So a bit of background info first -
I use Windows 8.1 on my main gaming pc and two of my friends took the leap to upgrade to Windows 10. They run pretty similar hardware and have had no issues. So I took the plunge!
Upgraded, and two problems arose. There was a driver conflict and it was not picking up my two WD Black in Raid 0, only my boot SSD.
So using NirSoft's "ProduKey" I found my Windows 10 Product key and set off to do a fresh install.
Went through the usual Windows installation, it asked me for my product key, I entered it and allowed me to continue the install.
Get onto the desktop and start installing drivers and looking for any windows updates and it tells me to activate Windows. Was a little confused as I entered it on the setup screen, go into account settings and it gives me an error code 0xC004C003. Quick Google search told me that it meant my code was in use and to either buy a new one or enter a different one. Off to Microsoft's help desk I go and chat with a lady who tells me I should not do a fresh install to avoid encountering problems and that Windows 10 keys is binded to your hard drive. This has me completely baffled! Anyway, this is the conversation that took place:
You:
01:18:18
Hi! I completed a a fresh install of Windows 10 yesterday by using the media creation tool from my now previous Windows 8.1 install. I was prompted for my Windows product key when the setup was starting, which I entered and continued the installation. After booting into Windows a few minutes later followed by
driver installation. I set up my Windows account with my outlook email and was prompted to activate Windows. I had already done that on the setup page. Now I am told my product key does not work and to contact Microsoft. Error code: 0xC004C003
:
01:18:20
Hi, thanks for visiting Answer Desk! I'm Christine G.
Thank you for sharing your concern with me. Let me help you with this one.
What you did is, you tried to enter the product key of your Windows 8.1 to your Windows 10, is that correct?
You:
01:22:50
I upgraded from 8.1 to 10, once 10 was installed I found my windows 10 Product key. Then carried out a fresh install using the windows 10 key.
:
01:23:25
May I ask where you bought your Windows 10 product key?
I'll provide you a case number. I'll make sure everything's documented so you won't need to repeat yourself in case you need to contact us again . Here's the Case Number : ***********
You:
01:25:30
I did not buy it, once you upgrade from Windows 8.1 to 10 your 8.1 product key changes and a new one is generated from what I understand.
:
01:28:39
You performed clean install right? May I ask where you got the file media creation tool? Because based on the error that I got, the product key is already in use.
May I ask for your product key?
You:
01:31:21
Yes, the media creation tool was from Microsoft https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10
Would you like the Windows 10 key or the 8.1?
:
01:33:39
Windows 10 key please.
You:
01:34:00
*****-*****-*****-*****-*****
:
01:37:31
May I have your 8.1 product key?
You:
01:38:22
*****-*****-*****-*****-*****
:
01:41:56
Thank you for sharing those information. As per checking your product key, The Windows 10 key that you have is blocked. Best advice to go back to your previous operating system and from there try to upgrade to windows 10 via windows update.
You:
01:43:02
No problem. May I ask why it is blocked?
:
01:44:03
Based on the error code that you got, it says that the product key is currently in use that's why you can't use it.
You:
01:46:36
If I have done a fresh install of 10 over the upgraded install, would that mean that its still in use from that. (If that makes sense)
:
01:49:09
I strongly suggest that you do not perform a fresh install of windows 10 to avoid encountering any problems.
Once you have downloaded the ISO file on your PC. Just choose Upgrade Now. That is the recommended why to install windows 10 using an ISO file.
I haven't gotten any response from you for quite some time. Do you still wish to continue our chat session?
You:
01:55:37
You should not encounter any problems just because you are doing a fresh install. People like to do fresh installs all the time. So are you saying that I have to format my SSD, re-install Windows 8.1, re-download Windows 10 and then upgrade then re-install all my drivers again because my "Key is in use"?
If I reinstall Windows 8.1 then upgrade to 10, am I going to get a different Windows 10 product key, or the same one that doesn't work?
:
01:57:17
Here's the thing, if you do a clean install of Windows 10, it will ask you for a product key because performing a clean install deletes the partition which makes it unrecognised by your Windows 10.
If you reinstall windows 8.1 then upgrade to 10, it won't ask you for a product key because doing it entitles you for a free windows 10. Now, if you do any changes in your hard drive, it will automatically ask you for a product key because Windows 10 is bound to your hard drive.
You:
02:00:58
So can you only install Windows 10 once as it bounds to your hard drive, meaning you can't do a fresh install? Any other times after the first, you Product key will already be in use?
:
02:02:49
Yes, that's correct.
You:
02:04:21
What happens if your SSD or hard drive fails? Do you have to purchase a new HDD and a new copy of Windows 10 every time?
:
02:05:49
If your HDD fails, you will have to install your previous OS again and from there upgrade your PC to windows 10 or you can purchase windows 10. Because once again, it is bound to your hard drive.
You:
02:08:14
Okay. While this logic makes no sense, I thank you for you help and your time!
:
02:08:28
You're very much welcome.
Is there anything else?
You:
02:09:00
No, that will be all thanks
:
02:09:17
If you have any other issues about Windows, feel free to contact us again. Thank you for choosing Microsoft Answer Desk. This has been Christine, have a wonderful day!
Tell me your thought on this? Is it BS?
I use Windows 8.1 on my main gaming pc and two of my friends took the leap to upgrade to Windows 10. They run pretty similar hardware and have had no issues. So I took the plunge!
Upgraded, and two problems arose. There was a driver conflict and it was not picking up my two WD Black in Raid 0, only my boot SSD.
So using NirSoft's "ProduKey" I found my Windows 10 Product key and set off to do a fresh install.
Went through the usual Windows installation, it asked me for my product key, I entered it and allowed me to continue the install.
Get onto the desktop and start installing drivers and looking for any windows updates and it tells me to activate Windows. Was a little confused as I entered it on the setup screen, go into account settings and it gives me an error code 0xC004C003. Quick Google search told me that it meant my code was in use and to either buy a new one or enter a different one. Off to Microsoft's help desk I go and chat with a lady who tells me I should not do a fresh install to avoid encountering problems and that Windows 10 keys is binded to your hard drive. This has me completely baffled! Anyway, this is the conversation that took place:
You:
01:18:18
Hi! I completed a a fresh install of Windows 10 yesterday by using the media creation tool from my now previous Windows 8.1 install. I was prompted for my Windows product key when the setup was starting, which I entered and continued the installation. After booting into Windows a few minutes later followed by
driver installation. I set up my Windows account with my outlook email and was prompted to activate Windows. I had already done that on the setup page. Now I am told my product key does not work and to contact Microsoft. Error code: 0xC004C003
:
01:18:20
Hi, thanks for visiting Answer Desk! I'm Christine G.
Thank you for sharing your concern with me. Let me help you with this one.
What you did is, you tried to enter the product key of your Windows 8.1 to your Windows 10, is that correct?
You:
01:22:50
I upgraded from 8.1 to 10, once 10 was installed I found my windows 10 Product key. Then carried out a fresh install using the windows 10 key.
:
01:23:25
May I ask where you bought your Windows 10 product key?
I'll provide you a case number. I'll make sure everything's documented so you won't need to repeat yourself in case you need to contact us again . Here's the Case Number : ***********
You:
01:25:30
I did not buy it, once you upgrade from Windows 8.1 to 10 your 8.1 product key changes and a new one is generated from what I understand.
:
01:28:39
You performed clean install right? May I ask where you got the file media creation tool? Because based on the error that I got, the product key is already in use.
May I ask for your product key?
You:
01:31:21
Yes, the media creation tool was from Microsoft https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10
Would you like the Windows 10 key or the 8.1?
:
01:33:39
Windows 10 key please.
You:
01:34:00
*****-*****-*****-*****-*****
:
01:37:31
May I have your 8.1 product key?
You:
01:38:22
*****-*****-*****-*****-*****
:
01:41:56
Thank you for sharing those information. As per checking your product key, The Windows 10 key that you have is blocked. Best advice to go back to your previous operating system and from there try to upgrade to windows 10 via windows update.
You:
01:43:02
No problem. May I ask why it is blocked?
:
01:44:03
Based on the error code that you got, it says that the product key is currently in use that's why you can't use it.
You:
01:46:36
If I have done a fresh install of 10 over the upgraded install, would that mean that its still in use from that. (If that makes sense)
:
01:49:09
I strongly suggest that you do not perform a fresh install of windows 10 to avoid encountering any problems.
Once you have downloaded the ISO file on your PC. Just choose Upgrade Now. That is the recommended why to install windows 10 using an ISO file.
I haven't gotten any response from you for quite some time. Do you still wish to continue our chat session?
You:
01:55:37
You should not encounter any problems just because you are doing a fresh install. People like to do fresh installs all the time. So are you saying that I have to format my SSD, re-install Windows 8.1, re-download Windows 10 and then upgrade then re-install all my drivers again because my "Key is in use"?
If I reinstall Windows 8.1 then upgrade to 10, am I going to get a different Windows 10 product key, or the same one that doesn't work?
:
01:57:17
Here's the thing, if you do a clean install of Windows 10, it will ask you for a product key because performing a clean install deletes the partition which makes it unrecognised by your Windows 10.
If you reinstall windows 8.1 then upgrade to 10, it won't ask you for a product key because doing it entitles you for a free windows 10. Now, if you do any changes in your hard drive, it will automatically ask you for a product key because Windows 10 is bound to your hard drive.
You:
02:00:58
So can you only install Windows 10 once as it bounds to your hard drive, meaning you can't do a fresh install? Any other times after the first, you Product key will already be in use?
:
02:02:49
Yes, that's correct.
You:
02:04:21
What happens if your SSD or hard drive fails? Do you have to purchase a new HDD and a new copy of Windows 10 every time?
:
02:05:49
If your HDD fails, you will have to install your previous OS again and from there upgrade your PC to windows 10 or you can purchase windows 10. Because once again, it is bound to your hard drive.
You:
02:08:14
Okay. While this logic makes no sense, I thank you for you help and your time!
:
02:08:28
You're very much welcome.
Is there anything else?
You:
02:09:00
No, that will be all thanks
:
02:09:17
If you have any other issues about Windows, feel free to contact us again. Thank you for choosing Microsoft Answer Desk. This has been Christine, have a wonderful day!
Tell me your thought on this? Is it BS?
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