This happened on a HP Desktop from 2013 I believe (can verify if necessary). I had reserved a copy of windows 10 for this PC. I misread an article and thought that as long as I had reserved the windows 10 license, it would activate automatically. Now I know I had to upgrade first. Lesson learned (the hard way )
Used the download tool to create a USB installer (Home Single Language x64). Installed onto the same partition where 8.1 was (confirmed yes, move 8.1 to /windows.old/ directory). Never entered a product key both times asked for one. When attempting to activate, there was a product key (well, the last 5 digits indicating it tried using one somehow). Got an error message that this key was being blocked or something like that.
In a panic, I tried booting the system recovery partition. Apparently, 8.1 was needed to do so? Only recover software I was able to boot into from the HDD seemed to be from windows 10, and didn't recognize any of the files on the recovery partition from windows 8. I was able to locate and run the Recovery Media Creator in the /windows.old/program files (x86)/hewlett Packard/recovery/ directory using the newly installed unactivated copy of win 10. Burned the DVDs (still no 32GB or larger USB). Was unable to boot from the DVDs, even after messing with disabling secure boot and enabling both legacy something and custom signatures.
I'm far from an expert (obviously, that's why I'm asking the experts for help ), but I have a feeling the HP recovery software that burned the DVDs used some files from the windows 10 install that I was using on the DVDs, and they were incompatible with the other windows 8 files it used from the recovery partition.
At this point, what's my best bet? What's going to get it back to being genuine cheapest? Order a set of recovery DVDs/USB from HP? Buy a copy of windows 7/8/10? Is there any way to replace the windows 10 files with the windows 8 files in windows.old and actually boot successfully?
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s1k3sT
This happened on a HP Desktop from 2013 I believe (can verify if necessary). I had reserved a copy of windows 10 for this PC. I misread an article and thought that as long as I had reserved the windows 10 license, it would activate automatically. Now I know I had to upgrade first. Lesson learned (the hard way
)
Used the download tool to create a USB installer (Home Single Language x64). Installed onto the same partition where 8.1 was (confirmed yes, move 8.1 to /windows.old/ directory). Never entered a product key both times asked for one. When attempting to activate, there was a product key (well, the last 5 digits indicating it tried using one somehow). Got an error message that this key was being blocked or something like that.
In a panic, I tried booting the system recovery partition. Apparently, 8.1 was needed to do so? Only recover software I was able to boot into from the HDD seemed to be from windows 10, and didn't recognize any of the files on the recovery partition from windows 8. I was able to locate and run the Recovery Media Creator in the /windows.old/program files (x86)/hewlett Packard/recovery/ directory using the newly installed unactivated copy of win 10. Burned the DVDs (still no 32GB or larger USB). Was unable to boot from the DVDs, even after messing with disabling secure boot and enabling both legacy something and custom signatures.
I'm far from an expert (obviously, that's why I'm asking the experts for help
), but I have a feeling the HP recovery software that burned the DVDs used some files from the windows 10 install that I was using on the DVDs, and they were incompatible with the other windows 8 files it used from the recovery partition.
At this point, what's my best bet? What's going to get it back to being genuine cheapest? Order a set of recovery DVDs/USB from HP? Buy a copy of windows 7/8/10? Is there any way to replace the windows 10 files with the windows 8 files in windows.old and actually boot successfully?
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