Windows 10 Clean Install Instructions

[wraith808]

from: http://imgur.com/gallery/qCWHwCd

So ofcourse Microsoft being Microsoft they are very vague about licensing which makes the whole thing somewhat unintuïtive.
This is what i figured out myself, and it works for doing a complete fresh install of Windows 10 and activating it if you are currently running Windows 7 or 8(.1).

1: First things first, make sure you have everything backed up and saved. Also write down your current key for Windows 7 or 8.1.

2: Then download this little tool https://www.microsof...e-download/windows10 . And use it to download an ISO for your version of Windows. Got Windows 8.1 Pro? Go with Windows 10 Pro. Got Windows 7 Home Premium? Go with Windows 10 home, etc..

3: Make a bootable USB stick with this: https://rufus.akeo.ie/ . Use GPT for partition table, and file system FAT32.

4: Then put the USB stick aside and install the Windows 10 upgrade through Windows update. The reason being that your old key won't work to activate Windows 10. But during the update process you automatically get a new key, a legitimate Windows 10 key.

5: Now once it's all installed use this tool: http://www.nirsoft.n...t_cd_key_viewer.html to find your new Windows 10 key. Make sure to write this down, so you can always find it.

6: Now with your new Windows 10 key you can install Windows 10 and activate it like you're used to. Boot from the USB stick, install Windows 10, install the drivers, activate and off you go.

I hope this is helpful for someone out there, because it took me a while to figure out as well since there are 0 tutorials explaining this right now at the time of writing.

[tomos]

This quote was directed at Dell users - but mainly generic all the same - oddly he doesnt mention getting the key for a reinstall

http://dellwindowsre...or-windows-insiders/
This may all be completely dated by now (?)
He works for Dell, so there is a Dell bias here - not sure how much difference that makes.

Update 16/07/2015 windows 10 10240 rtm is released for windows insiders
by philipyip    

You cannot clean install initially otherwise you pass up your free upgrade

Upgrade to windows 10 via windows update or beginning the windows 10 setup within the windows 10 desktop. This will register your device as a windows 10 device and you may then create a recovery drive and clean install.

From my extensive testing of the new Microsoft Product Testing introduced into Microsoft Windows 10 RTM I can tell you the following:

◾Direct clean installation from Windows 10 Installation Media, skipping product key twice or using the generic key leads to an unactivated product.
◾Using the .iso to upgrade from the Windows Desktop will only allow activated versions of Windows to release the license agreement screen. This only allows Activated versions of Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 Insider 10130.
◾For Windows Insiders Windows 10130 is then updated to Windows 10162 via Windows Update and this is updated via Windows Update to Windows 10240 (RTM) .
◾Once the initial upgrade to Windows 10240 is complete the device is registered to Microsoft as a Windows 10 Device.
◾Once a device is registered, you may create a Recovery Drive and Clean Install.
◾The Recovery Drive may be used on other devices but you will encounter Microsoft Product Activation issues if the device isn’t initially upgraded via Windows Update and Registered as a Windows 10 10240 RTM device.
◾The product activation is tied to the device. You can reinstall using a different Microsoft Account or Local Account and the device will activate.
◾You may change minor hardware such as a SSD/HDD and clean install. I changed from a SSD to HDD for a quick test and Microsoft Product Activation was applied.
◾It seems Windows Insiders with Build 10130 will be passed as eligible to reach Windows 10 RTM even those who lacked a Windows 7/8.1 Base license. Those who look to join the Windows 10 Insider program after the Windows 10130 .isos have been removed will not be able to install and activate Windows 10 Insider 10240 RTM.

http://dellwindowsre...or-windows-insiders/

-tomos (July 28, 2015, 04:25 AM)

added emphasis

[Stoic Joker]

@Wraith - Have you tested the accuracy of the Win 10 key retrieved by ProduKey? Because it also retrieves a key for Office 2013, and that key doesn't match the MS (last octet only) key viewer script information (or any of my records).

One of these will be in the Office 2013 folder:
For x64 use ocpp.vbs /dstatus
For x86 use ospp.vbs /dstatus

[wraith808]

No, I haven't.  I guess I should before I get to that step... Now I'm concerned.  I have my DVD ready to go... but I'm just apprehensive about trying the full install

[jeromg]

Hi there,

Here is another tutorial on how to clean install Windows 10, I've not tested it yet, I'm just waiting for things to stabilize before upgrading

http://www.theverge....install-how-to-guide

Cheers,

Jerome

[Deozaan]

I'm pretty sure the Download Tool in Step 2 can also make a bootable USB for you. But if you're going to have to upgrade from Windows 7/8 anyway, why not just select the option to remove all your settings and programs and files and do a clean install during the upgrade? That's what I did.

Or why not use the "Reset this PC" feature of the OS?



IMO the only helpful part of that guide was how to get your key using ProduKey. But it hasn't been verified yet that it's the actual, legitimate key.

[wraith808]

Remove everything is different than a clean install.  I currently have windows 7 ultimate 32-bit installed.  I want to install windows 10 64-bit.

There's no upgrade path.  I have to do a clean install.

[Deozaan]

Remove everything is different than a clean install.  I currently have windows 7 ultimate 32-bit installed.  I want to install windows 10 64-bit.

There's no upgrade path.  I have to do a clean install.

-wraith808 (August 11, 2015, 03:38 PM)

Ah, good point! But if there's no upgrade path, how will you get your 64-bit key? I'm not sure a 32-bit key will work for a 64-bit version.

Let us know how it goes!

[Stoic Joker]

I'm not sure a 32-bit key will work for a 64-bit version.

-Deozaan (August 11, 2015, 03:40 PM)

I am, and yes it will.

[4wd]

+1 with SJ, I've used the relevant key for swapping between architecture, (x86/x64), over the years for XP, 7, and 8 without any problem.

It'll fail if you try to install a product it doesn't match though, (eg. Pro key and you're installing Win HP).

You could also try backing up the activation tokens from the upgrade and restoring them into the clean install.

[wraith808]

+1 with SJ, I've used the relevant key for swapping between architecture, (x86/x64), over the years for XP, 7, and 8 without any problem.

It'll fail if you try to install a product it doesn't match though, (eg. Pro key and you're installing Win HP).

You could also try backing up the activation tokens from the upgrade and restoring them into the clean install.

Although, ATM and Produkey come up with two different product keys for my Win10Pro netbook 

-4wd (August 11, 2015, 09:02 PM)

I wonder if this points to the reason for that:

Windows 8.1 is * NOT * fully supported. All the activation data can be saved, but only those that were activated by * Phone * will be restored properly.

In other words, the Online activated backups can not be restored until now, * ONLY * if your OS is the Windows 8.1 – Other OS(es) are NOT affected ! We are working to discover why.

*** You can * NOT * restore the Windows 8 activation on Windows 8.1. Microsoft was made hard changes on the Windows 8.1 activation system, so we are unable to port the Windows 8 activation to Windows 8.1 without brick the system.

[4wd]

I wonder if this points to the reason for that:

Windows 8.1 is * NOT * fully supported. All the activation data can be saved, but only those that were activated by * Phone * will be restored properly.

In other words, the Online activated backups can not be restored until now, * ONLY * if your OS is the Windows 8.1 – Other OS(es) are NOT affected ! We are working to discover why.

*** You can * NOT * restore the Windows 8 activation on Windows 8.1. Microsoft was made hard changes on the Windows 8.1 activation system, so we are unable to port the Windows 8 activation to Windows 8.1 without brick the system.

-wraith808 (August 11, 2015, 09:22 PM)

Quite possibly, all my 8.1Pro systems were clean installed and activated using 8.0Pro keys, (there was only one where I had to ring MS to activate because I moved the license to another machine).

Here's a post on Reddit that seems to indicate that the free Win10 upgrade keys are generic, and I can verify that the one for Pro is indeed the same as reported by ATM on my netbook.

The key reported by Produkey is completely different, although it's quite possible that the one Produkey reports is the "real" one generated by hashing the generic upgrade key with the hardware, I guess.  Think I'll go find what some other software reports. - Mea stupida

[Deozaan]

Here's a post on Reddit that seems to indicate that the free Win10 upgrade keys are generic, and I can verify that the one for Pro is indeed the same as reported by ATM on my netbook.

The key reported by Produkey is completely different, although it's quite possible that the one Produkey reports is the "real" one generated by hashing the generic upgrade key with the hardware, I guess.  Think I'll go find what some other software reports.

-4wd (August 11, 2015, 11:28 PM)

The one listed here is the same as what was reported by ProduKey for my copy of Windows 10.

[4wd]

Here's a post on Reddit that seems to indicate that the free Win10 upgrade keys are generic, and I can verify that the one for Pro is indeed the same as reported by ATM on my netbook.

The key reported by Produkey is completely different, although it's quite possible that the one Produkey reports is the "real" one generated by hashing the generic upgrade key with the hardware, I guess.  Think I'll go find what some other software reports.

-4wd (August 11, 2015, 11:28 PM)

The one listed here is the same as what was reported by ProduKey for my copy of Windows 10.

-Deozaan (August 11, 2015, 11:51 PM)

My bad, old version of Produkey on my flash drive 

[michaelkenward]

Here's a post on Reddit that seems to indicate that the free Win10 upgrade keys are generic, and I can verify that the one for Pro is indeed the same as reported by ATM on my netbook.

-4wd (August 11, 2015, 11:28 PM)

Yup. All talk of Produkey etc is a red herring. Life has moved on. Microsoft has abandoned churning out those complicated Product Keys. It is your PC's "fingerprint" that matters. YOu can find the list of Windows 10 Product Keys all over the place.

Unless you are installing the "wrong" version of Windows 10 you can skip past all requests for a Product Key.

[Innuendo]

Came into this thread to say what michaelkenward said. Every Windows 10 key you'll find in PC registries is the same key.

When I installed Windows 10 clean, I just skipped every prompt for a product key during installation & I booted into a fully activated Windows 10. No key entry is needed.

[4wd]

I'm probably missing something obvious then but what stops people with non-genuine versions of, eg. Windows 7, doing a clean install of 10?

I thought that while even pirate/non-genuine copies would/can get upgraded to 10 they still wouldn't be recognised as genuine copies.  Being able to clean install into an activated version, with or without entering a product key, seems a bit strange.

[cchian]

I also had Windows 7 and followed the prompts to upgrade to Windows 10, once upgraded and activated I performed a clean install of Windows 10 on a different drive skipping any prompts to enter my Windows 10 key (which I don't know). My copy of Windows automatically activated after I connected to the internet wirelessly and without entering a key or providing my email or any personal information.  As michaelkenward stated looks like once your machine is activated Microsoft stores your PC's "fingerprint" on their activation servers and will automatically activate Windows on the same machine.  That same day I tried a clean install of Windows 10 in a different language and it also activated automatically after I connected to the internet.

[wraith808]

Relevant: http://www.zdnet.com...-10/#ftag=YHFb1d24ec