What a flippin' headache! Win 8.1 - 10

agnes

agnes

agnes

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Morning all,

So, I bought a 'retail' key from eBay, after hours of struggles, it turns out it was an OEM key. I've asked for a refund.

Then I bought a 8.1 retail key from a key site (well known one) and instantly got a key. Activated 8.1 Pro instantly, no problem.

Then, I downloaded the clean installer to USB for Win 10 from the site (http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-10-upgrade) when you select upgrade and choose to do clean install.

NOPE, trial and error, can't activate my 8.1 key in Windows 10.

Tonight, I'm going to roll back to a clean install of 8.1 with the previous retail key, go to the above link and select upgrade instead of clean install. Once 10 is installed, then carry out a clean install.

Not so much a question, more of a rant. This has not been a pain free process and it's reminded me why I've never bought an OS.
 
You have to upgrade first, eg in place so you don't directly use the W8 key, wait for it to activate in W10 due to the computer being connected to the internet. Once activated you should be able to do a refresh option in the advanced start up settings or fire up the install process again and then choose the option that doesn't save anything for a clean install.
 
agnes said:
Tonight, I'm going to roll back to a clean install of 8.1 with the previous retail key, go to the above link and select upgrade instead of clean install. Once 10 is installed, then carry out a clean install.

Not so much a question, more of a rant. This has not been a pain free process and it's reminded me why I've never bought an OS.
Click to expand...

This will work. It's the way they designed the process to ensure people with 7/8/8.1 can get a valid copy of Windows 10 by upgrading.

Remember, you won't get a Windows 10 key. So after the upgrade from 8.1, ensure 10 is activated, then wipe and clean install. When it asks for a key, skip it.
 
Craig321 said:
This will work. It's the way they designed the process to ensure people with 7/8/8.1 can get a valid copy of Windows 10 by upgrading.

Remember, you won't get a Windows 10 key. So after the upgrade from 8.1, ensure 10 is activated, then wipe and clean install. When it asks for a key, skip it.
Click to expand...

Aces, cheers mate. I'm excited to try Win 10. Mainly as it's soon to be rolled out and I want to be more familiar with it at work (techy).

But also, not done a fresh install for 18 months!
 
Morning all, so, I did an 'upgrade' from Windows 8.1 to 10. All went fine, Win 10 is activated. But then when I went to do a clean install with the same key. It wasn't recognised. So I've thrown in the towel and accepted my 'upgraded' version. I assume I shouldn't notice any difference between a upgrade from a fresh build of 8.1 (15 minutes old...) to Win 10 no?

Or is it still worth perusing a clean install of Win 10, not upgrade?
 
The Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 keys aren't being accepted until Threshold 2 is released, which is in preview at the moment, but not yet available unless you opt in to preview releases.

After you've successfully upgraded from 8.1 to 10 (and confirmed that it has been activated) do your clean install and don't bother entering a key (there is a skip option). Windows 10 is tied to your machine, not to a key - a profile is made from your hardware, so it should automatically activate on the hardware, so long as it has been activated already.

Should have just read one of the thousands of guides on the web.

By the way, there's not a cat in hell's chance that key is legit. You might as well have just pirated it.
 
agnes said:
Morning all, so, I did an 'upgrade' from Windows 8.1 to 10. All went fine, Win 10 is activated. But then when I went to do a clean install with the same key. It wasn't recognised. So I've thrown in the towel and accepted my 'upgraded' version. I assume I shouldn't notice any difference between a upgrade from a fresh build of 8.1 (15 minutes old...) to Win 10 no?

Or is it still worth perusing a clean install of Win 10, not upgrade?
Click to expand...

You need to read my post above! Skip the part where it asks for a key
 
thenewoc said:
You didn't enter any key during the fresh install though did you?
Click to expand...

No I didn't.

this_is_gav said:
The Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 keys aren't being accepted until Threshold 2 is released, which is in preview at the moment, but not yet available unless you opt in to preview releases.

After you've successfully upgraded from 8.1 to 10 (and confirmed that it has been activated) do your clean install and don't bother entering a key (there is a skip option). Windows 10 is tied to your machine, not to a key - a profile is made from your hardware, so it should automatically activate on the hardware, so long as it has been activated already.

Should have just read one of the thousands of guides on the web.

By the way, there's not a cat in hell's chance that key is legit. You might as well have just pirated it.
Click to expand...

I did the upgrade, it's been activated. I did indeed have the option to 'skip' during installation but decided not to as I didn't know if I was going to have to roll back.

Again, I'm going to assume there is no real need to do a clean install now anyway as 8.1 was so fresh anyway. I'll tinker around, maybe do a clean install in a week or so.

As for the key(s), the ebay one, I've been refunded (actually impressed, was half expecting to kiss that £12 goodbye!). It was 100% OEM or dodgy. Either way, too much hassle.

The retail key was from http://www.kinguin.net/, costing £27... I highly doubt it's a fake key. It activated on Windows 8.1 without a question and Windows 10 seems happy enough with it as well. So again, assumptions are the mother of all F ups my friend.

Thanks all (even you Gav...) for the replies, sorry I had to ask the questions but I work a lot of hours and don't have time to spend researching something which shouldn't be that trivial in the first place.
 
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agnes said:
Morning all, so, I did an 'upgrade' from Windows 8.1 to 10. All went fine, Win 10 is activated. But then when I went to do a clean install with the same key. It wasn't recognised. So I've thrown in the towel and accepted my 'upgraded' version. I assume I shouldn't notice any difference between a upgrade from a fresh build of 8.1 (15 minutes old...) to Win 10 no?

Or is it still worth perusing a clean install of Win 10, not upgrade?
Click to expand...


It's 2015. Just refresh Win10 without keeping any other files and it is exactly the same as doing a 'clean' install from days gone by.
 
Flipping heck, this is an absolute shambles... Installed a 'clean install' of Win 10 after confirming 100% activated from the upgrade. Deleted partitions for a nice clean install...

Now Win 10 won't have any of it (I skipped the key as I've been told here and read elsewhere). So now I've got to spend another evening reverting back to Win 8.1, then an absolute AGE upgrading back to Win 10 as it takes forever.

I'd accept if I was the only one. But I'm not.
 
I wish you luck with your windows key m8. I bought a key for 20something quid a few months ago from a 'legit' site. All activated fine, until a few months later Microsoft deactivated the key. In the end I went to Maplin and bought an oem disc with legit key.
 
I too had the same issues with the win 10 not activating as the OP, here's what I had to do in order for it to work:

1) Install the correct win 8.1 and make sure it's activated

2) Download the win 10 media creation program from MS, and install to a USB stick.

3) Insert the USB stick, and install directly from within Win 8.1 by clicking the .exe

4) Use Win 10 for a few days (I waited about 1.5 weeks) thus allowing the MS servers to register your system to the Win Key

5) Now you can finally install Win 10 cleanly from boot up via the USB stick you created, delete all partitions, and install completely fresh, you'll now find the Win 10 activates first time!

All the other 'normal' routes didn't work, and I tried multiple times, this was the only way I could get it to work :)
 
Hopefully from next weeks supposed Threshold 2 release of W10 it should be possible to clean install to begin with and just supply the W7, 8.x key during install.
 
agnes said:
Morning all,

So, I bought a 'retail' key from eBay, after hours of struggles, it turns out it was an OEM key. I've asked for a refund.

Then I bought a 8.1 retail key from a key site (well known one) and instantly got a key. Activated 8.1 Pro instantly, no problem.

Then, I downloaded the clean installer to USB for Win 10 from the site (http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-10-upgrade) when you select upgrade and choose to do clean install.

NOPE, trial and error, can't activate my 8.1 key in Windows 10.

Tonight, I'm going to roll back to a clean install of 8.1 with the previous retail key, go to the above link and select upgrade instead of clean install. Once 10 is installed, then carry out a clean install.

Not so much a question, more of a rant. This has not been a pain free process and it's reminded me why I've never bought an OS.
Click to expand...

You cant fresh install immediately or else the 8.1 key registered to the upgrade doesn't link between your mobo and their systems.

The process needs to be:
Windows 8.1
Upgrade to 10
Activate 10 using the 8.1 key
Fresh install whilst skipping the key entry bit
Activate again

Job done.

Also if you ever want to move permanently over to windows 10, contact msft and ask for them to deactivate the 8.1 key and replace with 10 considering you have a retail licence which is transferrable.

I made the same mistake the first time I installed it - clean installed first and it wouldn't activate so needed to start from 8.1 again
 
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