You can still cash in on the free Windows 10 upgrade if you clean install.

[+Warwagon MVC]

So I was wondering what happens if you leave the Windows 10 install disconnected from the internet until it reaches the desktop. I thought maybe the "Getting Critical updates" was downloading the thing which now prevents windows from giving you a free upgrade

 

So I went around my office trying to find a machine that windows 10 has not been installed on. So I grabbed 3 machines I thought I would try out. So I installed them without a product key, disconnected them from the internet until it reached the desktop for the first time. All 3 weren't activated until I plugged in the Ethernet cable and pressed activate, then they activated with digital entitlements. So all 3 had in fact cashed in on the upgrade.

 

Then I went over to my repair table to my spare vista machine. I thought maybe I activated that with a spare key within the last year. So I installed and when I went to activate it with no key it failed.

 

 

Great, I finally found a computer.

 

So I click change product and enter a spare windows 7 key.

 

Then it spins for a while and it says lets activate windows....

 

So I click activate and then it says

 

 

 

Now the system preferences says

 

 

So then I formatted the drive and did everything all over again, leaving the product key out again.

 

This time it activated just fine.

 

So maybe i'm on to something ....

 

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

When Originally upgraded from Windows 7 it never asked me for a key. If you use an MSA it will activate.

[+Warwagon MVC]

2 minutes ago, Gary7 said:

When Originally upgraded from Windows 7 it never asked me for a key. If you use an MSA it will activate.

 The key I used as an OEM I had on an old Dell case. I was just curious if it would work.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Just now, warwagon said:

This was a clean install onto a spare SSD. The key I used as an OEM I had on an old Dell case. I was just curious if it would work.

All you have to do is click I don't have a key and it will continue , that is how I did my clean install .

[+Warwagon MVC]

1 minute ago, Gary7 said:

All you have to do is click I don't have a key and it will continue , that is how I did my clean install .

Yes, maybe my first post was confusing...

 

That is exactly what I did. After getting to windows you can activate IF you've already activated windows 10 before July 29th 11:59pm

 

3 computers activated leaving out the product key

The vista machine didn't because it was never activated with windows 10 home.

[satysin]

Yeah the upgrade process still works as you can still upgrade via the assistive technologies offer. The only thing that actually stopped working on July 30th was GWX. If you are running Windows 7 or 8.1 and do an upgrade it still appears to get a digital entitlement just fine. It could be that Microsoft change the installer in the Anniversary Update ISO so that upgrading no longer triggers digital entitlement, guess we will find out tomorrow

 

 

[+Warwagon MVC]

4 minutes ago, satysin said:

Yeah the upgrade process still works as you can still upgrade via the assistive technologies offer. The only thing that actually stopped working on July 30th was GWX. If you are running Windows 7 or 8.1 and do an upgrade it still appears to get a digital entitlement just fine. It could be that Microsoft change the installer in the Anniversary Update ISO so that upgrading no longer triggers digital entitlement, guess we will find out tomorrow

This wasn't even an upgrade. This was a clean install of Windows 10 from a USB drive activating with a 7 key. So if the Anniversary update removes that feature, then you can install with the november, activate, then clean install with Anniversary update.

[satysin]

Just now, warwagon said:

This wasn't even an upgrade. This was a clean install activating with a 7 key. So if the Anniversary update removes that feature, then you can install with the november, activate, then clean install with Anniversary update.

Yeah sorry I should have been a bit clearer. You can do a clean install on a machine never upgraded to 10 and still activate using your 7 or 8.1 key as if it were an "upgrade". What I mean is nothing seems to have changed (yet) on the Microsoft end for activation, the only thing that stopped working is GWX. 

[+Warwagon MVC]

Just now, satysin said:

Yeah sorry I should have been a bit clearer. You can do a clean install on a machine never upgraded to 10 and still activate using your 7 or 8.1 key as if it were an "upgrade". What I mean is nothing seems to have changed (yet) on the Microsoft end for activation, the only thing that stopped working is GWX. 

Why hasn't then been on the front page? seems like pretty big news.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

6 minutes ago, satysin said:

Yeah the upgrade process still works as you can still upgrade via the assistive technologies offer. The only thing that actually stopped working on July 30th was GWX. If you are running Windows 7 or 8.1 and do an upgrade it still appears to get a digital entitlement just fine. It could be that Microsoft change the installer in the Anniversary Update ISO so that upgrading no longer triggers digital entitlement, guess we will find out tomorrow

 

 

WW's method is better as you are not claiming someone your not.

[atcapistrano]

I think i read  from somewhere: Microsoft said 'some servers' will still accept windows 10activations after july 29.

[satysin]

2 minutes ago, warwagon said:

Why hasn't then been on the front page? seems like pretty big news.

No idea. The same with the assistive technologies (AT) loophole I guess? Just so you know the AT upgrade process will change shortly and require contacting the MS Helpdesk to "qualify" (not sure how they will actually prove someone is using AT, I think it is more of a maybe people won't try their luck if they have to lie to a person type of thing?). As the AT process is going to change I suspect the activation backend stuff will change as well although I have not actually been told that directly. 

[Mando]

9 minutes ago, satysin said:

No idea. The same with the assistive technologies (AT) loophole I guess? Just so you know the AT upgrade process will change shortly and require contacting the MS Helpdesk to "qualify" (not sure how they will actually prove someone is using AT, I think it is more of a maybe people won't try their luck if they have to lie to a person type of thing?). As the AT process is going to change I suspect the activation backend stuff will change as well although I have not actually been told that directly. 

i suspect your onto something there, thats pretty much how the "too many changes limit in Windows Activation with OEM", and i suspect the line "its the nearest bit of kit i could get currently will still hold....as it always has if you do end up actually speaking to an agent (has done since XP)

 

 I personally think it wont even go that far, you'll be asked by the automated lady how many machines is this licence currently installed on...press 1 for 1 or 2 to speak to an agent.

 

job done, 1produces the activation code (and your permitted changes limit are reset)

[+Warwagon MVC]

I'm looking around the internet and nobody is talking about how you can clean install and still activate the free Windows 10 upgrade. Everyone is just talking about the  assistive technologies loophole.

[LimeMaster]

Just now, warwagon said:

I'm looking around the internet and nobody is talking about how you can clean install and still activate the free Windows 10 upgrade. Everyone is just talking about the  assistive technologies loophole.

So nobody's mentioned this yet?:

Spoiler

 

[+Warwagon MVC]

I got a Windows 7 Dell inspiron 15 i3 laptop last night from a customer who wanted to get rid of it. So I put a spare SSD in it and clean installed 10 and activated using the windows 7 OEM key on the bottom.

[Danielx64]

On 8/2/2016 at 4:42 AM, warwagon said:

Why hasn't then been on the front page? seems like pretty big news.

There ya go: 

 

[Mando]

ive got a customers laptop in the same state as Warwagons windfall, customer doesnt want to fork out for a new HDD so has said just keep the shell, got a spare 60Gbssd, going to try the clean install/W10 upg with the 7 key tonight.

 

Could always give it away to my sister or parents, or donate it to a local charity probably.

[Mando]

yep as of today (4th) installing with a fresh w7 home pro oem key worked and activated fine on that repaired Inspiron 1545, it has never seen W10 or a use of that Dell key, it had the dell factory image on before the drive died, so bare install on new fitted drive, it will make a 77 year olds day, looking great on the gloss 14" display (its going to my mum :)) once i managed to get the intel chipset drivers on and intel graphics (Gen 4 so only WDDM 1.1) its actually nipping along on a 7200pm Seagate 320Gbr tbh. 3gb DDR2

[+Warwagon MVC]

23 hours ago, Mando said:

yep as of today (4th) installing with a fresh w7 home pro oem key worked and activated fine on that repaired Inspiron 1545, it has never seen W10 or a use of that Dell key, it had the dell factory image on before the drive died, so bare install on new fitted drive, it will make a 77 year olds day, looking great on the gloss 14" display (its going to my mum :)) once i managed to get the intel chipset drivers on and intel graphics (Gen 4 so only WDDM 1.1) its actually nipping along on a 7200pm Seagate 320Gbr tbh. 3gb DDR2

did it get the "Critical updates" before activation?

[PaulATMOS]

On 2 August 2016 at 9:25 PM, warwagon said:

I got a Windows 7 Dell inspiron 15 i3 laptop last night from a customer who wanted to get rid of it. So I put a spare SSD in it and clean installed 10 and activated using the windows 7 OEM key on the bottom.

I did exactly the same with a HP desktop on Sunday. Entered the OEM key from the case during a clean install and activated fine.