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

From my understanding, the upgrade stuffs is logged in the Windows Store, so when you fresh install, it will see that you've installed and activated Windows 10 before on that machine.

 

You're correct.

 

That's certainly correct relate to your MSA account with any machines you've own. For my understanding, MS store has nothing to do with your Windows validation.

 

Correct, Microsoft Account doesn't have to do anything with the activation. Activation and machine data is stored in Microsoft Activation Servers, it will activate as soon as the registered computer is connected to the internet whether you're logged on with your MSA or not, Microsoft account only stores the computer info for account verification purposes but not the activation itself.

 

So my question is what if you upgraded from a retail version of 7 or 8 and later change some hardware in that same machine. How would you go about reactivating, especially if you did a clean install after the switch?

 

The only thing that triggers a new activation is replacing the motherboard. In that case, it's treated as transferring to a new PC. You must install Windows 7/8.1 then upgrade again.

 

Unless you have a full transferable 7/8.1 license. 99% sure!

 

If you need a new motherboard after 28 July 2016, presumably Microsoft are assuming your OEM could help with the Windows 10 licence, which I think is part of the reason for the statement of Windows 10 upgrades being valid for the 'supported lifetime of the device', where 'supported' means (I think) OEM support.

 

Thanks for all the input everyone. I have since updated W10 Pro over Win7 Ult 64bit. And it did give the option of installing the upgrade without saving any settings or installed programs which is kinda like a clean install.

One worrying feature is I cannot find an option to not install updates automatically.

 

Not been paying much attention lately, have you? *Wink

 

Although, MS has been pretty understanding if you need to replace your motherboard due to a "malfunction," lol. But no seriously, if your motherboard craps out... you're supposed to replace it with exactly the same motherboard (if you can) or one very close to it.

If it's so outdated that you can't, MS has been pretty understanding, that it's not an entirely "new" computer and may let you activate it on such a hardware change.

However, I thought the OEM/motherboard thing was binned with Windows 8?