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Activation Win 10 pro - how


2 laptops, both have insider pro on - now updated to 10240
both requiring activation
I have full DVD of win7 & win 8 pro with licences
to activate the laptops, do I have to delete win 10, and go back to win 7/8 to get a licence??
or is there another way to translate the licences??

How long have you had the Insider builds running on the machines? If you've been an Insider for a while then 10240 should activate automatically, if you've recently installed an Insider build and updated to 10240 there's a chance it will not activate.

If you want RTM and opt out of being an Insider you would need to clean install W7 or 8.1 then run an in place upgrade either via Windows Updates or use the Windows 10 Download Tool to run from within your installed version of Windows.

Been running insider for a few months, hadn't auto activated, think it's been whinging for about a week about activation

It's strange that the Insider builds haven't activated if you've been an Insider for so long. I'll do some digging and see what I can find.

Micro$oft are 'aving a laff ..

from their website:-

Windows 10 Insider Preview, Enterprise Edition


  1. You’ll need to activate with your organization’s Volume License keys (KMS or MAK) or VL keys acquired through MSDN subscription. Please post any questions related to Windows 10 Enterprise Insider Preview in the TechNet Forum.
  2. If you installed the Enterprise Edition, but are not part of an organization with a Volume License, you will not be able to activate. Please revert Windows 7 or 8.1, and upgrade to Windows after it’s released on July 29 by reserving your copy of Windows 10.

Windows 10 Insider Preview, Home or Pro Edition


  1. If you activated the Windows version or Insider Preview build you were on before Build 10240: please wait a few days. A very small percentage of devices may experience a delay in activation.
  2. If your device has been connected for a few days and is still showing the watermark, you probably didn’t activate your previous version before upgrading to Build 10240. Please revert Windows 7 or 8.1, and upgrade to Windows 10 after it’s released on July 29 by reserving your free copy of Windows 10.

so, now I have to re-install Win 7 -- just so their licencing system can work

circular logic going on here. I have been in the Insider program a long time and every release activated.
10240 is not activated still [as of today].
Can someone explain in plain language how to activate? I've read through many threads here, and most are written from the other side: been an insider, wish to opt out. I'm reverse: staying with the program on one machine, going rtm on others. how to activate?

Activation Win 10 pro - how