Windows 10: Win10 upgrade and a retail purchase of Win10 Pro- not the same.

Hi there

Actually there's a bit of mis-information in this thread.

For example I installed (from scratch again) a Win 8.1 version I got from TechNet when that program was active. I activated it and then installed W10 upgrade (free one).

If I check the product key AFTER W10 installed - it actually has TWO -- an "OEM" key which is the TechNet key for my W8.1 Pro and the generic key from W10.

I did a new clean install and Windows remained activated -- no probs and it has all the Retail extra features so it IS the same as the retail version.

Now being a TechNet W8.1 it means you can usually use a key 5 - 10 times before "Activations exceeded" message - so I tried again on another machine.

No problem - activation and upgrade as before on totally different hardware.

Now if you are using an OLD retail version of W8.1 - you can activate by phone for moving to a new machine. W10 upgrade will then work.

If it's an OEM version of Windows then the old restriction remains that the W8.1 system is only valid ON THAT MACHINE - so moving W10 to a new machine doesn't arise --just like moving the OS to a new machine. Nothing new at all.

So what you have to do --on ANY machine you want to run W10 on using the FREE upgrades is to get the old OS ACTIVATED first and then upgrade -- and if it's an old retail copy which you want on a NEW machine then simply activate by phone. If it's an OEM copy -- No go I'm afraid unless you upgrade ON THE SAME MACHINE.

So what's the problem.

Cheers
jimbo

 

So what? How does that justify what you said? Instead of asking that question, you attacked him personally.

 

If you are referring to the "free upgrade", apparently you can't clean install DIRECTLY. You have to do an interim "upgrade install" to 10 and then do a clean install.

If you are NOT referring to the "free upgrade" but instead to a store-bought copy of Win 10, then yes you can do a clean install without the interim upgrade install because you would presumably get a Win 10 key with the store-bought media.

 

So what exactly are the Retail Version features that I could be missing, so I can check?

 

Hi there
Just to re-iterate -- while the W10 upgrade has a generic key the "second" key is the key from your previous OS.

You can upgrade as many machines for Free as you have valid licences for -- as I said in my earlier post - if you MOVE a retail OS to a new machine you might have to activate by phone.

These machines will also work with a CLEAN install - but NOT a direct clean install from W7/W8.W8.1 - you must initially do an upgrade from an ACTIVATED version of Windows. THEN you can re-install clean.



Cheers
jimbo

 

What Retail extra features? 10 Pro Retail has all the same features as 10 Home OEM, as far as I know. have you compared the Windows 10 product codes on both PC's? Are they different? If not, how do you propose moving your install to another PC, without doing an upgrade, clean install only?

 

John, I can share this with you. Upgraded 8.1 to 10 which I confirmed was activated a few days ago. About 4 hours ago I wanted to test if I could do a clean install with ACTIVATION in place. I can confirm that the clean install was activated.

Rich

 

Hi there
The product code is not identical to the "Key" so how the info is held in the Ms servers I have no idea.

To MOVE an install to another PC - for the FREE Windows 10 upgrade you need to install the old OS on your new machine and ACTIVATE it then apply the upgrade and then do a clean install.

By just doing a basic OS install (don't add any applications etc) and then upgrading to W10 you've essentially got a "clean" install.

If you try and install clean W10 direct it will fail unless you have a new paid for version of W10 - that's because the current upgrade has a generic key in it. This of course might change over the next few days / weeks but as of Aug 1 that's how it works.

So using the free upgrade - if you want a clean install you have to

1) start with an ACTIVATED OS.
2) Upgrade
3) Install again Clean

A pain but I can confirm this procedure has worked on 3 machines I've tried -- 2 X 8.1 TechNet licence, 1 Retail W7 Ultimate.


Cheers
jimbo

 

That second key won't be there on a clean install. showkey will detect windows 8.x OEM embedded keys and the key used by the preceding OS, if there is a preceding OS. Windows 10 has no way to detect that preceding key on clean install, there is no windows registry to read it from. The hardware ID is what's used for activation.

 

That's not moving the install, not in my books. That's doing another free upgrade. Try doing that after the free upgrade expires and see what happens. Also, once you "moved" the install, did you wipe the previous install that you upgraded from with that same 8.1 key? Your moving right?

 

that is the way that I have been assuming all along jimbo. But on serveral posts on the forum, posters are saying that they are going directly from, say, Win 7, formatting the drive, doing a clean install of Win10 and that Win10 activates. WTH? Are they right? I don't think so but I simply cannot say that they are lying or that it really didn't activate as I do not have any proof either way. There is a possibility that Win10 is getting the prior activation either from the mobo's BIOS or from the MS account, both can be used by MS to validate a previously installed license. With 14 million activations tho, you would think that this would have made the news, heh.

for instance:
Solved Clean install not activated despite upgrading first. - Page 3 - Windows 10 Forums

 

Another spanner in the works?
ONLY REGARDING a clean install, previous OS wiped system.

I was wondering about the old 30 day trial activation period, is it included on W10??, but not showing anywhere,
will find out in a month.
I dont know where its equivelent was in the TP versions, but it was
Roy

 

Each of the preview builds has an expiry date. They are listed in one of the sticky threads. Upgrading to each new insider build extends the expiry date. It you stay in the insiders program and keep updating to each new build your good until Microsoft kills the insider program. if your running an insider build and opt out, stop receiving future builds, activation will time out when it reaches the expiry date for that build.

 

I believe that the free upgrade copy will not activate in a new installation once the year is up. Installations activated before then are supposed to be re-installable indefinitely, on the same hardware.

 

Delete every post on this thread except jimbo45s and it will make sense.