New installation of W10 and W8.1 is failing.

iskall99
Member

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM

Earlier today I set up a W10 insider version 10130 and used my w8.1 activation key. It turns out this build has a problem—it won’t automatically upgrade to newer versions. So I had to copy the W10 release build to my USB drive and perform a fresh installation. When trying to activate with the w8.1 key, I receive an error code 0xC004C003. Microsoft support isn’t helping; they suggest installing the w8.1 version first and then upgrading, even though the key worked perfectly on the insider build. I’m stuck because I don’t have space for the “windows.old” folder on my SSD.

iskall99

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM #1

dragolac
Member

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM

Skip the activation right away. I've completed it already.

dragolac

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM #2

Skip the activation right away. I've completed it already.

Bonnibel
Posting Freak

794

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM

You should install Windows 8.1 using your key, after that upgrade to Windows 10.

Bonnibel

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM #3

You should install Windows 8.1 using your key, after that upgrade to Windows 10.

MicMineHD
Member

206

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM

Begin by upgrading from version 8.1 to Windows 10 without a full reinstall. Proceed through the entire procedure. Only after completion can you perform a fresh installation.

MicMineHD

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM #4

Begin by upgrading from version 8.1 to Windows 10 without a full reinstall. Proceed through the entire procedure. Only after completion can you perform a fresh installation.

sg2010
Junior Member

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM

You should wait until you're on a fresh Windows 10 installation before performing a clean install. The activation issue might be due to the authentication server being busy.

sg2010

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM #5

You should wait until you're on a fresh Windows 10 installation before performing a clean install. The activation issue might be due to the authentication server being busy.

Tebanane
Member

107

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM

I performed a new setup using an insider build and everything functioned smoothly... And what exactly did you ask about a fresh install?

Tebanane

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM #6

I performed a new setup using an insider build and everything functioned smoothly... And what exactly did you ask about a fresh install?

bmarzano
Senior Member

449

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM

I didn't activate it, I'm building a release version on W10 now but can't enable it from within W10. I purchased a Windows key so I have an authentic copy, which means I won't be able to activate it.

bmarzano

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM #7

I didn't activate it, I'm building a release version on W10 now but can't enable it from within W10. I purchased a Windows key so I have an authentic copy, which means I won't be able to activate it.

hdoor20
Senior Member

477

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM

It seems the process isn't working for you. You wanted to install Windows 10 from version 8.1, ensuring the files remained intact and activating the key, followed by a complete fresh installation.

hdoor20

04-03-2024, 08:09 AM #8

It seems the process isn't working for you. You wanted to install Windows 10 from version 8.1, ensuring the files remained intact and activating the key, followed by a complete fresh installation.