Windows 10: Unable to activate after clean install of 10586

Since the Win10 Upgrade fails on my HP DV6 notebook, I decided to do a clean install.

But now, it won't take the Win7 product key for activation!!

I called MS and they told me that a clean-install will NOT activate using Win7 product keys and that I have to purchase a product key.

I got this same story from two different MS reps.

I thought you COULD activate a clean-install using Win7 key using build 10586.

What is going on here?

:)

 

Unable to activate windows 10 after clean install

Hello,

Thank you for posting your concern here in Microsoft Community and welcome to the Windows 10 family. I would be happy to assist you.

From the description provided, I understand that you are facing activation issues with Windows 10 after clean installing.

Please be informed that Windows 10 upgrade works seamless without activation issues when you perform any of the following for the first time before performing subsequent clean/custom installations.

A. Windows Update

OR

B. Upgrade using media creation tool:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/media-creation-tool-install

At this point, I would suggest you to reinstall Windows 7 and then activate the product and then perform any of the above path to upgrade to Windows 10.

Link: Software Download

Activate a Windows product: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/950929

Hope the above information was helpful. If you need further assistance, please do let us know and we would be happy to help you further.

Thank You.

 

Unable to activate windows 10 after clean install

I had tried both of those with my prior Windows 7 but neither were working in this regard. I will look at reinstallation of Windows 7 and then attempt the same for Windows 10 - thank you.

 

Well first thing that should happen is MS should sack those tech support persons either for incompetence, or scamming you.

You can activate Windows 10 version 10586 using old key.

First thing we need to do is establish some facts.

1) is old key in use currently elsewhere?

2) are you using the COA key if pc came with Windows 7 preinstalled - key is usually on a blue sticker on base of pc or under battery.

3) have you reinstalled Windows 7 several times on this pc (can get temporarily blocked and may need telephone activating)


4) are you sure you have installed correct version eg an EU N verrsion will not work on a normal key?

5) Run showkeyplus and check your key. Post image blanking install code except last five digits for security.

 

Agreed -- but that's the same message from everyone that I reach.

Only on the same laptop, and I removed Win7 completely from it before doing the clean-install.

Actually, I have tried two keys. I ran Belarc advisor and it retrieved two keys - one of which matched the COA sticker. I also ran showkeyplus --and it showed the same key as the COA. Tried both keys.

Yes -- but not reinstalled, restored -- using an image backup I made with Macrium Reflect. I had to do that after the upgrade crashed in order to get a working machine back.

Yes -- made the USB stick from the Media Creation Tool and made sure I chose the proper version -- Win10 Home to replace Win 7 Home Premium.

Here's the information from the file showkeyplus creates:

 

Mark, if you have this key XXXX-XXXX-73CQT-WMF7J-3Q6C9 it won't activate as it's an OEM generic key...

 

YES -- that's one of the keys I used, the other one is from the COA sticker. That is the key that showkeyplus showed. Neither work.

What do I do now? I'm certainly not going to spend $100 or more to activate what amounts to an upgrade.

 

If the the direct upgrade nor the COA key works, creating a genuine ticket may be the only way to clean install Home.

COA keys have a low activation count and in many instances require phone activation, unfortunately that won't on a clean install of 10 as digital entitlement is online only.

 

I've read about the Genuine Ticket approach, so I restored Win7 (from an image backup) and generated the ticket xml file -- and saved it off to a usb stick.

OK, so I'll restore Win10 (from an image backup) and see if applying that ticket file works.

UPDATE; It worked!!

 

Good news - now make a new Macrium image backup of course!

 

Right!! Have already done that. MR is a really great product -- it's saved me numerous times. And with this recent Win10 upgrade problem, it changed hours of reinstalls and reconfigurations into only a few minutes each.

 

Totally agree but, although I am not paranoid (I KNOW THEY are out to get me), I still make occasional image backups using a different imaging package as an added precaution, but have not had to resort to restoring from such in anger, for over five years or more.

 

How long does a Macrium Image backup takes to complete?
How much space does it requires?

 

An image backup speed will vary depending on device and disk type. I can backup 90GB in about 30 mins on a 4 year old laptop, backing up to an hdd but a modern pc with an ssd could do that in (say) 15 minutes or less.

Space typically is around 60-70% of actual storage space. Note: you cannot create an image backup on same drive that is being backed up.

 

Depends on the following:
1) Size of the data present on the partitions being imaged
2) Processor power of the PC
3) Compression percentage used
4) Type of drives as sources and targets

To give you some ranges ...
1) 50GB partition (23GB used), 6-core 3.2GHz processor, high compression, SDD source, HDD target -- around 5 minutes
2) 230GB partition (106GB used), 4-core 2GHz processor, high compression, SDD source, HDD target -- around 45 minutes (NOTE: before this PC used the SSD, the backups were typically over an hour).

Space depends on the compression value chosen -- low, medium, high. Using High, I typically get better than 50% space reduction from the amount of space used, such that a 60GB partition, with 43GB used, takes 17GB of disk space. Similarly, a 50GB partition, with 23GB used, takes 11GB of disk space.