Windows 10 creators update didn't show up

[Amossss]

Hi

So far I didn't receive the creators update for Windows 10.
How can I know if there's a reason for that and what is the reason?
I know certain types of CPUs won't get it but I don't have the problematic CPU.

I know I can download it manually but I prefer not to force it.

Also, I installed Windows 10 when it was free for Windows 7 users, what should I do if I want to install it from scratch? What serial key should I use? Where can I find it?

Thanks

 

[madmatt30]

If you upgraded from win 7 inline then you don't need a key .
Your pc is activated automatically from info stored on Microsoft servers.

This will happen automatically on a clean install

Why word you not download it manually ??

The ms download links for win 10 are always the latest complete version.

If you download & simply run from within windows it will update win 10 to the current version.

If you make bootable media & install from scratch it will still install the latest version.

There is no option to download previous builds as far as I'm aware.

 

[Amossss]

If you upgraded from win 7 inline then you don't need a key .
Your pc is activated automatically from info stored on Microsoft servers.

This will happen automatically on a clean install

Why word you not download it manually ??

The ms download links for win 10 are always the latest complete version.

If you download & simply run from within windows it will update win 10 to the current version.

If you make bootable media & install from scratch it will still install the latest version.

There is no option to download previous builds as far as I'm aware.

Thanks

Maybe there's a reason I didn't receive the creators update, if only I knew what it was. I did get the anniversary update but this time.... nothing.

I need to make a bootable media out of my own Windows 10 copy for it to know it's "me" who is now doing a clean install?
It's Windows, hence my worry, I don't want to be "locked out" of it just because I missed a step...

 

[madmatt30]

If you upgraded from win 7 inline then you don't need a key .
Your pc is activated automatically from info stored on Microsoft servers.

This will happen automatically on a clean install

Why word you not download it manually ??

The ms download links for win 10 are always the latest complete version.

If you download & simply run from within windows it will update win 10 to the current version.

If you make bootable media & install from scratch it will still install the latest version.

There is no option to download previous builds as far as I'm aware.

Thanks

Maybe there's a reason I didn't receive the creators update, if only I knew what it was. I did get the anniversary update but this time.... nothing.

I need to make a bootable media out of my own Windows 10 copy for it to know it's "me" who is now doing a clean install?
It's Windows, hence my worry, I don't want to be "locked out" of it just because I missed a step...

NO you dont need to make bootable media out of your own copy ,as long as your install is showing activated
you can just download the latest win 10 version & make bootable media from that.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

 

[Amossss]

Ofcourse, that is if I want to update. I was asking about a clean install, how will it know it was me who is doing a clean install?

If I understand correctly, I should update to creators update from the link you gave me, then make a bootable/installation media (there's such tool in the above link as well) so later if/when I want to make a clean install, I should use the bootable media I've created (so it will know it's me).

Did I miss something?

 

[madmatt30]

It will know because there are certain aspects of your PC that are specific to your PC alone.
Be it motherboard & CPU serial number etc.

Once you've had win 10 installed once on that system it inherits a digital license which is b tied to that system , reinstalling windows from scratch or upgrading does not require any license key to be entered - once online it will reactivate itself automatically.

You can use the download link to create bootable media (be it DVD or USB).
This media can then be used to both upgrade your current windows by simply double clicking the setup.exe on the media from within your current install or to do a completely fresh install by booting to it from a system power off.

 

[mrmike16]

Ofcourse, that is if I want to update. I was asking about a clean install, how will it know it was me who is doing a clean install?

If I understand correctly, I should update to creators update from the link you gave me, then make a bootable/installation media (there's such tool in the above link as well) so later if/when I want to make a clean install, I should use the bootable media I've created (so it will know it's me).

Did I miss something?

I assume you are asking if will know that your computer has an activated copy of Windows. The product key of Windows 10 is tied to your hardware. If you do a clean install on that same computer of the Creator's Update version, it should work correctly. It shouldn't even ask you for a Product Key. If it does, click Activate Later, and activate when Windows 10 Creator's Update is installed. If it still doesn't activate, it can give you a number to call. But again, it probably won't even ask for a Product Key in the first place

In other words, it doesn't need to know it's you. It just needs to know that this is the same computer.

The cases that this won't work in is if it isn't genuine or if it is a Volume License of an older version of Windows, as far as I know.

 

[Colif]

Ever since last years Anniversary edition, what your licence is tied to may vary. Up until then, it was tied to your PC but since then it may also be tied to an email address. Easiest way to tell right now is look on settings/update & security/activation and under activation, if it says Windows is activated with a digital licence then it is still tied to the hardware, if it says Windows 10 is activated using a digital licence linked to your Microsoft account, then its already linked to the email address you use as a login. For many people, it was auto linked if they used a Microsoft Account to login - this can simply be the email address you registered win 10 with.

As for why you didn't get update? Its still being released, even though it came out 3 months ago, people are still getting it as an update. If your PC is old, they might have waited for driver updates to ensure the update would work. My mums PC got it last weekend, I have had it 3 month... same house.

 

[Amossss]

Thank you both for your answers, last one if I may: I'm going to buy a new hard drive (ssd), so my question is: will it know it's "me"?
Or if I'll use the installation media created from this computer/windows 10 copy it shouldn't be a problem even installing on a new hard drive?

 

[Colif]

Changing hdd isn't going to make any difference to the licencing.

the way Windows 10 activation works is there is a record of your current PC + licence + possibly email address on a Microsoft Server. When you install it on new hdd, you don't need to enter any key. At the screen where it asks for a key, click the link saying "I don't have a key" and win 10 will continue install and once finished, contact server and confirm your PC is right to be activated.

Download media creation tool, make USb/DVD and install win 10. This guide might help: http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1950-windows-10-clean-install.html

how to link licence to email address if it isn't already - reactivating win 10 on new hardware - doing this would let you swap entire PC and still keep licence activated. I have helped people do this very thing.

 

[madmatt30]

You're going to install a new ssd & put a fresh windows install on it from bootable media?

Yes absolutely fine mate , will still activate automatically.
Storage is not a major hardware change & won't affect the license


The way I see it , without an ms account on the pc the install has to be tied to the motherboard over anything else

Do you have a Microsoft login account on your PC??

If not you should make & enable one - it doesn't have to be a hotmail or outlook Microsoft address either .
You can do it with a googlemail account no issue at all .
In the instance that you have to replace major hardware if it turns faulty or whatever it makes reactivation much much easier.

 

[mrmike16]

You're going to install a new ssd & put a fresh windows install on it from bootable media?

Yes absolutely fine mate , will still activate automatically.
Storage is not a major hardware change & won't affect the license


The way I see it , without an ms account on the pc the install has to be tied to the motherboard over anything else

Do you have a Microsoft login account on your PC??

If not you should make & enable one - it doesn't have to be a hotmail or outlook Microsoft address either .
You can do it with a googlemail account no issue at all .
In the instance that you have to replace major hardware if it turns faulty or whatever it makes reactivation much much easier.

Just want to add to this- When you make a new account, make it Local and then change it to a Microsoft Account once it is set up. This is because the User folder would otherwise be the first 5 letters of your email address instead of your name. Minor thing, but you'll see it pop up as the default name for some programs and such.

 

[Rocky Bennett]

Ofcourse, that is if I want to update. I was asking about a clean install, how will it know it was me who is doing a clean install?

If I understand correctly, I should update to creators update from the link you gave me, then make a bootable/installation media (there's such tool in the above link as well) so later if/when I want to make a clean install, I should use the bootable media I've created (so it will know it's me).

Did I miss something?

Download the ISO from Microsoft and do a clean install and it will activate automatically.

 

[Amossss]

Thank you all for your help

 

[Amossss]

I don't have the option to add an account, this is how my activation screen looks like
https://preview.ibb.co/cVc5uv/1.png

 

[madmatt30]

No mate you do it from the start menu

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.windowscentral.com/how-link-your-windows-10-product-key-microsoft-account%3famp

 

[Rocky Bennett]

I don't have the option to add an account, this is how my activation screen looks like
https://preview.ibb.co/cVc5uv/1.png

Do you have a license for the Enterprise Version?

 

[Amossss]

thanks @madmatt30, I wonder if I need to do it as I'm not sure I like the idea of this linked account.

@Rocky bennet: I upgraded from Windows 7, not sure if it answers your question and if not, how to answer it

 

[Rocky Bennett]

thanks @madmatt30, I wonder if I need to do it as I'm not sure I like the idea of this linked account.

@Rocky bennet: I upgraded from Windows 7, not sure if it answers your question and if not, how to answer it

Your screen shot shows Enterprise. This is a very special business version of Windows 10. Do you have a license for Enterprise?

 

[Rocky Bennett]

Since you are running the Enterprise Edition, you might have to have your administrator upgrade you to the Creators Edition, I doubt that you can do it yourself without running into activation issues.

 

[USAFRet]

Creators Update is NOT applicable to Enterprise installs.
That's why you never got it.

And you cannot create your own USB or DVD WIn 10 install from the above link, and upgrade your Enterprise install.

Where, specifically, did this Enterprise update come from? It wasn't just a simple upgrade from a standard Win 7.

 

[Rocky Bennett]

Besides the license issue, USAFRet is correct, there is no Creators Update for Enterprise;

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/da09b274-c25c-494f-86be-14dd8b392e5f/windows-10-enterprise-1703-upgrade?forum=win10itprosetup

 

[Amossss]

Thanks, that was the reason I asked this question, to understand if there's a reason for me not getting this update, so I guess we found the reason.

I got Windows 7 from a company I worked for (which was since bought by another company that I work for now) and then I updated to Windows 10 for free and got the anniversary update.

So what are my options now?
Creators update is irrelevant, ok.
what about making a bootable media?
Can I make a professional bootable media out of the enterprise edition?
My memory is vague but I remember doing a bootable media (of windows 10 from windows 7), writing a serial key it gave me (don't remember from where) and I wrote it down as part of the installation.

 

[Rocky Bennett]

Right now your Windows 10 installation is activated, that is good. If I were you I would download an ISO for Windows 10 and keep that handy just in case you have any problems.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-10-enterprise

Also, I would back up all of the personal data that is on the computer and I would prepare to do a clean install. Since you have an activated Windows 10, your computer should remain activated even after a clean install.

If you have any problems call Microsoft, they are usually very good at helping people.

 

[Amossss]

So even though I have enterprise edition, downloading the creators update will work and activate itself?
I might as well create the bootable/installation media instead, no?