Voilà: a clean installation of Windows 10. Again, you might need to manually slam the servers using slmgr.vbs /ato. Once you've installed Windows 10, it should activate normally.

If it asks you multiple times, just keep hitting Skip. Now, proceed with a clean installation of Windows 10 (select 'Custom: Install Windows only' when prompted.) When it asks you for a product key, click Skip. Let the tool help you burn the ISO to a DVD or USB memory stick. This time, select 'Create installation media for another PC.' Select the appropriate version (Home, Pro) and the tool will generate an ISO for you. Now you need to install Windows 10 again! Grab the Windows 10 download tool and run it. This first step will convert your current Windows 7/8 key into a Windows 10 key. If you haven't yet been activated, you can try forcing it via command prompt: run cmd.exe as an administrator, then type slmgr.vbs /ato. You may need to try a few times, as the activation servers were being hit quite hard. AdvertisementĮnlarge / This is what it looks like if your copy of Windows 10 is activated. Also note down what version of Windows 10 you have (Home, Pro). It will say on the right whether you're activated or not (see image). Open up the new Settings app, then head to Update & Security, Activation. Once the upgrade has completed, make sure you've been activated by Microsoft. If you use the download tool, make sure you select 'Upgrade this PC now.' It goes without saying that, before you install any new operating system, you should back up any important data beforehand. You can do this via Windows Update, or if Windows Update isn't playing ball you can use the direct download tool: English/ American/ German/ French/ Italian/ Dutch. It's pretty convoluted, but it works.įirst, you need to do an in-place upgrade to Windows 10.

Clean installations, however, are a bit trickier: you do need to enter a licence key, and your Windows 7/8 key probably won't work.įortunately, if you're running Windows 7 or 8, and you really want to use your free Windows 10 licence key to perform a clean installation rather than upgrade, there is a solution. Windows 10 is an unusual release for Microsoft: if you have a licensed version of Windows 7 or 8/8.1, it will very easily upgrade to Windows 10-you don't even need to enter a licence key. Updated, July 31 15:55 BST (10:55 EDT): This story has been updated with a few more details, and some other (quicker) ways of achieving an almost-clean installation of Windows 10.

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