Windows 10: Windows 10 product key not working after clean install

I installed windows 10 on top of Windows 7, but then did a clean install afterwards from an image on a USB drive.

I wrote down the product key from the first install after scraping it with a program.

The clean install of 10 went fine, but it will not accept this product key. Im guessing this is because I used it on the old install, but that install no longer exists. What do I need to do to have this key work? I have email confirmation of upgrade (assuming that actually means anything).

:)

 

Activation.

My windows 10 product key is not working after clean install. And my product is for home not pro. How do I change to Home?

 

Windows 10 Product Key for clean install after upgrade?

Hi,

Got it sorted.

Bit the bullet and went through the upgrade again, installed Win8 pro and it activated

Downloaded the media creation tool from windows and selected upgrade this PC and keep files.

Win 10 installed and was instantly activated.

So I now have it activated with my new hardware,

Hope that helps

Jay

 

Hello AngryPidgeon, and welcome to Ten Forums.

When you upgrade to the free 10 from an activated Windows 7, you do not get a product key. Instead, the activation for 10 is registered on Microsoft activation servers for that PC.

Since you installed Windows 10 with an invalid (generic) key on the PC, you will need to start over again. *Sad

This means that you will need to reinstall and activate Windows 7, then upgrade to Windows 10 again.

Clean Install Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums

Windows 10 - Upgrade Installation - Windows 10 Forums

 

I think he's saying he already did the upgrade, then did a clean install afterwards, trying to use the generic key to install.
@AngryPidgeon - You will need to re-install, but click "skip" instead of trying to use a product key, so long as you are installing the same version of Windows 10 (home or pro) that you originally upgraded to.

 

I don't believe I used a generic key?

I think I may have figured out what happened. The image that I installed from USB is a Windows PRO image. The Windows 7 copy that I upgraded from was windows 7 Home. I'm currently getting another image for Windows 10 home which I will clean install and attempt to use my key for.

 

You cannot activate the free Windows 10 with your Windows 7 key.

The free Windows 10 activation is registered on MS activation servers instead, so you can't have a key for the free Windows 10. That's why you would "skip" entering a key during a clean install if done after you already upgraded to register the activation.

Since you tried to install with a key afterwards, that will most likely mess up the registered Windows 10 activation on your PC. If so, then you'll need to start over with 7 and upgrade to 10 again.

 

I think he did what I did

* Update Windows 7

* Get the resulting Windows 10 key from the installation

Use this for a fresh install.

It worked for me

 

The key you get from Speccy or Belarc from an upgraded Windows 10 is a generic key. You cannot use this for installation, nor is it needed. You simply click to skip entering the key (there is a link at the bottom to do this) (again, assuming you are reinstalling the same edition, which it sounds like you didn't).

 

Do not enter any key. Look for the tiny "Skip", "Skip this step", or "Do this later" options when asked for a key and click on those.

 

You do get a new Win 10 Product key, once you install Win 10, use magic jellybean (free version) to recover the key. Be sure to compare it to your Product ID (make sure the ID matches).

I have not tried it yet, but I do not plan to do an upgrade. I burned the Win10 iso to disk, and plan to offline install (again) a full version off a newly wiped/formatted HDD using the key ( I will post back the result).

 

No, you get a generic key, that is useless for any purpose. You can't install with it, you can't use it for anything.

 

I am gonn try it, and see, I am gonna boot into the x64 Win10 DVD

 

The generic key actually does serve a purpose - Windows 10 uses it to hash out the unique Hardware ID - along with a bunch of hardware specs/serial numbers . But, you are right, for the actual human user it is pretty much useless.

It will probably work and if you just skip entering the license key, the MS activation server would just supply it anyway - exact same result.

 

Yes, but I am gonna test if off the Installation DVD.

Gonna reboot into DVD, completely do a destructive reformat of HDD, then enter the Key I have at the prompt, and see if it takes it for Windows Install, and see also, If it installs the correct version of 10 Pro.

I built this PC, and it doesn't store the key in BIOS, so in future I may want to upgrade the HDD or MB, (in which case I will have to most likely call MS to activate over phone since the hardware will be different)