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Windows 10 Pro will not activate

S

SLP Firehawk

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 30, 2020
Messages
207
Over the last few years I gathered the parts and software for my build and now that it's built and running my legit Windows 10 Pro I bought will not activate.
I tried phone activation and also the text activation. The package it came in says OEM which is the only legit windows I could find back then knowing that 10 was going away.
MS support is worthless as I spent tons of time on the automated phone system and online trying to get to some support.
Best I can tell from the research of other threads is that the OEM disc version is the issue even though it was brand new.
Any ideas? I spent a ton building what I intend to be my last and best PC and now this. I despise Win11 so that is not an option.
Thank you
 
Since you guys are a lot smarter than me..
if I cannot get my original Win10 Pro license to activate, and cannot buy another one because win10 is now gone,
I read that I could buy a win11 pro license and activate it as win10 pro. That would mean I would be paying for 2 now - which angers me - but I spent a ton on this PC and need to get it finished.
So much for planning ahead...
 
Where did you buy it from?

Also, does it really need to be Windows 10?

Screenshot_20250402-102157.png
 
Thank you.
I do not remember where I bought it as it's been several years (walmart, newegg, etc?) It is an old Microsoft build (2015 I believe) which is what I wanted because the new builds were hard or impossible to turn off automatic updates which tend to break things.
Yes it has to be Windows 10. I want my PCs to match and I hate 11.
 
Maybe I missed the detail, but did you use/activate it at anytime previously on any other hardware?
 
When I run the check from the command prompt it comes up empty.

When I run ShowKeyPlus it say

Edition: Win 10 RTM Professional OEM DM

EULA: OEM



and it says OEM key not present in firmware
 
install 11 and feed it that key, let it sit for a day and see if it activates.
next time, dont collect and sit on stuff for several years before building...
 
Thank you. Do you mean buy win 11 and feed the 11 key into my windows 10 to get 10 to activate?

It took me several years to gather up the new parts since they discontinued the platform. Working every day since 2021. Current work week is ~1400 days long and those are 15 hr days not little 8hr ones. I am tired so I appreciate the help greatly
 
no. use that key to install 11, 10/11 keys are still interchangeable, unless that ones already been used. even if it wont activate, you can get windows installed and deal with it after.
 
thank you but will that result in windows 11 being installed? I hate 11.

Someone from MS actually said that the product code should have been entered at time of OEM windows install. And since it might not have been that i may need to re-install and be sure to enter code during install. sound correct?
 
yes, get used to it. its ten in a new skin.
yes, it should have asked you for the key at the start of setup, thats how it determines what version to load. you are using the creation tool image/usb from ms right?
 
a tech said that windows 10 builds prior to 2021 have issue activating and require updating the windows to newest build

is that true?

my dvd is an old build bought several years ago build 2015 i think
 
Doesn't matter how old the ISO is if you do windows update before activation. Tho really it's just a few months before EOL, if you hate 11 that much, see if you can find a way to get 11 LTSC (or 10 LTSC as that's good till 2027).
 
vxspiritxv said:
Doesn't matter how old the ISO is if you do windows update before activation. Tho really it's just a few months before EOL, if you hate 11 that much, see if you can find a way to get 11 LTSC (or 10 LTSC as that's good till 2027).
Click to expand...
thank you. I never knew about LTSC. that sounds interesting.
I got back with the guys that installed it and they upated win10 to the new win10 build but it still woudn't activate. So we used win 11 key and it activated.
So good news is I have win10 active now but bad news is it is a much newer 10 build with all the auto pop up crap and auto updates and all the fluff that the old version didn't have.
So I'll be looking into trying to turn all that off if you can...
 
Try not to get computer AIDS from the internet with that thing... Unless you plan to keep it offline or LAN only, especially after security updates go silent without LTSC or beyond October 2025.
 
vxspiritxv said:
Doesn't matter how old the ISO is if you do windows update before activation. Tho really it's just a few months before EOL, if you hate 11 that much, see if you can find a way to get 11 LTSC (or 10 LTSC as that's good till 2027).
Click to expand...
you cannot legally "find a way to get" ltsc unless you are a business that requires it for equipment.

SLP Firehawk said:
So I'll be looking into trying to turn all that off if you can...
Click to expand...
you could have turned off most of it during setup, when prompted...
 
pendragon1 said:
youre talking to several here. if you want to go somewhere else and ask advice and then com back here a toss their advice at us, just go and stay there.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the help. I had reached our several places earlier during my searches in hopes one might help, and so happens several got back with me about the same time.
Thanks again
 
sorry if i "sounded" harsh, just a pet peeve from a few others that have pulled it on us over the years.
"you said this, well these guys say that" and back and forth for pages...
 
I understand. All the sudden I got input from several at once (surprised but good) and was trying to process it with my weary brain, not pit you excellent helpful guys against others.

now I'm off to resolving broken licenses with some of my software and some hardware swaps. Will be glad when this is finished.
 
MikeTrike said:
Try not to get computer AIDS from the internet with that thing... Unless you plan to keep it offline or LAN only, especially after security updates go silent without LTSC or beyond October 2025.
Click to expand...
Thank you. It's going to mainly be a render machine when I need some muscle. And some video editing since it's twice the machine of my others
 
pendragon1 said:
yes, get used to it. its ten in a new skin.
yes, it should have asked you for the key at the start of setup, thats how it determines what version to load. you are using the creation tool image/usb from ms right?
Click to expand...

M'lord, couldn't he use the same method that you helped me use a few weeks ago? You showed me how to create the correct installation USB, then I used that to initiate the install of Win10/Win11. During the install process, it gave me the option of installing any version of 10 or 11, I chose 10 Pro. The installation was surprisingly fast and painless, and then I immediately activated online at MS 'Store' for $199.
 
Chevy-SS said:
M'lord, couldn't he use the same method that you helped me use a few weeks ago? You showed me how to create the correct installation USB, then I used that to initiate the install of Win10/Win11. During the install process, it gave me the option of installing any version of 10 or 11, I chose 10 Pro. The installation was surprisingly fast and painless, and then I immediately activated online at MS 'Store' for $199.
Click to expand...
yes. if you dont feed it a key it should ask, the last time i didnt embed my edu key it just auto installed home though...
 
Sounds like the change MLord was advising was the ei.cfg file....
that should prompt the installer to have you pick an OS, I believe otherwise the installer looks to the bios to find what key is there to use, not sure what it does as default if it doesnt find one to use
 
Yeah, I think that their activation is down or something, I tried activating one of my computers yesterday and kept having like server errors and stuff.
 
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