Pls don't bash me there are so many threads that I may have missed the right one... i'm an insider, updated months ago on a legit W8.1, so far so good. The problem aroused this morning when I tried to make a clean install using MS iso, it required a valid serial to proceed... I understood from many posts here, that a clean install over an existing TP did not request a serial and ended up with a validated copy. I must have misunderstood something, I now have TP 10240 with xxxxx-3V66T thank you
You can't do clean installs the first time, only upgrades. You can do a clean install after you've upgraded, and activated.
To expand a little more on what's been said... Start with Win7 or 8.1 that's properly activated. Make sure your activated Win7 or 8.1 also passes Windows Genuine validation. If possible, make sure you're connected to the Internet during the whole process as it will speed up activating Win10. Install Win10 as an upgrade -- run setup.exe from your install media. Do not boot from the Win10 install media at this stage. If you see any prompts to enter a key, use the option to skip it. It's safe to do so. Let Win10 boot; connect to the Internet if you haven't already. Go to Start > File Explorer > Right-click "This PC" in the left column and choose "Properties" Scroll down; you should see "Windows is activated" in a few seconds. If it's not, leave it up on the network and check back in a few minutes. All properly activated Win7 and 8.1 installs will activate. Once you see that the upgrade is activated, you're all set. To do a clean install, reboot from the install media and follow the normal steps to install, acknowledge the warning that any previous Windows installation will be lost. Again, skip any prompts to enter a key and let the clean install finish. When the clean install of Windows is ready and boots, check again and you'll see that it activates. This works because the upgrade is what registers the machine ID with the Microsoft mothership. Once that's done, any time that machine does an installation, it phones home to the mothership and verifies activation on the machine ID. If the ID is in the database, it activates. So, do an upgrade install > Get a machine ID registered > Get lifetime of re-installs for that machine ID.
When it asks for a key the 1st time select the skip option, the 2nd time it asks for a key select I will do this later.
For me it is not showing an option to skip. I downloaded the tool from MS and made a USB thumb drive as an install drive. Then I tried to do update by running the setup program from within Windows 7, and it asks for a product key but does not offer an option to skip.
one small remark during Windows 10 upgrade you can specify not to save anything which i believe is equivalent to clean install
got another question im insider also and i want to clean install RTM and still go with insider preview builds - i dont own any windows to upgrade can i download image from MS and clean install? (do i need any key to get it installed or once i put my insider email account it will be activated?)