Windows 10: win 10 COAs & registration etc

Hi, I have one win 7 system and two win 8 systems.

In essence I did a win 10 clean install, and as I had no new COA from MS, I assumed I could use my Win8.1 COA.

Wrong!

I am wondering if this is because of 2 possible reasons. (i) Although I pre-registered all three systems at different times, I only received one confirmation email from MS. Only one system appeared to register correctly, the other two when clicking on the task bar win10 icon just said already registered although no email address was requested in these two occasions, and no links are subsequently available. Or (ii) Although I have one confo email from MS, I have not received any further email advising or inviting me to download win 10 (is it possible that such an email would provide a COA?)

I would be grateful if someone could tell me what the process should be, and whether there is a glitch in regard the two other systems.

:)

 

Reinstall Win 10 with COA for refurbished computer

My refurbished Win 10 computer's hard drive failed and wouldn't boot. I have another hard drive that is formatted for windows. I have a Win 10 COA for the refurbished computer. Do I have to purchase a new copy of Win 10 or can I use the COA. If so,
how do I do it?

 

Problem with Windows 10 activation, which is upgraded from Windows 7

If you have the OS disc Win 7 and the COA that was with the disc. You can reload windows 7. But you should Reactivate Win 10 over the telephone because they'll know from the last time they issued you current COA.

 

My understanding is you have to upgrade and get the new OS activated before you can do a clean install.

 

Bunny is correct!

*tosses carrot*

Several people have not realized that you must first upgrade an existing valid activated OS to tag your key to windows 10 properly, then you can blow away the older os.

Those people had to restore their original os and then do the upgrade, then blow it away once windows 10 was activated.

 

Thank you guys, makes sense from Microsoft's point of view - but not mine.

I need to retain the older system for support purposes - I currently run multi-boot systems for that purpose.

Since I am fresh onto Win10, could you guys advise if the following would work.. I am assuming (maybe incorrectly) that for example if I clone the wine 8.1 system and then upgrade to win 10 that would work? Or does the win 8.1 COA become defunct for future requirements?

Thanks in advance for sharing yr expertise.

 

The upgrade only checks your Win8 licence for validity before assigning Win10 activation - Your Win 8.1 licence still retains it's own rights.

 

If you can roll back to 8.1 and then upgrade that would be the best way to go. IMO..

 

That is not legally allowed. You have only one license, and may only install one instance at a time. So, if you upgrade to 10, you must delete your instance of 8 (this happens automatically during the upgrade). You are allowed a backup, but not an installation.

Likewise, if you go back to 8, you must delete the 10 installation. Your only other legal alternative is to buy a second license to have both installed at the same time.

This is spelled out very clearly in the EULA, which you probably didn't read.

 

Mystere - thank you for that - you are correct it would never dawn on me that MS would make this restriction - most people would not wish to retain the old system, unless they were fearful of another Vista/8 catastrophe!

However you may not have read that I need to run all OS for support reasons, and I believe it is MS, my and customer interests to do so.

But back to the original issue - COAs. I have reinstalled 10 over 8 and of course no COA is requested, nor does it appear that it is explicitly given. Of course Magic Jelly Bean does retrieve a COA. It occurs to me that when reinstalls are required (eg HDD fail) we do need the COA. So my question is, what is the legal way to recover the win 10 COA for upgraded PCs (I am focusing on those systems where the COA is not embedded in the BIOS, that's a different question)?

 

By COA you are referring to the product key... Retail licences are transferrable but only legally one installation per PC - in practice it can be installed on more than one but it's contrary to the EULA. I don't think MS minds though, as long as it's not abused. They're definitely not gonna send the suits to hunt you down.

 

Thanks so much.

yes I do mean the product key!

Here's the scenario upgrade to win 10 and the hdd goes phutt. Without the win10 product key, assuming there is no system image (retail rarely do this), the alternative is to do re-install of win 7/8 from the recovery partition if still there, and then reinstall win 10 over - crazy!

It seams to me that MS has no intention of giving out the win 10 product key so that a custom install could be done from the iso version. Am I right?

So why have the option of a custom install, unless its only there for the other fully paid versions?

 

Rocket Racoon: "But what if I want it more than the person who has it?"
Rhomann Dey: "Still illegal."
Rocket Raccoon: "That doesn't follow. No, I want it more, sir."

Having a need does not change the legality of it. This is nothing new, and this is how upgrades to Windows have always worked.

If you want to run two instances, for whatever reason, you will need two licenses.

The Product Key you recovered is not a valid key for installation. It's a generic key used for all upgraded copies of Windows 10. So even recovering this key will not allow you to re-install clean.

You *MUST* perform an upgrade from Windows 7/8.x on new hardware at least once before it will activate.

 

I have the same issue- want to be able to dual boot until certain the Windows 10 issues can be managed with our care-about apps.

It's unfortunate that the wording and implementation is so tight. What they want to achieve is fine with me- no one should be able to use the same key for running multiple systems at the same time (without a site license of course). However, dual booting is NOT running the same key on 2 systems at the same time. Yes, multiple instances exist, but not at the same instance.

My only thoughts as to why it matters is to handle the case of possible stolen keys- how would they determine if you are dual booting versus someone using your key after stealing it.

The fact that it forces customers requiring dual booting to there buy a new key problem never occurred to them. *Biggrin

 

Dear Mystere, Thank you for labouring the point....................

I think to reinstall Win 10 from a hdd crash that one will have to go back to Win 7/8 - that is plain stupid, and I think you maybe wrong on that point.

I read on the MS website this afternoon that in certain circumstances MS support will "assist" where hardware has changed. Still an ill-thought out solution, but typical of MS who really don't help themselves in regard to their reputation. I suppose it just means that system images become increasingly important - but that doesn't help non-technical retail, just means that repairs become too expensive, resulting in more sales of new kit........................