SOLVED Cannot reinstall the free windows 10 after doing a factory reset.Had windows 8.1 and upgraded to the free windows 10. Now I can't reinstall windows 10

[oohbabee]

I had the free Windows 10 and I did a factory reset which brought it back to Windows 8.1. I could not reinstall Windows 10.

 

[Trouble]

You may be running into an issue because the free upgrade from previous versions of Windows to Windows 10 is no longer an available option, but.....
IF you in fact had Windows 10 installed already, you should be able to clean install Windows 10 whenever you want on that same machine, assuming no extreme hardware changes.

Just make sure you download the correct version that matches the previous version you had installed (Home or Pro).

 

[oohbabee]

I had windows 10 ever since microsoft offered it. When I did the factory reset I couldn't find out how to go back to Windows 10. I tried the media installation and it did not work.

 

[Mike Kingsbury]

You can download the ISO file from Microsoft, create a bootable install disk from it.
Boot your computer from it and follow the instructions.

Before you do that go to the Microsoft login page on any computer and make sure that you can login to your Micrsoft account.

IT should accept your previous Windows 10 serial number which is now embeded in the bios, but even if it doesnt it should complete the installation.

Use your Microsoft account information (email and password) to log into the computer.

Check and see if it has authenticated.

Make sure you do as Trouble said and download the same version that you were using before.

 

[Trouble]

I couldn't find out how to go back to Windows 10. I tried the media installation and it did not work.

Go here https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
Do not use the upgrade now button, I don't believe you can, any longer, "upgrade" from 8.1 to 10, at least not for free.
Use the Media Creation Tool to download the ISO instead and....
Once you have the ISO, you can use ImgBurn to burn it to a DVD, http://imgburn.com/
or Rufus to burn it to a USB ThumbDrive, http://rufus.akeo.ie/
either of which you can use to boot your computer to perform the clean install.
Again it has to be the same version you had previously installed (Home or Pro)

 

[davehc]

One thing not mentioned. In the initial stages of a fresh install, when it gets to the early window requesting you key, you MUST say you do not have one. It has already been registered with the motherboard.
I have never needed to follow the procedure as outlined by Mike Kingsbury. Possibly it applies to certain circumstances.

 

[Mike Kingsbury]

I'm just making sure that the user knows what his ID is before he does the install, if he can't log into Microsoft it will probably not let him log into Windows.

 

[Trouble]

When you clean install Windows 10 you create a user account at that time which may be completely local and unassociated with any Microsoft Account, whether or not one had existed previously.

 

[davehc]

I'm just making sure that the user knows what his ID is before he does the install, if he can't log into Microsoft it will probably not let him log into Windows.

As Trouble said! There is no requirement to have n MS account to install and run Windows.

 

[Mike Kingsbury]

I guess I'm just used to booting to my Microsoft account.

 

[Trouble]

A lot of us associate our Microsoft Account with our Windows 10 installation and I'm sure that is pretty much the way Microsoft likes it.
But so far it's not an absolute requirement.

 

[oohbabee]

Thank you

You may be running into an issue because the free upgrade from previous versions of Windows to Windows 10 is no longer an available option, but.....
IF you in fact had Windows 10 installed already, you should be able to clean install Windows 10 whenever you want on that same machine, assuming no extreme hardware changes.

Just make sure you download the correct version that matches the previous version you had installed (Home or Pro).

Thank you for your help. I finally contacted Microsoft and they downloaded Windows 10 for me.

 

[GH1]

Dont know why you had to do that its all here

Download Windows 10

Just follow instructions