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

I agree. Haven't read the whole thread, but I'm hoping most of it involves shaming the OP for attempting to spread egregious misinformation.

 

Agreed

 

How do you do a clean install without a dvd with the full version of the OS on it?

 

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/softw...load/windows10
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...n-install.html

 

John, I really don't mean to offend you. I really really don't. But will you please stop talking about this? virtually everything you have said, in such a matter of fact way, is completely and totally wrong, and you are just confusing people.

1) Windows 10 does not store any license or key information in your MS Account and activation has nothing to do with a MS Account.

2) Microsoft does not require all Windows 8 keys to be stored in the BIOS, nor does installing Windows 8 on a computer store a key in the bios. Only large OEM's are required to install keys in the bios, small - medium OEM's, retail copies, and upgrades by end users do not store anything in the BIOS

3) Windows 10 upgrades have very little to do with anything stored in the BIOS for activation. Windows 10 reads the key of the activated OS from the OS itself, and doesn't look in the BIOS. This is why you have to perform an upgrade from an already installed OS to get the free upgrade, even on Windows 8 computers that have a SLIC table entry. If Windows 10 read from the bios, there would be no need whatsoever to do an upgrade install.

4) Windows 10 is *NOT* a patch to windows 8. It's a complete new install. The "upgrade" is required for licensing purposes, and upgrades also try to migrate settings from the old OS to the new. You can completely install Windows 10 clean after the licensing upgrade.

So please, stop confusing people by telling them random things that just aren't true.

 

Actually, yes. They are. The Product Key is an encoded version of the Product ID. This is why everyones product key in Windows 10 (at least those that upgraded) is identical. You will also notice that OEM copies of Windows 7 where a generic key is used along with Vendor key in SLIC also have identical product keys. However, if you installed Windows 7 with a unique key, it gets a different product ID.

You can read about the algorithm used here:

http://www.licenturion.com/xp/fully-licensed-wpa.txt

 

OEM embedded Windows 8.x keys are unique to that PC, they do not use common keys like in Windows 7. Windows 7 uses SLIC table that does not actually contain a key. For Windows 8 there is an actual key stored in the BIOS.

 

Sorry, I mean Windows 7, not 8. Windows 7 comes with a COA sticker with a different key than the key that's in the firmware, this COA key is unique, but the firmware key is not. The point remains the same, however.

 

Ok. I got you now. There is no key in the firmware for Windows 7 by the way. There is an OEM marker in the BIOS SLIC table but no actual key is stored there. The key is entered by the install media. You are correct though, each OEM uses a common OEM key for that version of Windows 7 they've installed at the factory. The Windows 7 OEM factory key is only ever stored in the Windows registry. And it will only work with the custom OEM install media. That's why the code on the COA sticker is different. That key will work with standard install media. The OEM key won't, its blocked from online activation.

 

I updated the post, which should probably be more accurate.

 

Looks OK to me. There is so much info Microsoft won't say about activation (for good reasons) makes it hard to keep track of what's happening in the background. They keep changing the rules too. Windows 7 used OA2.1, Windows 8/8.1 used OA3.0, Windows 10 ? OA3.1 maybe? I haven't seen any info on that yet.

 

The nice thing about OA 3.0 with windows 8.x is any official Microsoft install media will read and use OEM embedded keys. My MSDN ISO's will and so will media from the media creation tool. and Windows 8.1 install media will use Windows 8.0 keys. No having to install 8.0 and upgrade to 8.1, or installing with generic keys etc. With Windows 7 to do an OEM-SLP install you have to have custom OEM install media. Your backup is the code on the COA sticker to be used with regular install media. Even then you have to do a phone activation. If you do a clean install of Windows 10 on a PC that had a factory OEM install of Windows 7, there is no OEM key to retrieve. Its not there. That's likely why you have to do an upgrade before you can clean install. The OEM marker in the BIOS doesn't tell you what version of windows 7 was installed at the factory, only that windows 7 OEM installs are authorized.

 

I am really disappointed. I have an older laptop that had Windows 7 on it and no key for any version of windows stored in bios. I purchased an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, then got the free upgrade to Windows 8.1 Pro. I upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for free. Then, because I like to have a clean system, I deleted all the partitions on the hard drive, booted from a DVD made from the Windows 10 upgrade ISO, and did a clean install. SLMGR /DLV shows a Windows Pro Edition, RETAIL channel and SLMGR /XPR shows an activated Windows Pro with a permanent activation and system information under control panel says Windows 10 Pro. Now, according to Mr. Pombrio in the OP, I only have "an update patch on top of Windows 8.1 to make it look like Win10. Lets call it Win8.1++. "

Mr. Pombrio, can you please tell me what I would gain if I purchased a retail license for Windows 10 Pro?

 

quoted from windows 10 blog from microsoft themselves you can see thee whole blog here. Introducing Windows 10 Editions | Blogging Windows Notice it says full version not a patch to make it look like it is it.

As we announced earlier this year, for the first time ever, we are offering the full versions of Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 Pro as a free and easy upgrade for qualifying Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 devices that upgrade in the first year after launch.**Once you upgrade, you have Windows 10 for free on that device.

 

Can you please tell us exactly which are the features that are not available to us Windows 8.1++ users?

To be honest I fin your entire post hard to believe unless I find some kind of a conformation.