Hi All,
So I purchased a laptop from MSI with an OEM version of Windows 8.1 and when I try to upgrade to windows 10 (Clean Install), it asks for a product key.
My problem is, my product key starts with 000 and ends with OEM and Microsoft won't allow 0 and O in their product keys. (000xx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxOEM)
Anyone know what I can do about this issue?
Cheers :)
I never got the option to upgrade. Probably because I don't have the latest updates. I downloaded it from the microsoft website.
Does it not ask for a product key if I update 8.1 and wait for the message to appear?
You're meant to upgrade first, then clean install.
Oh, okay. Ill upgrade it tonight and see what happens. Cheers!
No, don't do clean install. Do all the Windows update; leave it on overnight. Then, install from their download version or auto from the notification.
That's unnecessary. As it's been repeated a few times in the other thread and on whirlpool.
Download this and click setup.exe. After it has updated to Windows 10, check to make sure it's activated then you can clean install it(if you want to). When it asks for the product key during the clean install, just skip it.
Worked 3 times for me.
Instead of clean installing after updating to windows 10, you could try resetting the pc under Settings/Update&Security/Recovery. Not sure if it as good as a clean installation.
@ozhunter: If you don't Windows update yourself, Windows 10 will do it for you. Therefore Windows 10 install will take longer. If you do the Windows update yourself, you can choose when you want to do it. Windows 10 install will take minimal time.
@kiamsup:
My laptop is still at the downloading stage days after I registered - I wonder why it's taking me so long?
Well all I know is W8.1 on my Acer (no install media) asked me if I wanted to upgrade, and many GB later it's finally upgraded. Ended up costing me 10GB instead of the promised 3GB, may have downloaded twice or more, who know what goes on in the stupid mind of the upgrader app, can't M$ do anything right, mutter mutter, but fortunately my monthly quota was due to reset in few days when I pulled the trigger.
Awesome! Ill give it a try when I get home. I actually grabbed the key from browsing the registry as they didn't place a sticker on my laptop. I guess that key is incorrect.
First of all, you shouldn't do a clean install. Did you reformat your boot-up disk?
Even if you did not reserve a copy, you can download the appropriate (32/64 bit) version of Windows 10. I would assume safely that yours is a 64-bits laptop. Download the Windows 10 64-bit copy, mount it (virtually - right click) and click set-up. All should be done automatically. Suggest you read all the recent Windows 10 forum in ozbargain-com.au. No point in me repeating it here. I did exactly this and all done.
I shouldn't do a clean install?
Please tell me why I shouldn't
If you have a legitimate copy from Windows 7 onwards (as per Microsoft (MS) T&C) you are eligible for a free copy of Windows 10. When MS says Windows 10 upgrade it means you are eligible and preserving all your apps and files from your current version and transferred to Windows 10 OS. All your previous Windows will be replaced by Windows 10. However if you wish to upgrade from 32-bit to 64-bit, you may have to do a clean install. Please read info Microsoft web-site.
Yeh, you need to upgrade first. I had a few problems so took a while. If it downloads all the files but then the upgrader vanishes there is a file you can find which will continue the upgrade. After upgrading and you then clean install from usb/dvd, it will ask for key and you can just click to skip the step.
After upgrading, you don't need clean install. Just upgrade. No product id required.
The only way for your License key to get upgraded to windows 10. after that you are free to clean install windows 10 with no need for a key as windows will then be tied to your Motherboard and will auto activated after installation and connected to the internet.
Yeah i got caught out with this as well. As far as i know your Windows 8.1 product key will not activate a clean install of windows 10.
Use the media creation tool to get windows 10 on a thumb drive. Then while running windows 8.1 plug it in, run setup, it will do some checks and get ready to install windows 10 and ask you what you want to keep (ie keep your files and do an upgrade or lose everything and do a clean install). Click lose everything and continue and in the background the installer will use the windows 8.1 key to verify that the upgrade to 10 is legit and generate a new key and install windows 10 using that new key… (I think thats how it works) But yeah u cant just put the Win10 ISO and boot off that like you usually would do a clean install because you wont have a valid key.
The other option if you dont wanna make installation media is do the upgrade in place through windows update, and then when its done just do a reset which will wipe everything and do a clean install of Windows 10.
I had a laptop that came new with Windows 8, and tried out the win 10 preview. Unfortunately the recovery partition screwed up so i had to downgrade 10 back down to 8, then upgrade to 8.1, then upgrade to 10. Pain in the ass. It would be nice if MS just released a tool then let you punch in a W7 or W8.1 key and it spits out a new W10 key. But MS arent known for making things easy now are they.
It would be nice if MS just released a tool then let you punch in a W7 or W8.1 key and it spits out a new W10 key. But MS arent known for making things easy now are they.
I think they are trying to do away with product keys, but they could have at least made clean installations accept Windows7/8 keys.
yeah, it was the same with 8 to 8.1. You couldn't clean install 8.1 with an 8 key, you had to get a 8.1 key, and then punch in the 8 key after it was installed. seriously -.-
But its pretty good what they do with product keys since windows 8, by storing it in the BIOS and having it auto enter itself when installing the correct version of windows. Just would be nice if they made them valid through the free upgrades, they kinda dropped the ball on that one.
But it wont be a problem with future version because apparently windows 10 is the last "version".
I've got a HP Stream 11 with 32GB eMMC storage. Went to upgrade to windows 10 using the install media, says not enough space. This is with a clean install of windows 8.1. Because the upgrade keeps the old version of windows incase you want to revert theres not enough room. And i cant just boot off it, blow the partitions and do a clean install of 10 coz then it wont be activated.. Bit of a head scratcher that one.
And they wonder why people pirate windows.
yeah, it was the same with 8 to 8.1. You couldn't clean install 8.1 with an 8 key, you had to get a 8.1 key, and then punch in the 8 key after it was installed. seriously -.-
They did change later on and now you can use 8/8.1 upgrade or retail key to do a clean installation, which is what I'm guessing they will do with Windows 10. Then again, since both my computers are on 10, it won't matter any more.
Even when doing an upgrade, you can tell Windows 10 to not keep any of your files or settings, etc. You essentially end up with a clean install when it's done.
Awesome! Didn't know that :) Cheers
You will however have a "Windows.old" folder on your C drive that contains your old OS. I believe you can actually roll back to your old OS for 30 days (as long as this folder is there of course) but if you're happy with Windows 10, you can delete this folder (after going through it and getting whatever old files you need, like your old "My Documents", etc.
Can't you upgrade in-situ?