Will Microsoft rip me off again?

[Ian W]

That won't happen under normal usage, guys does anyone even know if the Windows 10 TP even needs activation?

Anecdotal, but I have not needed to activate Windows 10 with any of the builds that I have previously installed (4+).

[TAZMINATOR]

C, neither.

 

The one with Windows 10 I used "as is".... No formatting or reinstalling.  I applied updated and surf the web, share phones... ie.. basic usage.   It became deactivated during reboot (power off for the night,  then turning it back on to discover it was deactivated)

No, fresh install using the ISO provided on one.  Upgrade on the other.

 

Look, everyone got their activation activated successfully... You are only one with this problem.

 

If you can not get it activated, then I suggest that you should wipe and install Linux... if the activation isn't working for you at all.

 

it's only way to wipe and install.

 

If you want to wipe and install Windows again, feel free to do so. Good luck on activating it.

[Intersect]

There is a key for win10 TP and i have activated it (installed as a VM) by not activating, it would make sense that you could not get fast/slow ring updates

but you can either way, the reason for that is the OS is a preview and MS have the update server pushing out no matter the activation status.

 

as he has having issues with win10 deactivating during active builds there has GOT to be something else going on that the user is doing.

[xendrome]

There is a key for win10 TP and i have activated it (installed as a VM) by not activating, it would make sense that you could not get fast/slow ring updates

but you can either way, the reason for that is the OS is a preview and MS have the update server pushing out no matter the activation status.

 

as he has having issues with win10 deactivating during active builds there has GOT to be something else going on that the user is doing.

 

It's not just Windows 10 he claims this is happening to all of his OSs.

Anecdotal, but I have not needed to activate Windows 10 with any of the builds that I have previously installed (4+).

 

Yeah exactly my point.

[Boo Berry]

No issue using my Windows 8.1 Pro and Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center upgrade key on my constantly upgraded PC. Personally, I use the phone activation technique to activate Windows - works like a charm!

[Ian W]

Yeah exactly my point.

I would like to add that the aforementioned installations spanned different hardware configurations. The inability of the OP to retain an activated copy on just one machine is, as you said, very unusual

[TAZMINATOR]

No issue using my Windows 8.1 Pro and Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center upgrade key on my constantly upgraded PC. Personally, I use the phone activation technique to activate Windows - works like a charm!

 

Same here... I have WMC on mine.  Activated successfully.

 

I have not had a problem with activation call centers.

[zhangm Supervisor]

That won't happen under normal usage, guys does anyone even know if the Windows 10 TP even needs activation?

 

I would just venture that the code governing validation and activation is there and...active. Surely this is also an important component to test? Thus whatever actions the topic starter is taking to make activation fail can be reproduced with 10. However, I'm inclined to think that weekly to monthly activations is not a usage case that is anticipated for retail and OEM licenses.

 

In my few experiences having to contact Microsoft for reactivating a system after a reinstall, the conversations have been brief: How many computers are you installing on? Just my one laptop. Ok.

 

At most, it's taken two minutes, success rate 100%.

[LightDragon]

I only know the Windows 10 activation bug as an initial bug when you upgrade from an Windows enterprise license to windows 10 with the windows updates.

Never when the system already is successfully activated.

 

It happens when you upgrade from an Enterprise Windows product like Windows 7 Enterprise.

You will then have Windows 10 Enterprise instead of Windows 10 Pro Insider Preview and so the supported Pro key is not working.

 

You need to get the right windows 10 enterprise key from some microsoft page (just google it) and with this, you can activate it.

[Konstantine]

I'm not sure what is your problem? The Media Center pack could only be used once, so if you did a clean install you won't be able to use it again. I also bought a key from Microsoft when Windows 8 came out and I have no issue with it so far.

 

As for Windows 10, they won't have Media Center so that won't be an issue at all. Microsoft hasn't announce how exactly will the Windows 10 upgrade will work, but they did guarantee a lifetime copy of Windows 10.

Actually, I've used the same key for Windows Media Center which Microsoft had emailed me. I've formatted a thousand times as well, using the same key to add features in Control Panel and it always worked. I first activated Windows 8.1 through my own university key, and then I pasted the emailed key from Microsoft to get WMC.

[simplezz]

Well you could do two things:

1. Sign up for the Windows 10 insider (if it's still available) and hope you get it free when it RTM's.

2. Install a GNU/Linux distro (Mint, Elementary OS, Ubuntu, etc). It's free so you'll never get ripped off, no activation nonsense, no malware, large built-in repository of free software, and any Windows programs you need can be run through WINE.

[Eric Veteran]

I'm pretty sure Microsoft starts complaining after over 10 reinstalls with the same key a year. I think I read something about that on TechNet Plus back in the Vista days. Giving them a ring usually helps, unless you've far exceeded your limits.

 

But, there's one easy solution. If you're not sure your install is going to last, install with one of the keys matching your Windows edition from this page instead: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx

 

With those keys (yes, Microsoft provides them) I think you can run a month or at least two weeks without issues, and then you can still just activate with your regular Windows key afterwards. If you're 'just testing' an installation, don't bother activating. You've bought the license, who cares if you use the grace period instead?

They do, in fact, have it set up like that. It's not 10 a year, it is something like 3-5 before the key gets flagged as overused. After 3-5 months a flag will drop off. If you need to activate while your activation flag count is maxed out you have to call them. I've never had it take more than about a minute and all they ask you is to confirm that you are using the key on only one machine.

[binaryzero]

LOL @ this entire thread. Good laugh.

 

I format once every 5 years, if that. This aint the 90s, it's possible to keep a system humming along fine.