Help! Updating from Windows 10 Insider build

Hi

I really hope someone can help me here. Before Windows 10 was officially released, I decided to join the Windows 10 Insider Program and upgrade my Windows 7 PC to a Windows 10 preview build. I bitterly regret doing this because I can't get the system to upgrade to the official release and now I'm getting messages that the build has expire and soon my PC won't work! I've downloaded the Windows 10 installer/upgrader but it always asks me for a key, which I don't have. The instructions on the Microsoft site say that you should not be asked for a key if you click the upgrade option, so what on earth am I doing wrong?!?!

Many thanks in advance
Bogester

Hi and welcome!

When Windows ask for a key, just skip.

Hi and welcome!

When Windows ask for a key, just skip.

Let me just get this right, I can actually skip this step? I don't remember an option for skipping this and once you exit the installer (MediaCreationToolsx64.exe) then it clears up and you have to download Windows 10 again (tedious). I'm just downloading Windows 10 (for the umpteenth time); I'll see if there's an option to skip then.

Thanks for the feedback.
Bogester

This will help:

Windows 10 install - key never asked for.

This will help:

Windows 10 install - key never asked for.

Sorry, I'm not sure how this article helps. I have the problem where the system asks me for a key. There is also no option to skip entering the key, I've just checked. The previous Windows 7 that was on the system WAS licensed. It seems that Microsoft has broken my PC.

Thanks
Bogester

I thought once I subscribed to the insider program that after the official release that my system would receive a notification to upgrade to the full release. Clearly that's not the case and I'd have been much better off just sticking with Windows 7 until Windows 10 came out.

You can always go back to Windows 7 and do the free upgrade. Microsoft in no way broke your PC. You installed software knowing that it was for evaluation only and now the evaluation period is over.

What build number do you have? Do as Cluster Head suggested and let us know what happens.

In the end I reinstalled Windows 7 and now I can upgrade to Windows 10. Surely I shouldn't have had to do this and I should've been able to go straight from an insider build of Windows 10 to the official release?

In the end I reinstalled Windows 7 and now I can upgrade to Windows 10. Surely I shouldn't have had to do this and I should've been able to go straight from an insider build of Windows 10 to the official release?

Win 10 is a limited (one year) free offer to upgrade from W7/8.1 systems, not free for all, not even for insiders. If you buy W10 than you can install it without having to upgrade from 7/8.1.