Will insider receive key to register and what version it would be. I really don't understand the activation process, I was activated reinstall pro for problem with my SSD and I am not activated anymore. Pro, Home, not sure what I had with 8.1 before but since the beginning I am insider and I always been activated. Any idea what I can do, do I have to pay the $199 ? The activation system is a little complex but I thought that insiders will have a key, what the matter to test if you don't get something. Thanks guys I appreciate the help
Edit: .... .... Edit2: If you install a newer previe or RS1 you will have a Acivation Torubleshooter Tool. If you ever linked Windows to your MS Account that you should be able to recover. If never linked I GUESS the actication is gone (somehow). You would be still able to use your 8.1 key (July 29) to activate w10 now - if you know which edition you have.
You'll simply carry on as Insider and get activated as till now too! Only if you decide to cancel to be an Insider further on, you'll need an Activation/Product Key, if you didn't have a working HWID from your older Windows 8.1! If you didn't have used that, you'll have to do so as Knarz explained above, the final date is July 29. 2016!!
Activation by insider account is not been there for a lot of builds now, all do need a HWID/legit keys for legit activation (or kmsemulator for nonlegit use).
Win 10 DOES NOT have a Key. It HAS NOT had a Key since July 2015. Activation is kept on Microsoft Servers and is based on Hardware. You may be able to activate Win 10 using your Win 8.1 Key ? What ever version (Home, Pro) your Win 8.1 Key is what the version Win 10 will be. If you plan to upgrade from Win 8.1 to Win 10, you ONLY have till 29 July to do it.
It was carrying Activated until I had issues with my SSD and fresh install I set one more time insider and nothing I troubleshot and it explain that my version is Home but I always have Pro installed with insider.
Just establish the HWID for pro one more time, link it to your MSA and you always can use it for next time when you don't get the pro activated by HWID.
I think, you're wrong with that assumption! Windows 10 always has a Key at first activation, it just differs as Insider or as a regular customer. The insider will use the Generic Product Key at first activation, automatic and/or manual if he/she didn't own a legit Product Key or some other not so legit option! The regular customer, who own a legit Product Key for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 would simply use that for the first activation until July 29. 2016! After July 29. 2016 the legit Product key's will be used for the activation of Windows 10, if it's not a Insider Preview Version! Anyway, Microsoft has just simplified the activation process for customers who own a legit Product Key to bound those Product Key together with the HWID! If that's a good way or a not so good one, time will teach!
Install Windows 8.1 and use your existing 8.1 Product Key for to activate, upgrade to Windows 10 and get auto-activated. After that you simply could do a clean new install of Windows 10 and get activated automatically! Easy peace of cake!
Please try to activate by only using the insider account login, without an established HWID it wont work (i have no systems available to test it again but i have test it a while ago). They key you get after establishing a HWID by upgrading shouldn't differ when you're an insider or a regular user. ps, i will be very happy when the one year free upgrade offer ends, no more "how to get a HWID" questions
You talked to the OP, not to me!! Anyway, if use an Insider Account/MSA for to activate, that user will stay as Insider and NOT regular customer! So, it's up to the OP, what way he will go with Windows 10: Insider Regular Customer! That's the decision the OP has to make!
Simply correct, I didn't denied that! Just, there's still a difference between Insider and Regular Customer! It's also possible to use both of them, the HWID used with generic Product Key would be for Insider, while the HWID with Legit Product Key would be for an regular customer! In reality, for the 'normal' private user, it wouldn't matter!
One big thing to remember ALL Insider Builds WILL EXPIRE. OP needs to know that. Builds 14383 to 14393 are not listed as Insider Builds.
So a question: Previously (old PC) I was Windows Insider using Pro. Currently I'm Insider using Home which came with a digital license. If I understand correctly, I can use the Windows Insider install tool to download and clean install Windows Pro on my current hardware and register it under my MSA and it will continue to work until I either decide to leave the Insider Program or a particular build I'm on expires. I could also conceivably revert back to a "regular customer" by reinstalling the Home version which would then activate using the HWID and MSA correct?
Do you have a Pro HWID? How would you be able to link your "not used" pro HWID to your MSA? When you have a valid HWID for pro on your old pc, you could upgrade home to pro by changing the productkey to the one ending on 3v66t and after you've confirmed it's HWID activated you could link the HWID to your MSA for future use.