Windows 10: Windows 10 won't activate in Virtual Machine

So I've had Windows 10 installed alongside Linux for a year now but found I use it less and less - so I've decided to move it to a VM on this year's reinstall. I've read out my product key before.

Now unfortunately it seems Windows has a problem with VMs - I tried activating my product key (Win 10 Home - same as VM) but it says the key is not valid (0x803FA067). I have tried to re-activate the license by selecting my old PC identification that I won't use anymore, but no change. The key is entered correctly since it correctly identifies the key (some 5x5x5x5 id).

I've reinstalled Windows on the same PC at least 5 times now over the years and never had problems - it is also not bound to hardware, PC was assembled and windows bought seperately.

Any suggestions? Although I won't use it much, I don't plan on loosing my license that I bought.

:)

 

Clean install of W10 not possible in Virtual Machine.


Please get a cup of coffee, lean back and think an answer for these two questions. Take your time, then check the answers below the questions:

Questions:

1. If you do a clean install of let's say Windows 10 Insider Build 10525 on a totally new computer which has never had an activated Windows 10 on it, does it activate?
2. If you do a clean install of Windows 10 Insider Build on a computer where the underlying Windows 10, upgraded from a qualifying old operating system has already been activated, does it activate?

Answers:

1. No, of course not.
2. Yes, of course.

Why do you think that a virtual machine would make any difference? You have tried to install Windows 10 on a totally new machine which has never had an activated Windows 10 installed, therefore the Microsoft activation servers block the activation due invalid machine ID. In the highlighted part in below quote you admit your mistake yourself, plain and simple, yet you when doing this wrong draw conclusion that even if done correctly it would not work:

What you have tried is essentially the same as if you took a brand new real physical PC without any operating system, which has never had any operating system, and then installed Windows 10 Insider Preview wondering why it does not activate! Virtual Machines behave exactly the same way; if you want to clean install Windows 10 Insider Preview and get it activated you must do it on an existing virtual machine, one which has already had an upgraded Windows 10 activated. This "computer", the virtual machine, its machine ID is marked on activation servers as valid and activated and it will of course activate.

Be it a virtual machine or a physical computer, you cannot activate a clean installed Windows 10 Insider Preview on a totally new machine. How difficult can this be to understand?

When clean installing Windows 10 Insider Preview on a computer which has already had a previous Windows 10 Insider activated, you do not use the product key! It will be asked twice, once before the installation starts and once after the last reboot to OOBE phase. In both cases you skip the product key and your Windows will be automatically activated.

 

Convert Windows 10 Activation to Virtual Machine

I currently have an activated version of Windows 10 on my desktop. My needs have changed and I am going to be moving to a Linux host on my desktop with a Windows virtual machine. Given that Windows 10 activation is based on your hardware, I'm not sure how
to go about doing this. I understand that virtual machines have a unique identifier that can be used for this process (since I only want one virtual machine running on my one desktop).

Has anyone successfully done this? I own my copy of Windows 10 and essentially want to change to a new computer (which happens to be on the same physical hardware, but within a virtual machine). Any suggestions?

 

Windows 10 Activation on Virtual Machine

I have a Windows 10 computer. I created a virtual machine and installed my copy of Windows 10 Home. It is asking for activation. Do I have to buy another copy of Windows 10 for the virtual machine? I will be using the virtual machine to test Windows Insider
builds.