Windows 10: Simplest way of installing W10 (Almost clean install) with activation

Hi there

This method will give IMO the best way of updating your system to W10 via an "Almost" clean install.

1) Re-install CLEAN your old legacy OS -- at boot delete all the Windows partitions so there's NOTHING on the HDD (or Windows "C" partition.

2) Ignore / skip the prompt for Windows 10 is available.

3) let the install finish together with any updates the system finds during the install. DO NOT INSTALL ANYTHING ELSE at this stage.

4) VERY IMPORTANT -- ACTIVATE WINDOWS via entering your product key (of the OLD OS). You might need to use control panel and enter Change product key if you are using say your old MSDN / TechNet keys.

5) now go into Windows update via control panel and you'll be offered the Windows 10 upgrade

download it.

Upgrade

you are now done and activated -- it's as good as a CLEAN install -- plus you'll have the odd driver working that W10 might not find.

If you want REALLY to do a clean install later then there are many ways via ISO etc to do it -- but your OLD OS must be activated first before any W10 upgrade if you want to have an activated product.

Cheers
jimbo.

:)

 

Unable to install Windows 10 on my ASUS F5SL-AP179 (system thread exception not handled)

well its almost april and i still havent found the way to install it on X59SL ....

maybe simplest way will be to take out HDD, plug it into pc with as close config as this one, then install win10 . and just do drivers updates for different HW...

i know it wont be cleanest install but should work ..

 

Activation Error Code: 0xc004e016; Fresh Install Windows10 with (Win8 Product Key)

You cannot activate W10 with your W8 key. Restore W8, activate, upgrade to W10. Then you can clean install if you want. Do not enter any keys when installing W10. If it asks, press Skip.

 

Can't one just install W10 on a previously formatted HD or format the HD from the DVD/USB flash drive media and will be asked for a key during the install?

I just downloaded the W10 ISO using Media Creation tool. At the finish, it stated, make sure that you the product key when your ready to install.

 

Hi there

That's the whole point -- the W10 Key WON'T activate and you can't enter your current key during the fresh install. (Or you can but it won't be valid).

What happens is that the product ID of the old OS (note not necessarily the Key but linked to it in some way) and the hardware are stored on Ms's servers. When W10 is installed and you try and activate it it won't activate. It's already activated even on a fresh install provided an UPGRADE has been done FIRST from an activated OS.

The obvious reason for this is to stop people downloading copies of "Pre-activated" OS'es from torrents etc and then trying to get FREE upgrades. The Ms servers are sophisticated enough to know whether your old OS had a "regular" activation or a "dodgy one" via KMS or whatever.

Cheers
jimbo

 

Okay, I got it but I have a never used product key which is a different scenario which I forgot to mention.

I just downloaded the W10 ISO using the Media Creation Tool and when finished it stated, make sure you have the product key when you ready to install. This sounds like the product key will be switched by MS from W7/8.1 OS to W10.

 

That's not the best way to do this. If you want a clean install of Windows 10, use Microsoft's Media Creation Tool do it an in-place upgrade from your existing activated install of 7 or 8.1 to 10. Make 100% sure 10 is activated before you go to the next step. Manually tell it to activate under Settings-->Update & Security-->Activation if you have to. Make a Windows 10 DVD or USB flash drive using the Media Creation Tool and then fresh reinstall 10 by booting from the media. Skip entering a Product Key during the install. After 10 is reinstalled it should automatically activate with Microsoft. Manually activate it if you need to like before.

 

Hi there

That's OK too but sometimes for some reason people have trouble making that method work -- so I posted mine as an alternative if using the Media creation tool for clean install method fails.

I think the whole essence is that the OLD OS however you upgrade / install afterwards must be LEGALLY Activated (no dodgy"KMS" thingey's) BEFORE any W10 upgrade / installs are done.

The other issue people forget is that the LANGUAGE must be the same --it will fail for example if you download the EN_US version and your old os is the EN_GB one.

Cheers
jimbo

 

If everything was depended on having an already activated OS, I don't see why MS would allow the W10 ISO download to begin with unless I'm missing something. Could be for moving an activation from one PC to another though.

 

I think Microsoft wanted users to have an already activated 7 or 8.1 install to keep people from stealing 7/8.1 Product Keys and using them to get the free upgrade to 10.

 

Installing from the ISO wouldn't accept the W8.1 product key. Installed 8.1 passed on the offer to upgrade when asked to use the ISO but that just came up with failed with no error number. Found the option in updates for the W10 upgrade. After the download, etc., completed with a reboot but still on 8.1 with 120-130 updates waiting. Installed the updates, rebooted but still on 8.1. The update detailed list still shows the W10 upgrade like I never did it.

Might try a clean install since the 8.1 product key has been activated.

From all the posts, seems like I'm not the only one with upgrade problems.

 

wptski most of the people who are having upgrade problems aren't doing it correctly. You don't put your 8.1 key into the ISO install. You must in-place upgrade 8.1 to 10. Make sure the upgraded 10 is activated with Microsoft. At this point you can use the ISO to fresh re-install 10, but you don't put in your 8.1 key during the install. You Skip when it asks for the key because Microsoft already has a record of your particular machine and the key on its servers. Once you re-install 10 it should automatically activate with Microsoft.

 

I was asked twice for a key during the clean install; skipped both times and it booted up activated.

 

About time this advice was made a "sticky" Far too many people getting confused re clean installs.

 

The in place upgrade failed at the first reboot. W8.1 was activated. Well, I already been through the clean install but didn't know not to skip the product key entry so they wouldn't accept it during the two while installing and even one after so "maybe" the next time I boot into W10 it will be activated which is what happened with the W8.1 install.