Windows 10: Will GenuineTicket.xml work after July 29?

Hello,

Quick question. Does anyone know if I run gatherosstate today and create a GenuineTicket.xml file, can I perform
a clean install on my Windows 7 computer AFTER July 29? My reasons are complicated, but I just need to know if anyone knows for sure if this will work. Thanks for any help.

Rick

:)

 

Error Code 0xc004c003 - Clean Install after Upgrade - Let's Unite

Did you actually try the GenuineTicket.xml trick as described earlier? While not exactly an acceptable fix, it's a valid work around as far as I am concerned.

 

Free Windows 10 ending again

There is another way that works well that does not require you to actually upgrade Windows 7 or 8 to gain a Digital License for Windows 10 on an activated Windows 7 or 8 device.

• Find gatherosstate.exe under the Sources folder of Windows 10 install media and copy it to a writable folder.
• Run it to create GenuineTicket.xml on the Activated Windows 7 or 8 device.
• Clean-install Windows 10 to a small partition, separate from your activated Windows 7 or 8, and use an MSA account login.
  • Do not use any Product Key
• Place a copy of GenuineTicket.xml at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\ClipSVC\GenuineTicket\GenuineTicket.xml on the Windows 10 partition and Restart Windows 10 to activate. Sometimes this copying and restart must be done more than once.
• Confirm that Windows 10 shows Activated with a Digital License linked to your Microsoft Account.

Now you can return to using Windows 7 or 8 and even delete the Windows 10 partition if you wish. I would keep a copy of GenuineTicket.xml (which is only of any use on the same activated device that it was created on).

 

It will not allow you to get a first time activation of Windows 10 for free, if that is what you are asking. All it will do is flag your Windows 10 install as an upgrade rather than a clean install and after July Microsoft is scheduled to stop doing first time upgrades for free.

 

Yeah - this is a potential minefield. One of the big improvements of version 10586 was the ability to activate a clean install using old key.

Actually, this was not specifically introduced to make it easier to install Windows 10 the first time, but to help in cases where reinstalls failed to digitally reactivate.

So what happens to a user who originally upgraded legitimately and later reinstalls (after the free period) on same device (eg changing to an ssd) and it fails to activate? Whilst this should not happen, it certainly has.

So, unless MS kep a record of old key used to upgrade as well, I cannot see any solution here, unless MS extend the free upgrade period ad nauseam.

 

The PC will receive a Digital Entitlement that will be recorded with MS, if you preformed the upgrade...

So reinstalls should not be an issue... The same as all Product Keys are Activated, that Key is now flagged as Digital Entitlement..

If you are not sure about any switch over at this time >
Create a complete system backup of your current PC using Macrium Reflect (Free)
Go through the windows 10 upgrade process to get the Digital Entitlement
Then Restore your PC to it's prior state from the Macrium Backup

 

For clarity,

1) Upgrades from 7/8 get digital entitlement.

2) Clean installs activated using an old 7/8 key get digital entitlement.

3) Any install activated using the MS Store get digital entitlement.

For all above cases, you can reinstall without a key (although it does glitch occasionally).

4) All other cases DO NOT get digital entitlement. They use the traditional product key activation. Here you have to renter key to activate (automatic for most preinstalled oem licences similar to Windows 8).


Well explained here.

Activation in Windows 10 - Windows Help

 

Thanks everyone for the clarification. Sounds like my best bet is to get my genuineTicket.xml, put a temporary drive in my computer, clean install 10, then put my original windows 7 back in for the time being. The reason I can't upgrade now is that I have a Windows software raid 1 as my data drive (Drive E: - 2, 2TB drives) and my boot drive is a 2tb, with a junction point for the users folder pointing to the mirror. I want to up the mirror to 2, 4tb drives and a brand new 2 tb. drive for C: (I can't afford the new drives right now). I'm sure it would be a bad idea to just upgrade to 10 with my configuration. I've done plenty of Windows 10 clean install's using the gatherosstate method., I just wasn't sure if the GenuineTicket would work after the deadline. Thanks for helping me out, have a great day!

Rick

 

That would be the best bet - to insure that you do not have to purchase a windows 10 product key after july 29th..

 

You will very rarely need more than a 250 gb drive as your C drive. Even if you have hundreds of games, you can put them on your E Drive.