Complete System Image Roll back due to No support for win10

Crazy enough to post this twice?

apparently though I personally didn't actually post it twice...  must have been a forum glitch..

good news is since I did the upgrade once again.. I used Jelly Bean Magic key finder and made a complete inventory of my Windows 10 and COA key. So I can reinstall or upgrade win10 at any time with my key and no longer have to uses windows update to do the upgrade in the future

That Windows 10 key is only good for that machine. So, yes, you can install 10 now, as a fresh install, one that same machine.

actually the windows 10 Pro key I have via the upgrade is good for any PC... it was upgrade from a retail copy and there for I received a retail *transferable key*

all my Win10 upgrades were done of a retail copy.. I only buy retail

Ditto here, but according to Ghacks.com, who could be wrong, a key from a free upgraded OS is only good for that machine.

Since MS says your upgrade is free "for the life of the PC", it stands to reason that the key is machine specific.

http://www.ghacks.net/2015/07/29/how-to-do-a-clean-install-of-windows-10/

"Once the upgrade process completes -- you will notice that when the system boots the Windows 10 desktop -- you have converted the product key successfully to a Windows 10 product key. This means that you can now use clean installation media to install the operating system. Note that it seems only possible to install Windows 10 anew on the PC you ran the upgrade on."

YMMV.

I only know what I read. I'd be interested to know where you got your info, please.

the key assiged to ypur PC during the upgrade depends on what you upgraded from

Pirated and Preview Copies all received Insiders build keys and must remain as a insider unless user goes out and buys a copy
OEM copies, upgrades received a OEM keys
Retail copies, upgrades received a retail key

is been like this since ever and part of the EULA, Retail copies are the only copies of windows were you can transfer the license from one PC to another

even though I have 4 copies of windows 10 now, I will be buying 2 retail box copies that are USB jsut to stay I have them

I actually upgraded two PC's to Windows 10 Home, a laptop and an All-in-One, funny thing is though, the product keys afterwards were identical on them both.

Mine are retail as well. Well, no. VLK. And this is why both of my upgrades from 8.1 have the same key. It is not, however, the Insider key. My insider rig has the insider key. I will be doing a clean install of Win10 on it using my new Win10 VLK key.

BTW, the VLK copy of Win 8.1 I upgraded from was given to me by a TechNet friend.

BTW, I just discovered that a friend of mine, and I, both have an install of Win10 Home, and we both have the same key!

I upgraded my Win8.1 tablet to 10 and got the same key he got on his Home install.

Now that IS odd.

Ya I saw some mentions of that while I was poking around in the Microsoft Knowledge Base Forums trying to find out something - anything - about Win10.  "So it's not just you."  I don't know what the heck they're doing.

The keys for upgraded (free) machines are useless and not needed. Once a machine is upgraded, it is activated based on hardware profile. A clean install is possible only after the upgrade, and a key should not be used in during the clean install - reason being is that the machine is already registered on Microsoft servers. If you attempt to use the key (which can be identified using "jellybean" or other key finder software, then you will not be able to activate your clean install. When doing a clean install after the free upgrade, you should skip (twice) the entry of the product key. You will see that the machine remains activated because of the machine profile.

even on a pirated machine you get a retail windows 10 key if it successfully went through.well if you know what your doing so logic fail and its hardware specific for each one you upgraded.the keys are pointless   insider key? didn't they recycle those when the activation test was going through.that was to my understanding haha

I'm an insider on a retail key,so again logic failed . you get your info from wonky people my friend

Thanks for that bmetelsky.

If that is true, please explain how I have 2 different machines that are activated with the same key.

Looks like for more people during the free upgrade was all assigned generic upgrade keys

 more info  MS activation keys and generic ones

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/3dfda8/build_10240_did_you_get_assigned_a_licenseproduct/


this crates a massive loop hope for Retail copies of Win7 and 8 users.. During the free upgraded your win7, or 8 keys do not get replaced, instead windows assigns generic upgrade keys to the hardware ID onto your live account.. This in returns lets you reinstall windows on that PC with out ever having to insert a key during install..


This lets you move, transfer your retail win7, or 8 key to a new pc and then proceed to get the win10 Free upgrade for  that hardware.. you can do this for the first  year before the upgrade is no longer free...

OEM users your out of luck for transfer keys

little unknowen fact about MS WGA server.. IF THE WGA SEVER AND THE INSTALL KEY DOSE NOT CALL EACH OTHER FOR 180 DAYS, 6 MONTHS. THAT KEY BECOMES UNATIVATED, Marked as unused.. ones able to move and re activate oem keys useing this method, you have to make sure that key dose NOT talk to the WGA server for a straight 180 days for it be marked as unused.. the moment it talk to the WGA server with in the 180 days you have to restart the counter..



so apparently you have to upgrade from a retail disc to retail upgrade or another retail copy to be able to keep your copy transferable * upgrading to the free upgrade dose not replace your previous windows key

i think thats what got mine hooked is i started with a retail then used the upgrade blocked key loophole to get pro.but then i clean wiped with a real retail key and then upgraded via store to pro.since it activated but blocked the former iso it didnt see a difference the second time with a legit retail copy

so yes in essence i think you need a real retail at one point for it to count

if it comes unhinged then i do have home and honestly legitly getting pro isnt expensive,but i like to test.i do have a job but someone has to test security flaws,yes?