How do you activate an installed copy of Windows 10?

[Calab]

I just did a clean install, from usb stick, of Windows 10 Pro. During the installation I entered a valid Windows 10 key, which was accepted without error.

Now that the installation is finished there are a number of things, like personalization, that it won't let me do. It says that Windows 10 is not activated.

I can't find anywhere in Windows 10 to start the activation process. Even typing "activate" in the search bar just wants me to go to Store.

HOW do I start the activation process?

 

[Trouble]

I just did a clean install, from usb stick, of Windows 10 Pro.

On what. Had the machine that you attempted the clean install on been previously upgraded and subsequently activated.

During the installation I entered a valid Windows 10 key, which was accepted without error.

You should be able to skip both prompts for a key (choosing skip and or do this later).
Unless you've gone and bought a brand new copy of Windows 10 (OEM or Retail) then there are no available keys that I'm aware of that support a clean install, unless the machine was previously upgraded and the install was activated, then there is no key necessary. Just use the MS Account associated with that installation on that machine, go into accounts and if their is a verify button then verify and it should activate.

 

[Calab]

I don't use MS Accounts.

...and where did the support number go for activating Windows? It should appear in the help someplace.

 

[Trouble]

Once your device upgrades to Windows 10 using the free upgrade offer and activates online automatically, an entitlement is registered to your PC’s hardware for your edition of Windows 10. (If you go to Settings >> Update & Security >> Activation says “Windows is activated”.) Now you will be able to clean install (i.e. boot from media and install Windows 10) the same edition of Windows 10 seamlessly without having to enter a product key.

SOURCE: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...pgrading/f59fb5bd-21a5-4010-8a39-7b975611b73b

Microsoft Account or not, if the clean install / upgrade of Windows 10 was on a previous legitimate / qualified version of Windows you should be able to activate a clean install "without having to enter a product key".

The caveat here being..... first the machine has to have been upgraded and activated.

 

[Keith Long]

Hi Calab,
I was afraid to skip cause I would get win10 but then how can I activate it. I'm a happy user of win7 and would like to check out win10. I would loose a lot of set-ups that are used on win7 (SW downloaded and installed), it was my impression that an upgrade to win ten would keep old set-up. There is also a way to revert back to win7 if win10 is not ok.
I was not a happy user of win8 and made it look like win7 as best as I could but ended up re-loading win7. That's a lot of time.
The ISO downloaded did not describe what happed when I tried to load win10. I really don't want to go through the steps taken with win8 upgrade. win7 is good but will go away and I'd like to check out win10 and be able to revert back to win7 w/o a complete reload of a lot of software and their personalized use.
Thanks,
Keith

 

[Laura]

SOURCE: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...pgrading/f59fb5bd-21a5-4010-8a39-7b975611b73b

Microsoft Account or not, if the clean install / upgrade of Windows 10 was on a previous legitimate / qualified version of Windows you should be able to activate a clean install "without having to enter a product key".

The caveat here being..... first the machine has to have been upgraded and activated.

I have a question for you, I have a 1TB HDD which had Windows 7 home on it which I then successfully and happily upgraded to windows 10. Seeing that had worked I wanted Windows 10 on my SSD instead.
So tonight I did a clean install from iso onto the SSD and skipped all of the key verifications and Windows says it's activated. Is this a stable and/or reliable activation?

As a matter of interest - what aspects of the hardware does Windows key on when deciding that the device is legitimately licensed?

 

[Trouble]

Is this a stable and/or reliable activation?

Absolutely.

what aspects of the hardware does Windows key on when deciding that the device is legitimately licensed?

They've been absolutely clear while remaining incredibly vague on the specifics of that particular formula.
They have said that something like replacing the motherboard would probably require a phone call, however......
They didn't say that they wouldn't still activate it, after you'd explained the issue.

 

[shakeyplace]

Just a note...
I have done 4 upgrades, two of them said afterwards that it was not activated and would not activate.
Both times I rebooted and it was activated....
I don't know if you tried that or not, or even if it will help. But it worked for me. Whenever something doesn't work it's always my first thing I try.

 

[Laura]

Absolutely.

They've been absolutely clear while remaining incredibly vague on the specifics of that particular formula.
They have said that something like replacing the motherboard would probably require a phone call, however......
They didn't say that they wouldn't still activate it, after you'd explained the issue.

Thanks a lot! I spent around 45 minutes trying to extract a similar answer out of customer support last night to no avail. ☺

 

[Trouble]

Thanks a lot! I spent around 45 minutes trying to extract a similar answer out of customer support last night to no avail.

Here's what I've managed to read so far on the topic.

Keep in mind that if the hardware configuration of your Windows 10 device changes significantly (e.g. motherboard change) Windows 10 may require re-activation on the device. This is the same experience as prior versions of Windows (e.g. Windows 7 and Windows 8.1) and you’ll need to contact Support.

SOURCE: Same as above http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...g/f59fb5bd-21a5-4010-8a39-7b975611b73b?auth=1

Now.... am I taking that as the absolute gospel on the topic..... NO!
That is from a forum moderator on one of their community forums and is not exactly a quote from the horse's mouth, or any other part of the horse.

 

[Laura]

Here's what I've managed to read so far on the topic.

SOURCE: Same as above http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...g/f59fb5bd-21a5-4010-8a39-7b975611b73b?auth=1

Now.... am I taking that as the absolute gospel on the topic..... NO!
That is from a forum moderator on one of their community forums and is not exactly a quote from the horse's mouth, or any other part of the horse.

Oh and I do appreciate that - which is why I won't quite delete the OS that's on my HDD which I know works until I'm comfortable. It's possible I'll just keep it on there too - it's not taking up much space.

But that information and your answer give me a lot more confidence than things like "Just do the right installation step" and "I will advice you that errors will happen if you try to install our Windows 10 in the wrong way". Which is the sort of nonsense I was getting yesterday.