I HAVE PROOF THAT WITH WINDOWS 10 FREE UPGRADE IS CRAP

I get an "error product key not found" on this netbook which came pre-installed with Win7 Home with that slmgr command so it's not the case that everything is against the retail channel.

(and yes it is activated ok)
 
Ace Modder said:
(New Windows 10 OEM does, is there even a retail windows 10?)
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yes theres windows 10 retail

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SW-174-MS&groupid=33&catid=1555
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SW-175-MS&groupid=33&catid=1555

I said from day 1 the free upgrade won't be transferable.. MS gave hints by says it can be reinstalled/activate on the same device.

within the first year it's not much as a issue because u could upgrade to win10 again on the new hardware.
 
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I was looking on MS's web store at retail editions because of this thread and linked through to the Win10 free upgrade FAQ. I saw on there that if you change hardware and need to reactivate your free, Windows 10 you must do so through customer services.
 
ChocolateStarfishRammer said:
I think you're taking the wrong stance on this.

Microsoft are offering you a free version of Windows 10 on your current computer.

If you choose to dramatically change that computer, to an extent that quite frankly it is a different computer, you shouldn't expect Microsoft to give you a copy for that too.

When MS-DOS was released, if you wanted it, you had to pay for it.
When Windows 2.0 was released, if you wanted it, you had to pay for it.
When Windows 3.0 was released, if you wanted it, you had to pay for it.
When Windows 95 was released, if you wanted it, you had to pay for it.
When Windows 98 was released, if you wanted it, you had to pay for it.
When Windows 2000 was released, if you wanted it, you had to pay for it.
When Windows XP was released, if you wanted it, you had to pay for it.
When Windows Vista was released, if you wanted it, you had to pay for it.
When Windows 7 was released, if you wanted it, you had to pay for it.
When Windows 8 was released, if you wanted it, you had to pay for it.

Now Windows 10 is released, they are giving it to you for FREE on your current computer!

Take it or leave it, the choice is yours. But give over moaning and stop trying to take with both hands.
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Well I wish they'd be clear on this. I'd like to know exactly what I'm getting when I upgrade. I dont want to find later down the line I cant do something I could on my previous install. If it is this way this version is worthless to me and there is no point upgrading.
 
Hopefully D3K will report back after contacting MS Customer Support, then we will have a more clear picture.

Regarding Windows 10 being free compared to previous upgrades, in general, I think it is desirable to MS to get everyone onto Win10, though the reasons why may not yet be clear... customer base, MS user accounts, ability to offer £££ apps in the MS Store... Let's be fair, the cost of Win 7 and Win 8 upgrades were a fraction of previous upgrades, so we were moving in this direction (though free is still a marked difference).

However, I have issue with the concept of having a retail Win8 key that I can move between machines and then being forced onto an OEM license... in which case, if you want to move machines, I think MS should have to let you revert back to your Win8 key if you wanted.

Overall, I think those that started with retail keys will be able to upgrade their machines, because it is probably a relatively small customer base, so won't hit MS hard, and they avoid bad PR.
 
Trifid said:
Has anyone who's got W10 installed on a virtual machine (Vmware Workstation) tried moving it to a different host? Did it trip the activation?
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mrbell1984 said:
You probably require a new key for virtual machines. DO NOT install Windows 10 and try to activate it. It may block your hardware ID (no-one knows the implications of installing it in a VM yet) that I know of after research!
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anyone heard or got the answer to this yet? if someone uses mutliple VMs with Windows 10, surely that will confused the mobo tagging and void both keys or just not work ?
 
For those with Error code: 0xC004C003

If you've upgraded from a legit, activated version of Windows, just wait a few days.

Microsoft have just told me that they have seen people attempting to reinstall Windows or use a generic key to try and license it, which apparently only makes the issue worse if you ever want to try and activate properly...
 
koolpc said:
Why oh why MS cant just release one 0S that people can use wherever they want i just dont know! Money, money, money! MS just dont make enough i guess.
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I have to agree with this. Would make things so much easier. One OS that you can re-install on another machine that gets deactivated on the previous machine you have it installed it on. I dont think it would be that hard to do.
 
Stu said:
However, I have issue with the concept of having a retail Win8 key that I can move between machines and then being forced onto an OEM license... in which case, if you want to move machines, I think MS should have to let you revert back to your Win8 key if you wanted.
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I believe this is the issue in essence. I appreciate that giving away a free upgrade to Windows 10 "for the life of the device" is more than we normally get. However if we genuinely can't move to new hardware after upgrading from a Retail based 7/8/8.1 licence, then this free upgrade has zero value to enthusiasts. You're actually better off sticking with your older version. Given that it's enthusiasts that snap up the latest hardware and software - thus driving change and adoption - this is a very strange choice in my view.

I've seen MS sources state in some places that you inherit the terms of your base licence, but if this is not true it should have been clearly stated that the upgrade only grants you an OEM licence. We'd then all go out and buy retail licences as we've always done.
 
Can I reinstall Windows 10 on my computer after upgrading?

Yes. Once you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 using the free upgrade offer, you will be able to reinstall, including a clean install, on the same device. You won’t need a product key for re-activations on the same hardware. If you make a meaningful change to your hardware, you may need to contact customer support to help with activation. You’ll also be able to create your own installation media like a USB drive or DVD, and use that to upgrade your device or reinstall after you’ve upgraded.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-10-faq
 
^ That's all well and good but we now have at least two users in this thread who've been unable to reactivate after a hardware change.
 
so what buy a Chinese windows key for a few $ when you want to use win 10 in the future.

If not roll back to previous win 7/8.1 and carry on

They have to make money somewhere. I have a win7 retail (i got for dirt cheap when it came out first time) and tbh i dont care.
 
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