[Guide] How To Upgrade & Clean Install using Official Windows 10 ISO

[Sloth]

This guide is for people who are having issues with Windows 10 upgrade via Windows update or using Microsoft's Media Creation Tool.

Infact this method is the easiest way to upgrade to Win10 without facing countless errors during the upgrade process or wasting the precious bandwidth (users with FUP ).

Another advantage is that, you have the Official ISO in your hand which you can use it for re-installation in the future in any PC as its a Official ISO.



Step 1 - Download the Official Windows 10 ISO:

Download the appropriate ISO (32bit or 64bit as per your needs) with the SHA1/MD5 sum as this ISO supports both home & pro versions.

x64 / 64-bit

SHA-1: 60CCE9E9C6557335B4F7B18D02CFE2B438A8B3E2
MD5: 23E397A21A9E01F141C64B7E1260314A

x86 / 32-bit

SHA-1: D927A91E1DD7D9C6023D0DA1DBCB16DEFEC5B6C1
MD5: 99FEB0F9E7262B7EEFA460840A31B59D

Please don't ask for download links. Just search that SHA1/MD5 sum in google and you'll get download links.




Step 2 - Get the ISO ready:

Copy the ISO to a USB drive using Rufus tool.

(or)

Mount it using a mount tool like WinCDEmu tool.




Step 3 - Perform the Upgrade First:

People using Win7/8, you have to first perform the upgrade first, so that your Win7/8 key is transferred to Win10. So if you perform a clean install without upgrading, then your Win7/8 key won't be transferred to Win10.

Start Win10 setup (run setup.exe from the USB drive or the mounted disk) while you are inside your current installation of Win7/8 and perform the upgrade first.

Important: After the upgrade is complete, make sure that Win10 is activated.

If Win10 is not activated then don't proceed to the next step.

If the activation servers are down, then your Win10 copy will not be activate. So wait till Win10 says that its activated before trying to do a clean install.




Step 4 - Clean Install Windows 10:

You have 2 option to perform a clean install.

You may use the built-in refresh windows feature to make a clean install.

(or)

You can use the ISO that you downloaded in the first step.

If you want to do a clean install using the ISO, then these are the steps.

1. Copy the ISO to a USB drive using Rufus tool.
2. Reboot the PC and using the Boot menu (or alter the BIOS settings), choose to boot from the USB.
3. If you booted into the USB drive, then Win10 setup will start automatically.
   
4. When installing Win10, skip all the steps when asked to enter a key.
5. After installation is complete, Windows 10 will automatically activate.

Step 5 - Secure Your Privacy (to some extent) in Win10:

• Everything You Need to Disable in Windows 10
• Windows 10 Is Spying On You: Here’s How To Stop It

Note:

• If you are upgrading Win7/8 to Win10, then you won't get a new key as MS has decided not to issue new keys for upgrades . So your Win10 copy will be tied to the hardware id (mostly motherboard).
• Clean installation will activate only in the same PC that you used to perform the upgrade from Win7/8 to Win10 using a genuine key.
• If you want to change hardware, then you would have to call MS phone support and they will move your Win10 key to the new hardware id.

 

[Rolo]

I would add that it is likely that if you have an OEM key on your BIOS for one edition (i.e. Home) and you try to install & upgrade a different edition (i.e. Win7/8 Pro --> upgrade to Win10 Pro), the upgrade will work but a clean install will never activate (key blocked 0xC004C003--an error Microsoft is conspicuously silent on in their forums).

I've tried this twice on the same laptop where the Home edition activated instantly, twice, but the upgraded Pro did not, twice, even after waiting 2 days.

 

[Sloth]

The ISO with the mentioned SHA1/MD5 sum supports both Home & Pro versions.

 

[Deleted member 178]

I would add that it is likely that if you have an OEM key on your BIOS for one edition (i.e. Home) and you try to install & upgrade a different edition (i.e. Pro), the upgrade will work but a clean install will never activate (key blocked 0xC004C003--an error Microsoft is conspicuously silent on in their forums).

that is obviously normal... you have a Home edition Key , you have to stick with a home Win10 version. i don't see the problem.

 

[Rolo]

The problem is that I had Win7 Ultimate (not OEM Win8.1 [Home]) and upgraded to Win10 Pro per Microsoft instructions and it did not work. (edited for clarity)

The ISOs were fine. The upgraded (not clean) install activated fine; the clean install didn't.

I think I've posted enough detail to get a little more credit. cf. http://malwaretips.com/threads/windows-10-provides-the-official-iso.48944/page-2

 

[Deleted member 178]

so if i understand well :

1- you had Win7 ultimate activated via OEM or legit retail key
2- you have Win10 Pro ISO
3- you did an upgrade, it works well , Win7U key activated and transfered.
4- you did a Clean install , skipped the license prompts , connected to internet , clicked activate.

result , you got error message, your Win7U key is invalid.

i'm right?

 

[Rolo]

1. Yes, OEM key off the unopened box
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Yes; I even had slmgr /ato running every 5 minutes for 2 days, key blocked 0xC004C003. My theory is that it overlooks the Win7Ult key in favour of the Win8[Home] OEM key

Afterwards, I pop in Win8.1[Home], upgrade to Win10 Home, clean install Win10 home and it activates immediately. I posted every detail in the Win10 ISO thread.

 

[Deleted member 178]

ok i see, surely there is so many W7U pirated that their system get screwed for it or maybe they try to implement something.

 

[Rolo]

That could be. Either way, Win 10 Pro isn't working on that machine. (Activate by telephone isn't even an option and if you do call, they only tell you to wait a few days.)

I'm thinking "the last Windows" for sure.

SteamedChromeOS...hrmmm.....

 

[Deleted member 178]

at least MS try to give the upgrade for free, this was never seen before, i can tolerate this licensing issue because of that.