I have some questions related to activation. I've upgraded Windows 10 Pro from Windows 8.1 Pro. My PC is automatically activated just because Windows 8.1 already activated. My questions is that 1. If I re-install with a fresh Windows 10 Pro, not upgrading, Do I have to activate online with Windows 10 key ? 2. If I keep Windows 10 Pro from upgrading Windows 8.1 Pro, Do I have to re-activate after first 1 year free ? Thanks for your concern & explanations.
After one time of activating win 10 off of a activated windows, you can clean install as many times as you like because the act is off of your HWID.
Ill go over this one more time take it how you like (or not) and the rest of you can sweat your off afterword, worrying about whatever twists your nips if you so choose.. Windows 10 Free offer is an offer available for 1 year. If you take advantage of the free offer within that one year you pay nothing for the life of the device you installed the free windows 10 to. The free windows 10 is yours forever for the life of the device you applied it to. IF that device lasts 10000 years, your windows 10 is free for 10000 years.. Simple enough? You can clean install AFTER the initial free upgrade as often as you need so long as the upgrade completed successfully and activated for the life of the device you installed it to. Activation does require 1(one) initial upgrade from a valid 8.1 or 7 installed version of windows and once only, prior to clean installs for the life of the device you installed it to. There is no key, will never need to use a key to activate a windows 10 gained by the free offer, for the life of the device you installed it to. Install the software, and it will activate on that device for the life of that device you installed it to, but if you change your motherboard, it is no longer "that" device. If you do not take advantage of the upgrade free offer and upgrade your 8.1 or 7 system to 10 within that one year, you will have to pay for your windows 10 license
Oh ya, just steal my thunder, because of my little one sentence, and you with your beautifully constructed in depth post.
This is pure FUD, they've been collecting HWIDs since 2001, all that changed is that they're now using the HWID for a secondary lookup after the Product Key in the activation database.
This has nothing to do with the original question in the OP. But, at least the others that didn't understand how Win 10 Activation works now know.
And I will close this thread actually embarrassing now how many MDL members need to keep explaining THE FREE UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 10 WITHIN A YEAR. As if M$ could not make it any clearer