Windows 10 Evaluation cannot be activated (product key is blocked)

Copper Contributor

Hi,

 

I'm using the Windows 10 Evaluation software (been using the software for years) but since a few days when I install the OS it gives an 'license has expired' and 'product key has been blocked' when I try to activate.

 

downloaded the latest ISO, same issue.

 

dear Microsoft: please check the (pre-pidded! product key in the activation servers and remove it from the blacklist please.

 

 

11 Replies
Hi,
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-windo...


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 

 

have you ever installed the ISO from the evaluation center? then you know that it is pre-pidded (eg: is has a product key factory installed that can be activated for an unlimited amount of times but it only activated windows for 90 days and then the installation is expired

 

this is mainly used for lab installation (such as the config I'm using it for)

 

so no you don't need to buy a product key, you can reinstall and reinstall the 90 day eval every time.

 

what I mean by 'using it for years' is that I have been using this evaluation construction since windows XP (you could get an eval for that)

@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.

𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 1-906-373-3599, 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥.

@JamesRankin 

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.

 

@bakker_erik 

Spoiler

@bakker_erik wrote:

@HotCakeX 

 

have you ever installed the ISO from the evaluation center? then you know that it is pre-pidded (eg: is has a product key factory installed that can be activated for an unlimited amount of times but it only activated windows for 90 days and then the installation is expired

 

this is mainly used for lab installation (such as the config I'm using it for)

 

so no you don't need to buy a product key, you can reinstall and reinstall the 90 day eval every time.

 

what I mean by 'using it for years' is that I have been using this evaluation construction since windows XP (you could get an eval for that)


Okay, that sentence kind of threw me off, thought you've been using evaluation software for years, meaning non-stop, that's why I suggested to buy a product key.

 

but yes I've used evaluation copy/trial many times.

I can confirm this problem too. And yes, it DOES activate to enable the 90 day evaluation.

@Dean Brighton Hello same issue here. One solution I found is to use the Windows 10 LTSC 1809, the activation key is still working.

@Dean Brighton You mean you CAN get it to activate for 90 days? Mine show expired as soon as they are built :(

I tried Windows Server insider preview 2022 evaluation keys yesterday and they worked fine.
has anyone tried other evaluation products too?

@bakker_erikJust tested again and it has been fixed now.