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nndei

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2017
22
3
Hello, I deleted my Windows 10 partition through Boot Camp Assistant and made my MBP drive a single partition.
I had installed Windows 10 education within the key provided by my University. If I check whether or not I can get a new key now, the university site tells me that I have already activated W10 and provides me the key I already have.
I tried reinstalling W10 with Boot Camp today and when it comes to insert the key it shows an error with a yellow triangle and the exclamation point, I assume that means it doesn't recognise the license as new.

My question is, how do I deactivate my license to "move" it to this new "computer"? I think the installer thinks the new partition I am trying to install W10 on is a new Mac… And I also think that boot camp W10 uninstaller didn't actually deactivate the license from the previous partition…
Is there anyway I can deactivate from the, yet already deleted, partition and install on this new one?
Any restrictions with deactivating and activating if I own an education version of windows 10?

thank you, Neri
 
Windows 10 only needs to be activated once on a computer. The licence key is embedded in the bios.
You should be able to wipe it and reinstall it on the same hardware as many times as you need (I have done it many times).
Once Bootcamp finishes installing Windows and restarts, it will reboot and start to install the bootcamp drivers.
You simply connect to your wifi after that and Windows will activate automatically because the Microsoft seevers will see that your hardware already had Windows before.

By the way, when the Windows installer starts and asks you for a key before proceding with installation, just choose the 'I din't have a key' option.
 
Windows 10 only needs to be activated once on a computer. The licence key is embedded in the bios.
You should be able to wipe it and reinstall it on the same hardware as many times as you need (I have done it many times).
Once Bootcamp finishes installing Windows and restarts, it will reboot and start to install the bootcamp drivers.
You simply connect to your wifi after that and Windows will activate automatically because the Microsoft seevers will see that your hardware already had Windows before.

By the way, when the Windows installer starts and asks you for a key before proceding with installation, just choose the 'I din't have a key' option.

Ok, I will try that as soon as I know how to turn back to that windows pop up thing asking for the activation key… Boot camp brought me there previously right after the procedure and I turned back to the macOS partition by shutting down and rebooting. How to I turn back to the windows installer? I tried rebooting with option key pressed but it only shows macOS' partition…
 
My guess would be to start Bootcamp again.
Ok then I'll repartition the disk and try to complete the installation with I have no key or whatever it was, I'll tell you if everything worked fine afterwards!
[doublepost=1500125475][/doublepost]
Windows 10 only needs to be activated once on a computer. The licence key is embedded in the bios.
You should be able to wipe it and reinstall it on the same hardware as many times as you need (I have done it many times).
Once Bootcamp finishes installing Windows and restarts, it will reboot and start to install the bootcamp drivers.
You simply connect to your wifi after that and Windows will activate automatically because the Microsoft seevers will see that your hardware already had Windows before.

By the way, when the Windows installer starts and asks you for a key before proceding with installation, just choose the 'I din't have a key' option.
Worked!!! Thank you and have a great day
 
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