I lost my activation status after attempting to reinstall Windows 10. This was the same system (no hardware changes) I've been testing previous Insider Builds on since the very beginning of the Insider Builds Program. Microsoft promised to honor everyone a free copy of Windows 10 (with license associated with Insider E-Mail Address) when RTM unleashes and I was permanently activated by the time Build 10240 came out. Yesterday, I went from 10240 to 10595; and I thought it would be a good idea to do a reset immediately after going to 10595 I did the Reset Method through the Recovery Option in Settings. From the description, it sounded like Windows was going to do a clean install (which it did), but deleting the OS and personal files on Local Disk (C). Shouldn't have altered the activation status since I never made hardware changes. After attempting to get the activation working, I winded up getting the USB Tool from the Windows 10 website, and did a so-called upgrade from 10595 to 10240, but the activation status did not resolve itself. I went through recovery options again and "Reset this PC" = No Change Getting through Microsoft Support is hit or miss; their phone support states over 90 minutes wait time followed by "we are now closed" ; absurd, shame to Satya Nadella for making a mess of the whole process; failed to make a streamlined solution. I had my legitimate copy of Windows since I've been an insider since beginning of this year. Microsoft promised every Insider, prior to mid-July, that their Insider Build versions would be considered genuine; reactivation wouldn't be necessary in any circumstances. I genuinely own this product Its absurd that I have to go through this activation mess.
You are too trusting of these companies to honor there promises. What you should of done was image that first install incase of this, so that you could go back, and then you would know for sure.
Microsoft is seriously scattered-minded. Really no simple fix here. I scheduled a call with them, we'll see if they even resolve this. I've always owned genuine Microsoft products; I'd take legal action again Microsoft if they screw around with my licenses. I think the computer name is conflicting with the activation status, but we will have to wait and see, my license shows as blocked for no reason. Their telephone support better be crystal-clear, the off-shore support process really needs to stop.
oh really? have you tried /sfc scannow already? just joking of course... that "/sfc scannow" is all they can do and say all the time on their f****** "support" boards. they don't know s**t. about your problem: i think you are miss informed, cause even if you were a insider before the release, you had to stay in insider to be fully activated. also always get the newest versions, cause they are always timebombed, so you have to switch to a newer build. when you join the insider program you lose all your rights to ms. they will do with your data what they want, even your private data which has nothing to do with windows. you turn into microsofts bitch, it's even worse then on the normal retail windows 10 edition... just saying. get a windows 7 with daz loader, and do a free upgrade or just get a cheap 7/8 key and do a legal upgrade if you don't want to use daz. don't use the insider build... you will gain nothing from it, only ms.
Thanks for the Windows Blog Link. It's absurd that Microsoft has changed its terms of the months leading into late July-2015. Too many greedy psychotic corporate officials working in Redmond, no doubt. I have several Windows 8 licenses that I've purchased over the past few years, but this still shouldn't be the resolution, especially since we as Beta Testers helped shaped the future of Windows through genuine feedback. Shouldn't I still be persistent and speak with them over the phone regarding my Insider status?
I always stayed as an Insider even from 10240 to 10595. It was when resetting 10595 through the recovery option did I lose my activation status. How absurd even when working within the same activated OS to authorize the reset. Microsoft definitely has my system info on their servers, this shouldn't take long to resolve. Like bk109 stated, I need to talk them through this.
Oh darn it, I can't believe I spent 5 minutes of my life watching that South Park clip, this activation process over the phone experience is going to force me to switch to Mac. You heard that Tim?!
Don't forget the golden rules - don't swear (unless you're already planning on tracking down the rep an' going full-on Jack Bauer on him) and if you feel so comfortable - try to pass yourself as ignorant as possible so they're 'compelled ' to issue you a new serial (or at least unflag the licensing info they already have on their end ) Also odd - I've got a Lenovo tablet that got bumped to Pro courtesy of the Insider program, whose license survived going in and out of the Insider program (at 10's launch) and a quick 12 hour upgrade (and rollback) from the latest build..
I installed Windows 10 10525 from scratch (I assume 10595 is a typo!) I entered key ending with 3V66T. It was accepted. I then signed in with Local Account. After the Let's Start it went to desktop, and I switched to MSA, and verified. I then opened system, and Windows was not activated. I clicked on Activate Windows, and it took me to a Settings Page which said that it couldn't activate, Did I Want to go to the Store. I said Yes. The Store said there was a problem, but I could try again, which I did. It Activated my copy of Windows 10.
If you have your former Windows 7/8 install disk hanging around, install it, activate it, upgrade to Win10, activate--then (and only then) are you set for a clean Win10 install...and away you go. After you do that you can join/rejoin the Insiders if you want through your MSA. Or not. Your choice. (Hint: through your Microsoft account you can also ask for help with Win10 OS activation issues.) If you don't actually have a qualifying upgrade OS, however, and were hoping to simply become endowed with a Win10 license because you were an Insider--you are probably out of luck. You need to have a qualifying upgrade OS in your possession, activated, in order to receive activation for the free Win10 license from Microsoft. Being an Insider is incidental to that. I'm pretty sure that following the above procedure is what Microsoft will advise you to do. I think someone else in the thread mentioned the fact if you were an Insider without owning a qualifying upgrade OS, then you have to stay activated continuously for your license to be maintained, because your activation was not based on an actual upgrade from an activated Win7/8 installation--that is how Microsoft works out the internal key for the initial Win10 activation--the "key" that we don't see that's tied to the hardware in the activation database. When you broke the chain with your clean install you lost your activation because it wasn't based on an actual activated, qualifying upgrade OS install, apparently. So here's the "horn" of your dilemma (as it looks to me)... You can obtain a qualifying upgrade OS and follow the instructions in the first para above, and wind up with a permanently activated copy of Windows 10. Assuming you actually have to buy a qualifying upgrade OS then you might be out ~$100. Or, you can spend $2,000 and buy a Mac, and several thousand dollars more replacing your Windows software, when it is possible to do so--or spend the $100 anyway, on top of the $2k Mac, and get a retail copy of Windows 10 which you can install on your Mac via Bootcamp--and wind up with an entirely second-class Windows installation. I have faith that you will make the right decision...
Was able to eventually get my license after going through hurdles with Microsoft Support Team. Now what happens if I get naive and reinstall Build # 10525?