Big news ! About Activation...............

[davidhk129]

OK. I wanted to check out the claim from Blogging Windows and Insider Hub that we can Clean Install build 10565+ into a blank hard disk/parttion in a computer running genuine qualified Windows.

I have a laptop preinstalled with Vista > then upgraded to Win 8 Pro > then Win 8.1.1 > then Win 10 Pro > then Insider Preview build 10532 > then build 10547 > then back to Win 10 Pro > and now build 10565.

Yes, I am a nut case.

So, even though this laptop already has build 10565 installed, I shrank the partition and created a new partition.
I installed build 10565 ( via esd to DVD) into the new partition.
Install completed. No issue although I saw different options that I had not seen before. There is no "Skip" option. I chose I have no product key and moved on.
It was installed but not activated of course.
I selected change product key option and then enter my Win 8.1.1 product key.
Result : Windows is activated.

Wow. How about that ?

 

[davehc]

It was introduced as a new measure at the
Microsoft Cloud Roadshow

quote:

"We have received a lot of feedback from Insiders on making it easier to activate Windows 10 on devices that take advantage of the free upgrade offer to genuine Windows by using existing Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 product keys. If you install this build of the Windows 10 Insider Preview on a PC and it doesn't automatically activate, you can enter the product key from Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 used to activate the prior Windows version on the same device to activate Windows 10 by going to Settings -> Update & security -> Activation and selecting Change Product Key. If you do a clean install of Windows 10 by booting off the media, you can also enter the product key from prior Windows versions on qualifying devices during setup."

IMO. This is going to create yet more confusion, rather than help
It looks at first glance, that there is an outside possibility that you could have both Windows 10 and an earlier OS, both residing, activated, on your computer at the same time.
Further. This will also mean that, even after one year, it should be possible to return to your previous OS.
And. What happens in the case of the now familiar "return to factory settings". after the one year - legal implications lie there.

 

[davidhk129]

I knew that.
I was in this thread............. https://www.windows10forums.com/threads/build-10565.4110/

I just wanted to make sure I understood the article correctly.

My motive is to dual boot Win 10 Pro and Insider Preview which I could not do since MS deactivated the generic product keys.
Now I can.

Adding : I am now dual booting Win 10 Pro and Insider Preview 10565.

 

[Tim Locke]

I am confused about this.
My W10 insider laptop, a refurb Lenovo with Win 8, I upgraded to 8.1 and then installed Insider...back at 9926.
Since then when the OS died horribly on one Insider build I reloaded it by downloading the appropriate ISO. Never bothered about activation until the first Insider build after production W10. It was not activated. Under the new system it is quite clear that it is not activated. Because this machine was a refurb I don't have original media and there is no product key available...there might be one inside but that requires forcing the case apart with a spudger.

My w10 insider desktop. A home built machine running a purchased copy of W7 Home Premium. This has been reloaded from a download, it has had the disk replaced with an SSD and yet with this new Insider build it claims to be activated with a digital licence. Now, does this activation mean I can just keep this machine forever as is? I suspect not as only the Insider updates and builds will keep it running.


My 'production machine' which got the free update on July 29th just says it is activated.

 

[davidhk129]

Seems to me on your "Win 10 insider laptop ", nothing has been activated.

Sorry, I don't know how to handle your issue.

 

[Tim Locke]

Right. So I am inquiring of Lenovo if I can get the original system load and OEM licence and then start again.


Another alternative would be to just buy a W10 licence...which I have no objection to doing.

 

[davidhk129]

That will be your Plan A and Plan B.