Windows 10: Upgraded from 8.1 to Win 10. Did a clean install, but now problem.

Nice! I'll try this and see what happens. Thanks a lot, mate!

 

No problem. You have to make sure your pc was born with windows 8.1 and not 8, otherwise your key wont work

 

Yep, it's a new PC with 8.1 pre-loaded on it. I just noticed that there are two 'recovery' partitions on my hd now. One of them is for the Windows 10. The other, I bet, is for the 8.1. I wish I could tell which was which using the disk management tool in Win 10, but I can't. All I can see is that they're recovery partitions. If I knew which one was the Win10 one, I could delete it, reboot, hit F3 and choose to recover the 8.1 one. Hmm.

 

Maybe you can identify them by partition size? Windows 10 recovery partition seems to be 450Mb

 

Good idea! One of them IS 450Mb. The other is 600Mb. I'll delete the 450Mb and see what happens. Heh, can't do much more damage. I'm also creating a USB boot for Win8.1, using the link you gave above. Just in case. ;-)

 

Better safe than sorry right*Smile

 

Oops.

To get the free Win 10 upgrade to activate, it has to be installed as an upgrade over an installed, and activated, qualifying OS (7 SP1, 8.1). I believe that you also have to do the kind of upgrade that preserves files, settings, and applications (keep everything) to get 10 to activate.

If that is done once, then you can use the free upgrade to clean install on the same hardware. No license key is needed, and you won't be given one.

I hope that you can find a way to restore 8.1. (Did MSI include some sort of recovery disk? The laptop's manual mentions it as an option.)

You could buy a key from the Microsoft store (in the USA, at least), but it ain't cheap.

 

Don't do everything over. I did the same as you. I upgraded from 8.1 pro. Used the Micro Media tool and downloaded the .iso. Used Rufus and did a clean install. Couldn't get it to activate but someone on this forum had a script (I believe) that I ran and it activated right away. Look for a thread called activation where everyone was having issues on day one. I can't remember the script right now.

 

Yep, I upgraded first with no problem. Was running Win10 for two days before I decided to do a clean install.

By the way, how did you know my laptop was an MSI laptop?

 

Did you find the thread I was talking about? Activated mine in a few seconds. It was on the 29th when tons had trouble activating their clean install after they upgraded.

 

I'll look now for this thread. Thanks!

 

It was in the update and activation section

 

Windows 10 - Go Back to Previous Windows - Windows 10 Forums

Any help here ?

 

Blessed are the pessimists, for they shall make backups.

Seriously, I would wait a day or so and see if Activation kicks in, as suggested by Mort. Otherwise I think that the only recourse you have is to call Microsoft and explain the situation.

 

I assumed that it was the laptop in your System Specs.