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Urthman

Windows 10: "It wouldn't be right to call it Windows 9."

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WOO WINDOWS 10! Is there no way to do a clean install after having done the upgrade?

 

My exciting new copy of Win 10 threw a fucking kernel error, and none of the repair/rollback/restore functions worked, so I had to format my drive and reinstall. Already not happy. But it says Win 10 isn't activated. More not happy. After spending over 4 hours battling with Windows tech support, they tell me that the only way to get a properly activated copy of Windows 10 is to install my 6 year old software and then upgrade over it?

 

Fuck that. I'm pissed. I wouldn't even have a working computer but I created a media USB drive before doing the upgrade. I have my Win 7 key, but I don't have Windows 7.

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No, I understand. I'm saying it's stupid and terrible.

 

It's doing 4 extra steps that I shouldn't have to do. Beyond that, I know I have a good Win 7 key, but every time I've reinstalled it says I need to contact Windows Tech Support, so I'd be on the fucking phone with them anyway to get a new Win7 key. I'd also have to wipe the USB that has my Win10 media drive on it to do so.

 

Here is what I want: A clean, non-upgraded install of Windows 10 after I have upgraded from Windows 7.

Here is what I have: precisely that, though not on my terms.

 

I'm being told by tech people that's possible, but apparently it's not?

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I suppose it depends on how much of your valuable time the "free" copy of Windows 10 is worth to you. It was mentioned earlier in this thread that you had to complete an upgrade install to get a license key. I did some research and the only way I'm aware of to get a license without doing the upgrade install first is to buy it for $120. I myself am considering whether the hassle is worth $120.

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I suppose it depends on how much of your valuable time the "free" copy of Windows 10 is worth to you. It was mentioned earlier in this thread that you had to complete an upgrade install to get a license key. I did some research and the only way I'm aware of to get a license without doing the upgrade install first is to buy it for $120. I myself am considering whether the hassle is worth $120.

 

That's the frustrating thing. I've already done that! I upgraded my copy of Windows 7 to Windows 10. Then Windows 10 had an unrecoverable crash, and I used my media to reinstall it. Now it's not activated, but I don't have a key. I am fine that the upgrade is the path to get the Win10 copy, but I'm already past that.

 

I am asking (whining into the void), somewhat hypothetically, why the solution to getting an activated copy of Windows 10 is to REINSTALL WINDOWS 7 after I have already upgraded and the only way I could recover my tanked computer was to use my USB drive with Windows 10 and now it's working again. I mean, it was activated. I should have a key SOMEWHERE right?

 

Outside of having a crash and having to format my hard drive, this is more or less what I've done except that my copy of Windows isn't activated. I am having the same issue that the first two respondents are having.

 

I would be less REALLY, REALLY mad if the 7 people I talked to on the phone yesterday said "oh, the activation server is having an issue just give it 24 hours" which has apparently been a known issue for two weeks rather than 1) telling me to reinstall Windows 7, 2) Telling me to reinstall Windows 8 because they didn't listen, 3) pushing me over to purchasing to sell me a Windows 10 key. Also the tech supervisor hung up on me. Flat ended the call.

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That's the frustrating thing. I've already done that! I upgraded my copy of Windows 7 to Windows 10. Then Windows 10 had an unrecoverable crash, and I used my media to reinstall it. Now it's not activated, but I don't have a key. I am fine that the upgrade is the path to get the Win10 copy, but I'm already past that.

 

I am asking (whining into the void), somewhat hypothetically, why the solution to getting an activated copy of Windows 10 is to REINSTALL WINDOWS 7 after I have already upgraded and the only way I could recover my tanked computer was to use my USB drive with Windows 10 and now it's working again. I mean, it was activated. I should have a key SOMEWHERE right?

 

Outside of having a crash and having to format my hard drive, this is more or less what I've done except that my copy of Windows isn't activated. I am having the same issue that the first two respondents are having.

 

I would be less REALLY, REALLY mad if the 7 people I talked to on the phone yesterday said "oh, the activation server is having an issue just give it 24 hours" which has apparently been a known issue for two weeks rather than 1) telling me to reinstall Windows 7, 2) Telling me to reinstall Windows 8 because they didn't listen, 3) pushing me over to purchasing to sell me a Windows 10 key. Also the tech supervisor hung up on me. Flat ended the call.

 

Badfinger, I'm pretty sure that you can do exactly what you want!  It's something that I did with my wife's Windows 8 PC, and I'm pretty sure it works the same in 10.  I'm looking at the setting right now.  Go to Settings-Recovery, and the first option is "Reset this PC."  It's veiled terminology, but if you read the description, it says "This lets you choose to keep your files or remove them, and then reinstalls Windows".  This is essentially a wipe/reinstall tool, built into the OS.  I did it on a laptop that I received from a friend, and I can confirm that if you choose to delete all content and reinstall it is a brand new installation, albeit with the same install key, etc.  

 

Edit: Wait... I misread, this might not be the thing you were looking for... sorry!

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No, in that case I think they are.  If you had a Windows 7 or 8 key you could definitely upgrade to Windows 10 with it, and then do a wipe and reinstall of 10.  It seems that you are then issued a different product key, which you can find and write down and then you have a 10 key.  That's what it looks like from what I've been seeing.  Does that help, Gaizo?

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The way I understand it, the Windows product key is tied to your motherboard.  If you do a clean install of Windows 10 onto a system that the upgrade was applied to, it shouldn't ask you for a product key unless you swapped motherboards.  In that sense the Windows 7 or 8 keys are good. 

 

However, what I don't think you can do is download the Windows 10 ISO and use a 7 or 8 key to activate it.  I think you HAVE to apply the upgrade THEN do a clean install.  Which is silly but I guess they just don't think it's going to be a common occurrence.

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No, in that case I think they are.  If you had a Windows 7 or 8 key you could definitely upgrade to Windows 10 with it, and then do a wipe and reinstall of 10.  It seems that you are then issued a different product key, which you can find and write down and then you have a 10 key.  That's what it looks like from what I've been seeing.  Does that help, Gaizo?

 

Well I wasn't having an issue with this, and yeah that's how I understood it and it just sounds dumb that you have to convert the product key when upgrade is free.  Like I'm relating this to a hypothetical situation where service packs would be free like they are now, but user would have to get new key and use that in the future... like why is that the case with free Windows 10?  I guess limited timeframe of free upgrade is the issue?

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I'm going to be really mad at myself if I come home today and my copy of Windows is activated. The only reason I was even thinking about it is I was home and had time on my hands.

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I'm going to be really mad at myself if I come home today and my copy of Windows is activated. The only reason I was even thinking about it is I was home and had time on my hands.

For the record, it was not activated. Against my will, currently creating a Win 7 USB boot drive. So stupid. I'm so mad about this and I know it's not worth the whining or energy.

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Can you roll back the Win10 upgrade? You should be back on Win7 if you do that right?

Nope, because I had to format my hard drive. I let it attempt to roll back all night two nights ago and it was still sitting there when I woke up.

 

e: OH NO. OH GOD. Am I the worst?

 

I'm running Win10 Home. My Windows 7 was Windows 7 Pro. UGH. UGH UGH UGH I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON.

 

e2: And it's fixed. I'm an idiot and horrible. Sorry everyone.

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This is the relevant line (emphasis mine) from the support topic that clicked over and made me realize what a horrible person and moron I am

 

The automatic online activation will occur seamlessly after clean installing Windows 10 if the device had previously upgraded and activated online, with the same edition of Windows 10.

 

I own Windows 7 Pro, but I had created a media drive for Windows 10 HOME.

 

When I realized what I'd done, I re-made my media drive with an install copy of Windows 10 Pro, reformatted, and reinstalled. Boom, instantly activated.

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Microsoft is holding a Windows 10 event right now.  I'm too busy at the moment to follow it very closely but one thing I did see was that users of Windows 7, 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 can get a free upgrade to Windows 10 for the first year.

 

I am gonna upgrade one of my PC's soon from Windows 7. I suspect I will regret it.

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Windows 10 impressions: I like the cooperation between my laptop, my desktop and my Windows phone. I like that my music libraries sync over OneDrive. I like that I can access that music via Groove, as well as music.microsoft.com through the browser even on my work computer without having to download my music library. I'm hoping someone creates a last.fm scrobbler for the groove desktop app.

I like Edge as a browser quite a bit. I like the way it looks. I hope it gets extension functionality soon for the sake of my password manager.

I installed it on my small laptop (purchased in 2012) as well as my desktop computer (brand new.) I'm into it.

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I don't know if this has been posted yet, but this shows the reason why I will never install Windows 10.

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/08/even-when-told-not-to-windows-10-just-cant-stop-talking-to-microsoft/

Never mind that it has a global keylogger.

 

I dunno, the communication they (Ars) can decipher doesn't seem that bad, and it's hard to speculate on the ones they can't understand.

 

And unless my googling has mislead me, the keylogger thing you're talking about was just a part of the Technical Preview and not the final release.

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