Forum Discussion
Windows 10 Evaluation cannot be activated (product key is blocked)
Microsoft Support is here: https://support.microsoft.com/
evaluation keys, as their name clearly says, are only for evaluations only, they have limited time use, they will expire and you need to buy a product key if you want to continue using Windows 10.
How to re-install Windows 10 without a product key (Digital License / Entitlement)
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install/how-to-re-install-windows-10-without-a-product-key/523e6231-88bf-4764-8235-412f2bfc257e
Activate Windows 10
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/activate-windows-10-c39005d4-95ee-b91e-b399-2820fda32227
by the way, what do you mean by "(been using the software for years)" ?
HotCakeX This exact same behaviour happens to me. For posterity, I am a fully licensed Windows 10 user with a copy of Windows 10 Professional. I use the Evaluation version to build test machines in Hyper-V that I use for blogging. Since 2015, I have been able to rearm each Windows 10 evaluation version twice and then rebuild them once the evaluation expires. As I am constantly running tests this model works perfectly - these are not production machines and are regularly rebuilt.
As the OP says this model of using the evaluation version for testing (surprisingly, that's what it is meant for!) has worked for nearly six years, yet last week, ALL product keys for Windows 10 evaluation are now blocked. EVERY version of Windows 10 (from RTM through to 20H2) now shows "product key blocked". I created a brand new VM and installed from a freshly-downloaded copy of the Windows 10 Enterprise ISO - the same happened, instantly expired and blocked.
It's all very well claiming "you must buy a copy" but for ALREADY FULLY LICENSED USERS running VMs on (Windows 10!) Hyper-V for evaluation purposes, how many copies do I need to buy to use the virtualization software Microsoft have provided? As OP said, this model has worked since inception and clearly Microsoft have now blacklisted or blocked the evaluation keys.
- Spoiler
JamesRankin wrote:HotCakeX This exact same behaviour happens to me. For posterity, I am a fully licensed Windows 10 user with a copy of Windows 10 Professional. I use the Evaluation version to build test machines in Hyper-V that I use for blogging. Since 2015, I have been able to rearm each Windows 10 evaluation version twice and then rebuild them once the evaluation expires. As I am constantly running tests this model works perfectly - these are not production machines and are regularly rebuilt.
As the OP says this model of using the evaluation version for testing (surprisingly, that's what it is meant for!) has worked for nearly six years, yet last week, ALL product keys for Windows 10 evaluation are now blocked. EVERY version of Windows 10 (from RTM through to 20H2) now shows "product key blocked". I created a brand new VM and installed from a freshly-downloaded copy of the Windows 10 Enterprise ISO - the same happened, instantly expired and blocked.
It's all very well claiming "you must buy a copy" but for ALREADY FULLY LICENSED USERS running VMs on (Windows 10!) Hyper-V for evaluation purposes, how many copies do I need to buy to use the virtualization software Microsoft have provided? As OP said, this model has worked since inception and clearly Microsoft have now blacklisted or blocked the evaluation keys.
Well like I said, you need to contact Microsoft support directly
https://support.microsoft.com/
This forum is not Microsoft support, users can't help with that kind of thing which is operated strictly by Microsoft employees.