Activating Windows 10 after updating. Checking disk space

This article is relevant for laptops and system units that come with licensed Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, updated under the free transition program to Windows 10.

Microsoft happily describes to us the advantages of Windows 10, but in this update utility, as well as during the update process itself, your new key is not shown. It seems that there are no problems here, the system is updated, everything is fine, everything works. But what if something suddenly went wrong? Let's say the system has gone to hell and needs to be reinstalled. And you don’t even have the key. Looking ahead, I will say that Microsoft will give you your new key for Windows 10 during the update, and we will extract it from the system using a simple method. Below I will describe how to completely reinstall Windows 10 received for free while maintaining the key, activation and legality status.

I understand that you most likely understand more or less, since you can reinstall the system yourself, but I still remind you that reinstalling in the described way will erase ALL data from the disk on which it will be installed.

Management

It is assumed that you have Windows 10 on your computer, updated for free from older versions, which needs to be reinstalled from scratch. The installation procedure itself is omitted; you must be able to do it yourself.

1. Find out the edition of your current Windows 10 system. Open “Start”, right-click on “This PC” - “Properties”. In the window that appears at the top it says “Windows 10 Home” or “Windows 10 Home for one language” or “Windows 10 Professional” or something else. The main thing is to remember or write down which one it is;

2. Download and run a clever program to extract the key - . In the line with the name of your current system and its edition, in the “Product Key” column the key we need will be indicated. We copy it to a safe place, or better yet, to several places. There is no way you can lose this key. After reinstalling your current Windows 10, you will no longer be able to find it if you lose it. Close the program;

3. Prepare in advance the media on which we will write the installation image. It is best if it is a flash drive, at least 8 GB;

4. First of all, we need to get the latest version of Windows 10 from the Microsoft website. We download not the image itself, but a program that will download it for you and write it to a flash drive for you - Media Creation Tool. Comfortable.

It is important to download the correct version of the utility for the bit size of the system from which the installation flash drive will be written. If you have an x32 system, then you need to download the x32 version, if x64, then x64. Looks in the same window as in point 1;

5. Insert the flash drive, remember its drive letter (D:/ or F:/ or G:/... whatever it is). Let's launch the utility. In the first window, select “Create installation media for another computer” and click “Next”. We select Language - “Russian”, edition - we select what we wrote down from step 1, Architecture - if your computer has 6 or more gigabytes of RAM, choose x64, otherwise - x86. Click “Next”. Select “USB flash memory device”. Afterwards, select the letter of your flash drive, you remember, right? “Next” again. The process of downloading the installation image of the system and writing it to the flash drive should begin. At the end of the process, the program will notify you and you can close it. The flash drive is ready to install Windows 10 from it.

6. Start installing the system as you have done before. If you haven’t done it, too bad, Google it. The installation procedure for Windows 10 is practically no different from that in earlier versions.

7. At the stage when you are asked to enter the license key, enter the one you wrote down earlier.

Upon completion of the installation, provided you have access to the Internet, you will have an automatically activated licensed version of Windows 10.

Tomorrow it will be exactly 2 months since the release of Windows 10, but Microsoft considered it necessary to describe aspects of activating the new operating system only now. In particular, the “Activation in Windows 10” page talks about a new type of activation that the company calls “digital entitlement.” It comes in addition to activation with a 25-character product key, but the method the operating system will use for activation depends on how the user obtained their copy of Ten.

According to Microsoft, Digital Entitlement is a new activation method that doesn't require the user to enter a key. In this case, activation will occur automatically.

Windows 10 will use this activation method under one of the following conditions:

• you upgraded a genuine copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 as part of a free upgrade;
• you purchased a copy of Windows 10 from the Windows Store and successfully activated it;
• you purchased the Windows 10 Pro update from the Windows Store and successfully activated it;
• You updated a genuine, activated copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build as an Insider.

The product key activation method will be used if:

• you bought a copy of Windows 10 in a store;
• you bought a digital copy of Windows 10 in a store;
• You are using a volume license for Windows 10 or an MSDN subscription;
• You purchased a new computer running Windows 10.

How to activate the “top ten” after the update

If you upgraded to Windows 10 from licensed version 7 or 8.1, the system will be activated automatically when you connect to the Internet and a digital entitlement will be created for your device.

According to the documentation, if the operating system is not activated before upgrading, you will not be able to activate Windows 10 using a digital entitlement.

How to activate Windows 10 after reinstallation

You can reinstall Windows 10 and even perform a clean install on a digitally-enabled device without needing to enter a product key. If you are prompted to enter a key during installation, click Skip. The system is activated automatically after installation.

If you previously activated 10 using a key, you will be required to enter the product key during installation.

Activating Windows 10 Insider Preview builds

Starting July 29, 2015, to install the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build on a PC running Windows 7, 8, or Windows 8.1, you must first upgrade to Windows 10 using a free upgrade.

Once installed, go to Settings > Update & Security > Advanced options and join the Insider program. As a result, you will receive new and activated builds.

How to activate Windows 10 after a significant hardware update on your computer

Microsoft says that users who received Windows 10 through a free upgrade will likely not be able to reactivate their copy after replacing, for example, the motherboard. However, the company suggests that users encountering such a problem contact support for help.

Have a great day!

The Windows operating system is extremely expensive, which is why more and more users are buying laptops and system units on which it is already installed. This can be a home, professional, or other version of Windows, the license of which is already activated for the computer, which means that the system will receive all updates for free.

However, the file and program structure of Windows is such that after a while the computer begins to run slower. A lot of useless files accumulate on your hard drive, and the only way to get rid of them is to format the drive and install a clean version of Windows. This can be done without losing your license, and in this article we will look at how.

How to reinstall Windows 10 without losing the license on your computer

This option for reinstalling Windows without losing your license is suitable for both stationary system units and portable laptops. It involves installing Windows on the system disk after completely formatting the partition. Installation does not require a Windows key, since official versions of the operating system from Microsoft have learned to bind to the physical address of the computer when updating.

Please note: The option of reinstalling Windows of an identical version is being considered. That is, if Windows 10 64 bit professional version was installed on your computer, then only it can be reinstalled using the method described below.

Before proceeding directly to reinstalling Windows, you need to create a boot disk or flash drive. To do this, you need to go to the official Microsoft website in the download section of the Windows 10 operating system. From the site you will need to download the “Windows 10 Installer” utility, through which you can easily create a bootable USB flash drive of any version of Windows.

Once the bootable USB flash drive (or disk) has been created, you can proceed to reinstall Windows. To avoid losing your license, you must do this as follows:

After that, follow the instructions that the installer will provide. After starting the operating system, you will not need to enter any keys; Windows will be activated on the computer.

Important: To avoid various troubles, we highly recommend that you do this before starting work on reinstalling Windows. As a last resort, it will allow you to restore your operating system license.

How to reinstall Windows 10 without losing the license on your laptop

The second method of reinstalling the operating system is only suitable for laptops. When installed “from the factory,” Windows is embedded into the motherboard, which allows the user to restore the system if necessary, without fear that the operating system license may be lost.

There is no single system recovery instruction for all laptops, and each company performs these steps in its own specific way. Most often, to do this, it is enough to go to the BIOS or a separate Recovery Mode (when the computer starts, before Windows fully loads) and select the “System Recovery” item. Some laptops have a separate button to enter recovery mode.

It is worth noting that if you reinstall the operating system on a laptop by restoring it through Recovery mode, the user will receive a version of Windows without updates, that is, the one that was installed when the computer was released. Naturally, all updates can be downloaded and installed after Windows starts.

You must use a valid product key to activate Windows 10 on your device that has never had a copy of Windows 10 activated on it.

A product key is also required when installing a version of the Windows 10 operating system that has not previously been activated on this device. A valid product key, for example, is required to install and activate Windows 10 Pro on a device that was installed with Windows 10 Home.

During installation, you will be prompted to enter a valid product key. Once installation is complete, Windows 10 will be activated automatically online.

Start and then select Options → Update and Security → Activation.

Note: If you don't have a Windows 10 product key, you will have the option to purchase one during installation.

Activate a new Windows 10 device

If you bought a new device with Windows 10, the system will be automatically activated once the device is connected to the Internet. If the activation servers are busy, try waiting for a while.

To check the activation status, click the button Start and then select Options → Update and Security → Activation.

Note Note: In some cases, you may need to enter the Windows 10 product key that came with your device, or the card or certificate of authenticity that came with your device.

Activating the Windows 10 Insider Preview build

Windows testers who use Windows 10 Insider Preview builds, will automatically receive new builds that have been activated if the Windows device was activated before updating to the new build.

To check your activation status on Windows 10, click Start and then select Options → Update and Security → Activation.

To take part in Windows Insider Program:

Note Note: If you reinstall Windows 10 Insider Preview, your digital license will be automatically activated if you have already activated the same version of Windows 10 or Windows 10 Insider Preview (versions later than 10240) on your device.

Activating Windows 10 after changing the configuration

If you've made significant hardware changes to your device (such as replacing the motherboard), you may no longer be able to activate Windows 10.

If you're using Windows 10 (version 1607 or later) and have a digital device license attached to your Microsoft account, you can use the Activation Troubleshooter to reactivate Windows.

One day it may turn out that Windows 10 has become inactivated again. This happens for a reason. The reasons lie in both the replacement of PC hardware and an unsuccessful Windows update.

Reasons why Windows 10 activation expires

Windows 10 activation may have failed for the following reasons:

• you upgraded from Windows 7/8 to 10 or reinstalled Windows 10. After such actions, Windows must require a product key. This is done to prevent the same copy of the OS from being used on an unlimited number of PCs/laptops/tablets. After installation, you need to immediately activate Windows 10 over the network;
• you upgraded your PC by changing the processor, motherboard or RAM. Unlike Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1, where you could enter one activation key on any PC an unlimited number of times, Windows 10 is “tied” to the computer ID (by hardware), which is formed based on a set of components. Any replacement changes the PC ID. To fix the problem, you will have to contact Microsoft technical support.

Restoring Windows 10 activation

There are several ways to resolve the issue of failed Windows 10 activation:

• contacting Microsoft support and reactivating Windows 10 online or by phone;
• Participation in the Windows 10 Insider Preview program. This method is suitable for people who constantly monitor the latest Windows updates;
• updating Windows 7/8 to 10 from the Windows Media Creation Tool application (before this you should reinstall and activate the previous version of the system).

Restoring lost Windows 10 activation by reactivating

After reinstalling the OS, activation is checked again. If the connection disappears or freezes at this moment, the license key verification fails. If automatic activation fails, do the following:

1. Give the command “Start” - “Computer Settings”. Go to computer settings
2. Select Windows 10 activation settings.
   Check if Windows is activated
3. Enter the Windows 10 product key you already have.
   Enter the key included with this copy of the OS

Windows activation will be verified and restored if you already have a Microsoft account and the Windows 10 key is valid. If there is no account, Windows will prompt you to create one. Return to the previous OS settings window, select “Accounts” and follow the instructions in the Windows wizard to register a new user with Microsoft.

Enter your details, for example, e-mail or Skype login

Return to the familiar Windows 10 activation window and try again by entering the correct Windows key.

Activating Windows 10 using the Slui.exe software module

The application and its process of the same name slui.exe is an auto-running software module built into Windows that maintains the OS in the “system activated” status.

The Slui program runs in the background. It starts and shuts down on its own (controlled by the Windows Task Scheduler and built-in levels of protection).

It is not always possible to find Slui in the Task Manager, but every user can independently launch the process C:/Windows/System32/slui.exe and see how this program works.

The Slui icon is original, so it is easy to find it in system folders

Do the following:

1. Run the slui.exe file in the C:/Windows/System32 folder.
2. Select the country or region where you live.
   Click the Next Steps button in the Windows 10 Activation Wizard
3. Provide your Microsoft support representative with the installation code. This random number is the serial number against which your copy of Windows 10 will be verified.
   Dictate the installation code to the activation service employee
4. Enter the key you received from your support representative. This is an alphanumeric cipher generated by Microsoft security.
   Write down and enter the code received from the Microsoft operator
5. Exit the Slui program by clicking the end activation wizard button.
   The Windows 10 Activation Wizard will exit after you click Finish.

The goal of any activation method is a Windows 10 system registered with Microsoft and ready for full functionality. Give the command “Start” - “Settings” - “Update and Security” - “Activation”.

Check the status of your copy of Windows 10

The Windows 10 security tool will indicate successful activation.

Calling 8–800–200–80–02 is free from any phone from anywhere in Russia. This method, including activating the OS over the Internet, has been known to users since the days of Windows XP. A variety of options for activation methods “unloads” Microsoft employees: there are billions of Windows users, so it is wiser to keep an automatic activator.

Termination of activation after changing Windows 7/8 to 10

If the previous Windows 7 activation key, which could have worked on Windows 10, was lost, then before January 16, 2018, you could do the following:

1. Reinstall the version of Windows 7 that you had before upgrading to Windows 10.
2. Switch to Windows 10 through the loyalty program (for people with disabilities).

Immediately after the free upgrade period to Windows 10 ended, a website was created designed for users with disabilities. However, it ceased operation on January 16, 2018.

Reinstall Windows 7/8 again from the same source (DVD media, installation flash drive or memory card) by going through the standard Windows 7/8 activation procedure by calling Microsoft support. Then perform a standard upgrade to Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool application, available on the corporation's official website.

In case of system crash, write Windows 10 to external media. Upgrade from Windows 7/8 to 10 with its help.

To update the system without a flash drive or external drive, do the following:

1. Start your Windows 7/8, download and launch Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.
2. Select "Update this PC now."
   Select "Update this PC now"
3. Accept the terms of the agreement with Microsoft.
   Accept the Windows 10 publisher's guidelines
4. Keep your personal Windows 7 files and apps compatible with Windows 10.
   Choose to save personal data and programs in the Media Creation Tool
5. The Media Creation Tool wizard will download a licensed copy of Windows 10 (at the moment this is build no lower than 1703 Creators Update). Wait until the installation program finishes.
   Wait for Windows 10 Media Creation Tool to finish
6. Wait until the image is unpacked and Windows 10 is installed “on top” of Windows 7/8.
   The installer will copy Windows 10 files to drive C
7. Wait until the Windows 10 Welcome screen appears.
   Click the Continue button to finish the Windows 10 Setup Wizard
8. Enter your old password previously set in Windows 7/8 (if any).
   Enter your password set back in Windows 7/8

The Windows system has been updated to "ten". Right-click on Start and select System. Review your Windows build and license activity information.

Explore Windows 10 system information

This is the most affordable and guaranteed way to update the system without losing the key of the previous product (Windows 7/8). If you decide to simply copy the necessary files to external media and “clean” install the “patched” Windows 10 (1709) Fall Creators Update, then you don’t have to follow the instructions described above.

Video: how to restore activation of Windows 10 using a utility from Microsoft

Get Windows 10 through Insider Preview

Receiving build 1709 of the Fall Creators Update using the Windows Insider Preview requires you to register with the server insider.windows.com. This may require a Microsoft account.

1. Click Start - Settings - Update & Security - Windows Insider Program and click the Start button (it will change to a Stop receiving Insider Preview builds button).
   Windows Insider Preview allows you to evaluate the new builds of the “tens” and decide whether to stay with them
2. Microsoft will ask you to log in. Without logging into your account, the update to the latest build of Windows 10 will not occur.
   Select download the latest build of Windows 10
3. Choose the late access option (the ability to “roll back” to a previous build if you don’t like this one).
   The late access option will allow you to evaluate the latest build of the “ten” without making significant changes to the OS
4. Restart Windows 10 and give the command “Start” - “Settings” - “Update and Security” - “Windows Update”.
   The latest build of Windows 10 can be downloaded and installed while the PC is running

Windows 10 updates will not affect the key of the OS itself. You can continue to work as before, with timely updated functionality, programs and components of Windows 10 at your fingertips. You can opt out of receiving further updates at any time by going to the familiar Windows 10 Insider submenu and clicking the “Stop receiving Insider Preview builds” button "

The main thing is to understand the cause of the problem. Sometimes Microsoft itself becomes the culprit of the error. But whatever the reason, restoring Windows 10 activation is easy if you know how.