Issue With Windows 23H2 Activation After Clean Install

[Jim-We]

I have a 255 G8 that came with Win 10 Pro, which I set-up with a local account only and was fully activated. After updating the BIOS recently it was offered an upgrade to Win 11 22H2 through Windows Update. Then, when it was available, was offered the update to 23H2.
Both these upgrade/updates installed without issue and continued to be activated while still using a local account.

When the Microsoft MCT finally included 23H2 I wiped the drive using diskpart and did a completely clean install, using a local account. It now refuses to activate, claiming I don't have a valid product key. Microsoft support looked into it and told me my product key is 'bad'.

I have now reverted back to the backup image of 23H2 I made before the clean install and it is again activated with a local account and has remained so for several days. But obviously it is three layers of OS that I would like to clean up.

Have I missed a step in the installation process or do I need something from HP to get it to activate?

Does anyone have thoughts to explain what is going on here?

thanks

N.B. I always avoid setting up with my machines with Microsoft Account as a login. Here's one reason, because you need to login with a MS account to talk to technical support, after my session ended I found my MS account all over the laptop, so much-so-that it wouldn't let me login to my machine without an internet connection...

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

FWIW, I believe that the recent action Microsoft took to stop folks from getting the free upgrades from W7, W8 and W8.1 to W10 has affected everything regarding activation, and hopefully this problem will be sorted out in the very near future.

Whatever happened to the free Windows 10 upgrade offer? | ZDNET

You are not the only one reporting issues with W10/W11 activation problems in the last couple of weeks after reinstalls, BIOS updates, etc.

It is a mess.

Microsoft investigating Windows activation issues after closing a key loophole (msn.com)

One suggestion...did you try activating the clean installation with the Windows 10 OEM product key in the BIOS?

If not, install the free Showkey plus app from the Microsoft store and it will show you the W10 Pro OEM product key in the BIOS.

ShowKeyPlus - Microsoft Apps

Change the product key to the OEM key and see if you can activate Windows that way.

I set up all of my W11 PC's using local accounts.

I haven't had any issues as of yet, but I haven't had any recent BIOS updates, OS reinstalls, or installed new hardware that would trigger activation issues.

[Jim-We]

Thanks for responding. It's reassuring to know that the problem is probably not caused by something I have done.

ShowKeyPlus reports the same OEM key for both the original W10 install and the W11 upgrade, and this matches the one revealed by running "wmic path softwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey" in command prompt. I had already tried inputting this into the Change Product Key field, but still got the same "You don't have a valid key" message.

I'll keep monitoring the situation re Microsoft's change in procedure and hope it resolves soon. At least I have a working and up to date OS, but it is frustrating that it can't make a totally clean start with the new 23H2

thanks again

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Coincidentally after I answered your question, Windows Update pushed a BIOS update to my Dell Optiplex 7050 MT.

I decided to throw caution to the wind and let it update the BIOS.

Restarted the PC and Windows 11 22H3 was still activated.

[Jim-We]

I spent a couple of hours in online chats with 2 different microsoft support staff. They could not work out why my machine won't activate after a clean install, and say they have no knowledge or data to link this to the change in upgrade policy from W7 and W8.
As a compromise they suggested I try an in-place 'upgrade' using the W11 ISO, which worked - to a degree

If anyone is having this issue, follow the instructions here-

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-run-in-place-upgrade-in-windows-11/4d46...

** beware, the ISO file is 6.5GB **

I tried all 3 of the install options with these results

- remove everything - this is the same as a completely clean install and WOULD NOT ACTIVATE

- keep just my files - this gives a fresh new install but leaves your personal files in place and creates the windows.old folder, and it activated automatically

- keep everything - as the description says, this just repairs system files but keeps all settings, files, apps, programs AND creates the windows.old folder, and it activated automatically

So I stuck with 'keep just my files' and now have a clean and activated install of W11 23H2, but am still concerned that I cannot perform a truly clean install from a MCT USB that will activate.

Many thanks to Paul for his input.