoft support about this exact issue)

 

People in this forum have reported earlier that it was taking 3+ hrs sometimes to have everything get caught up on the MS side. They say it does indeed switch over to activated.

The info on what you upgraded is saved to the UEFI firmware chip, which is then checked when you do the ISO boot & fresh install.

So there will just be MS lag for a period of time before you are switched over to activated.

MS "Soon."

 

The product key is not stored in the BIOS. Windows 10 doesn't touch your BIOS.

 

That's true as far as I know!

 

It never asked for a key rite?

 

The only thing I can think about is that MS is recording all your hardware details after you did a UPGRADE. But I don't think so, and it doesn't sound to work that way!

 

Yes, MS is recording them.

 

Source please?

 

What are you doing ?
You are in at least two different thread's. In one your looking for info.
In another you are agreeing with me.Windows 10 Build 10240 for PC is now available - Page 165 - Windows 10 Forums

And in other's, you are using info. you are getting from me !

Sorry, do your own homework.

 

I have NOT agreed with anything you said yet, and maybe you're right. Just wanted to be more practical to learn. Sorry to get you so emotional.