

- #Windows 10 download errors for free#
- #Windows 10 download errors install#
- #Windows 10 download errors upgrade#
- #Windows 10 download errors full#
- #Windows 10 download errors pro#
#Windows 10 download errors upgrade#
Tell the folks on the other end of the phone that you had a genuine copy of Windows 7 or 8.1, but you used the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool to create a boot USB, then perform a clean install, before Microsoft posted details on the proper upgrade sequence. If you don’t have a sticker, make a note of when and where you bought the machine. I’ve been working with phone activation for many years, and although there are a few notable exceptions, in almost every case if you have a good story, you’ll get a Windows 10 key.īefore you call, check your computer’s case for a 25-character key. If that doesn’t work, get on the phone and talk to a human. Click Next on the slui dialog box, type in the numbers, and you should be home free. You will hear an automated voice with an installation key. You receive a toll-free number and a horrendously long list of numbers known as the “installation ID.” Call the toll-free number and type in the installation ID. Don’t bother trying to find a Windows 10 key. Remember the prime directive: If you’re prompted for a Win10 key, click Skip, Do This Later, or Next (depending on the dialog box). But if you want the license to travel with your machine, use one of those three methods to upgrade your PC first. Once you’ve performed the in-place upgrade, you can boot from that same installation disk and use it to perform a clean install, deleting your hard drive partitions in the process.
#Windows 10 download errors install#
If you perform a clean install initially, you wipe out all evidence of the “genuine” Win7 or Win8.1 installation, and your life will become considerably more complicated. The trick is to do an in-place upgrade first. Microsoft explains the nuances on its Activation in Windows 10 page.

You don’t have a Win10 key, there’s nothing to write down, no hoops you have to jump through. Once your machine has a digital entitlement, you can install or reinstall Windows 10 any number of ways, and Microsoft will always remember that your machine is authorized for a genuine copy of Windows 10. Microsoft calls that a “digital entitlement.” As part of the in-place upgrade, Microsoft confirms that you have a genuine Win7 or Win8.1 key and, if so, stores a record of your machine and the fact that your machine now has a “genuine” copy of Win10.
#Windows 10 download errors for free#
Here’s how activation goes for free Win10 upgraders: When you upgrade a “genuine” Windows 7 or 8.1 system to Windows 10, if you want to end up with a “genuine” copy of Windows 10, you have to do an in-place upgrade first. There’s a trick to activating your free Windows 10 upgrade-a trick that Microsoft didn’t bother explaining until a month after it released the final version of Windows 10 on July 29.
#Windows 10 download errors full#
There are full instructions on the Installing Windows 10 using the media creation tool page. Specifically, you must first upgrade the PC instead of performing a clean install, to make sure your old Windows 7 or 8.1 license is recognized as a valid license for the free Windows 10 upgrade. See the Download Windows 10 page for details, but be very aware of the fact that your “genuine” license is dependent on running the upgrade sequence correctly. If you continue to have the same problem, Microsoft’s best advice is to use the Windows 10 media creation tool to create a USB drive (or DVD). If you’re working with any Enterprise version of Windows 7 or 8.1, the upgrade isn’t free-it’s dependent on your Software Assurance license terms.
#Windows 10 download errors pro#
If you started with Win7 Pro or Ultimate, or Win8.1 Pro or Pro for Students, you should install Windows 10 Pro. If you started with Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium, or Windows 8.1 (standard, usually called Home), you should install Windows 10 Home. Second, make sure you have the right upgrade: 32-bit for 32-bit machines, 64-bit for most. If possible, consider turning off Wi-Fi and plugging into a router with a LAN cable (that worked for me). Yank that external hard drive, disconnect peripherals that aren’t absolutely necessary, including extra monitors, smart card readers, weird keyboards, whatever. Installer hangs for hours or reboots continuouslyįirst, make sure you’ve disconnected any nonessential hardware: Unplug all hard drives other than the C: drive.
