Windows 10 Launch Quick Guide: Almost Everything You Need to Get Started

[leeshor]

Any idea what happens if you make a back-up or ISO and then later swap out the hard drive? Shouldn't I be able to just load the ISO onto a new hard drive that is partitioned to the same size?

It kind of annoys/scares me to think I may need to replace a drive on an otherwise perfectly capable computer and then pony-up for a Windows license. Maybe I should save those old Win7 ISO backups?

I'm not 100% clear on the question but if you were talking about making an ISO of the Windows 10 and installing it again on another drive that shouldn't be an issue. You also shouldn't need to partition anything with the clean install. Chaning out a drive is not going to require any KEY, only multiple components or an integrated motherboard.

 

[Jeffrey]

My keys didn't work. I had to skip activation.

A friend had the same issue. he contacted MS and was told it didn't work because he installed Win using the same key multiple times. MS cleared his key and was good to go.

 

[leeshor]

My keys didn't work. I had to skip activation.

Once again, there are no keys for the current Windows 10 unless you purchased a copy at retail. Windows 10 assumes the identity of your previous OS, 7 or 8.1 and should validate if you upgraded. After validation you do not need a key to reinstall Windows 10..It uses your hardware on your system as a key, no serial number.

 

[Jeffrey]

Once again, there are no keys for the current Windows 10 unless you purchased a copy at retail. Windows 10 assumes the identity of your previous OS, 7 or 8.1 and should validate if you upgraded. After validation you do not need a key to reinstall Windows 10..It uses your hardware on your system as a key, no serial number.

That's interesting. What happens if you buy all new hardware or build a custom PC? Will you need to install your old Win prior to upgrading or can you use the iso and do a clean install?

 

[leeshor]

That's interesting. What happens if you buy all new hardware or build a custom PC? Will you need to install your old Win prior to upgrading or can you use the iso and do a clean install?

If you replace enough components the install will fail to activate if you do a clean install. I can only guess that roughly the same thing will happen with 10 that happened with 7 and 8.1. When you try to activate, it won't, it will/should provide a phone number, (here it's an 800 number) and an automated attendant will ask some questions. Since this is the first OS in a really long time not to need a SN in this situation at some point someone, an actual person, will ask if this is the first time you have installed it on that system and may ask for the original key from the system you upgraded from. Then you will need, (this is the way it works with 7 and 8.1), to read a very long number off to that person and they will read a long number back that you need to input.

With 7 or 8.1 the entire operation was automated, (I've done it at least a dozen times), and it was fairly painless. The way it worked in the past your would call the 1-800 number, it would ask if this was the first time installing on this system and it didn't seem to matter if I said yes or no it asked for that long number displayed on the screen and it would read back the number to input, in groups with me saying OK between groups.

 

[leeshor]

I should add that because I'm an authorrized Microsoft OEM and have built and sold thousands of systems all those installs were necessary and totally legit.

 

[Mustang02]

Once again, there are no keys for the current Windows 10 unless you purchased a copy at retail. Windows 10 assumes the identity of your previous OS, 7 or 8.1 and should validate if you upgraded. After validation you do not need a key to reinstall Windows 10..It uses your hardware on your system as a key, no serial number.

I have an MSDN subscription. Those keys didn't work either. The activation servers are getting railed so I'm not worried about it.

 

[Gremlin]

I have an MSDN subscription. Those keys didn't work either. The activation servers are getting railed so I'm not worried about it.

@Mustang02 I have a laptop with MSDN version of Windows 7 SP1 installed. I did the upgrade to windows 10.1 it upgraded fine No keys required. When you upgrade from old OS, WIndows 10 activates your license with your hardware.

If you do a clean install of Windows 10 on the same hardware, you can choose to skip the place to enter the Key. After reboot,
it will ask you to Activate again with a key. Choose do this later. Once you log on you will notice, it has been activated.,

I am assuming if you have upgraded from windows 7 to windows 10 and you chose a new hard drive, they might ask you for your windows 7 key for verification.

 

[Gremlin]

For those who have Windows 10, don't forget to disable the peer to peer option to update a strangers' patches and if you have a laptop disable wifi sense.

 

[Mustang02]

@Mustang02 I have a laptop with MSDN version of Windows 7 SP1 installed. I did the upgrade to windows 10.1 it upgraded fine No keys required. When you upgrade from old OS, WIndows 10 activates your license with your hardware.

If you do a clean install of Windows 10 on the same hardware, you can choose to skip the place to enter the Key. After reboot,
it will ask you to Activate again with a key. Choose do this later. Once you log on you will notice, it has been activated.,

I am assuming if you have upgraded from windows 7 to windows 10 and you chose a new hard drive, they might ask you for your windows 7 key for verification.

It was a fresh key from msdn that was being denied.

 

[Jeffrey]

@Mustang02

I am assuming if you have upgraded from windows 7 to windows 10 and you chose a new hard drive, they might ask you for your windows 7 key for verification.

I did a clean install and my key was rejected. I reinstalled Win 7, did the Media Tool Update and never was asked for the key.

 

[Gremlin]

I did a clean install and my key was rejected. I reinstalled Win 7, did the Media Tool Update and never was asked for the key.

For the initial install you have to upgrade from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10. Than using the media tool, you choose the option for clean install and than it will ask you for a key where you hit skip

When you do a clean install without upgrade, it is going to reject your key because Microsoft servers does not know your system. It will only work if you buy the retail version of the OS hope that makes sense..

 

[Gremlin]

It was a fresh key from msdn that was being denied.

Oops sorry misunderstood your post..

 

[Miklb58]

For those who have Windows 10, don't forget to disable the peer to peer option to update a strangers' patches and if you have a laptop disable wifi sense.

I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, but saw this interesting article on LinkedIn, warning of some serious privacy issues with Win10.
Windows 10 – Microsoft’s Big Data-grabbing (or spying?) OS

The link (I hope the link works) also has links to further articles regarding some settings to consider digging into.

Windows 10 doesn’t offer much privacy by default: Here’s how to fix it

And

The Windows 10 privacy settings you need to change right now | TechRadar

posted using my steeeenkin Win8.1 laptop