Activation for windows 10.

[_goooge_]

How in the world do i find the product key so i can activate the P.O.S operating system, because its really making me mad

 

[Gallarian]

That depends; how did you get your Windows 10?



If you bought a physical copy, like a disc or USB, the activation key will be printed on the packaging it came with.

If you upgraded from Windows 7/8, Windows 10 uses your old product key to generate a new activation key automatically (which it keeps hidden from you).

If you need to clean install Windows 10 after upgrading, install your old Win7/8 again, activate using the old key, and the upgrade to Windows 10. Win 10 will automatically detect that its the same PC you used before and automatically activate.

If you pirated it and therefore did not buy one legitimately, then sorry but no one here supports piracy and you're on your own.

 

[gilbadon]

You pay for one...

 

[Felix England]

You should have been given a product key on a card in a box or be able to find it on-line.

 

[_goooge_]

That depends; how did you get your Windows 10?



If you bought a physical copy, like a disc or USB, the activation key will be printed on the packaging it came with.

If you upgraded from Windows 7/8, Windows 10 uses your old product key to generate a new activation key automatically (which it keeps hidden from you).

If you need to clean install Windows 10 after upgrading, install your old Win7/8 again, activate using the old key, and the upgrade to Windows 10. Win 10 will automatically detect that its the same PC you used before and automatically activate.

If you pirated it and therefore did not buy one legitimately, then sorry but no one here supports piracy and you're on your own.

I got it through the free upgrade to it, should i just have stayed on windows 8.1?

 

[Felix England]

That depends; how did you get your Windows 10?



If you bought a physical copy, like a disc or USB, the activation key will be printed on the packaging it came with.

If you upgraded from Windows 7/8, Windows 10 uses your old product key to generate a new activation key automatically (which it keeps hidden from you).

If you need to clean install Windows 10 after upgrading, install your old Win7/8 again, activate using the old key, and the upgrade to Windows 10. Win 10 will automatically detect that its the same PC you used before and automatically activate.

If you pirated it and therefore did not buy one legitimately, then sorry but no one here supports piracy and you're on your own.

I got it through the free upgrade to it, should i just have stayed on windows 8.1?

You won't have a key if you used the free upgrade

 

[Gallarian]

That depends; how did you get your Windows 10?



If you bought a physical copy, like a disc or USB, the activation key will be printed on the packaging it came with.

If you upgraded from Windows 7/8, Windows 10 uses your old product key to generate a new activation key automatically (which it keeps hidden from you).

If you need to clean install Windows 10 after upgrading, install your old Win7/8 again, activate using the old key, and the upgrade to Windows 10. Win 10 will automatically detect that its the same PC you used before and automatically activate.

If you pirated it and therefore did not buy one legitimately, then sorry but no one here supports piracy and you're on your own.

I got it through the free upgrade to it, should i just have stayed on windows 8.1?

Ok, in that case you don't actually have a unique key (you do, but Microsoft keep it from you).

When you upgraded from 8.1 (providing it was a legitimate copy that had been activated), Windows 10 should have automatically activated itself using your old Windows 8 key.

 

[Tolik_]

run magic been it will find your key

 

[Gallarian]

Do not run magic bean.. It has so many malicious copy cats its just not worth using.

If youre gunna try and find a product key, use the old script method..

Open notepad, and copy and paste this into it:

Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
MsgBox ConvertToKey(WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId"))

Function ConvertToKey(Key)
Const KeyOffset = 52
i = 28
Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
Do
Cur = 0
x = 14
Do
Cur = Cur * 256
Cur = Key(x + KeyOffset) + Cur
Key(x + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24) And 255
Cur = Cur Mod 24
x = x -1
Loop While x >= 0
i = i -1
KeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & KeyOutput
If (((29 - i) Mod 6) = 0) And (i <> -1) Then
i = i -1
KeyOutput = "-" & KeyOutput
End If
Loop While i >= 0
ConvertToKey = KeyOutput
End Function


Then save it as productkey.vbs

Double click the file and let it run, it'll give you your key.

However, this wont work on windows 10 as it uses a totally different key system.

 

[Tolik_]

Also have you changed any hardware by any chance, if you did will have to call Microsoft to activate your license

 

[_goooge_]

That depends; how did you get your Windows 10?



If you bought a physical copy, like a disc or USB, the activation key will be printed on the packaging it came with.

If you upgraded from Windows 7/8, Windows 10 uses your old product key to generate a new activation key automatically (which it keeps hidden from you).

If you need to clean install Windows 10 after upgrading, install your old Win7/8 again, activate using the old key, and the upgrade to Windows 10. Win 10 will automatically detect that its the same PC you used before and automatically activate.

If you pirated it and therefore did not buy one legitimately, then sorry but no one here supports piracy and you're on your own.

I got it through the free upgrade to it, should i just have stayed on windows 8.1?

Ok, in that case you don't actually have a unique key (you do, but Microsoft keep it from you).

When you upgraded from 8.1 (providing it was a legitimate copy that had been activated), Windows 10 should have automatically activated itself using your old Windows 8 key.

See well Windows didn't activate and when i try to it doesn't let me it keeps saying that i have to try again later

 

[_goooge_]

Also have you changed any hardware by any chance, if you did will have to call Microsoft to activate your license

I did a complete upgrade of my pc, i got a whole new one and i saved the hdd and booted the new one with all newer hardware up and used the hdd

 

[Gallarian]

Also have you changed any hardware by any chance, if you did will have to call Microsoft to activate your license

I did a complete upgrade of my pc, i got a whole new one and i saved the hdd and booted the new one with all newer hardware up and used the hdd

Ah.. well there's your problem.

Windows takes a snapshot of your hardware when you upgrade. It uses this hardware file plus your old windows key to create a new personal activation key for you.

If you upgrade your hardware (usually the motherboard is the main thing), Windows will no longer recognise your PC and will not activate.

You have to ring Microsoft and explain that your old motherboard broke*, so had to be replaced. They should then do an over the phone activation with you.

*Make you say the old one broke, as they generally comply a lot easier when it was a forced upgrade.

 

[_goooge_]

Also have you changed any hardware by any chance, if you did will have to call Microsoft to activate your license

I did a complete upgrade of my pc, i got a whole new one and i saved the hdd and booted the new one with all newer hardware up and used the hdd

Ah.. well there's your problem.

Windows takes a snapshot of your hardware when you upgrade. It uses this hardware file plus your old windows key to create a new personal activation key for you.

If you upgrade your hardware (usually the motherboard is the main thing), Windows will no longer recognise your PC and will not activate.

You have to ring Microsoft and explain that your old motherboard broke*, so had to be replaced. They should then do an over the phone activation with you.

*Make you say the old one broke, as they generally comply a lot easier when it was a forced upgrade.

Or it " shorted out and ruined my whole system " , thank you for the help though i appreciate it

 

[Gallarian]

Also have you changed any hardware by any chance, if you did will have to call Microsoft to activate your license

I did a complete upgrade of my pc, i got a whole new one and i saved the hdd and booted the new one with all newer hardware up and used the hdd

Ah.. well there's your problem.

Windows takes a snapshot of your hardware when you upgrade. It uses this hardware file plus your old windows key to create a new personal activation key for you.

If you upgrade your hardware (usually the motherboard is the main thing), Windows will no longer recognise your PC and will not activate.

You have to ring Microsoft and explain that your old motherboard broke*, so had to be replaced. They should then do an over the phone activation with you.

*Make you say the old one broke, as they generally comply a lot easier when it was a forced upgrade.

Or it " shorted out and ruined my whole system " , thank you for the help though i appreciate it

Haha, yeah that would work too. No worries mate, please mark this thread as solved