Win10 Pro OEM_DM to Win11 pro Activation Fail

Samantha 0 Reputation points
2024-04-17T11:53:27.52+00:00

I received a Windows 10 Pro OEM_DM Channel system that I upgraded to Windows 11 Pro and now my Windows will not activate.

I downloaded the Windows 11 23h2 ISO from the website and created a PXE image with MDT and WDS. Once the install was completed and I tried to activate windows it says it "can not validate my Product Key". I did not activate Windows 10 Pro system before installing the new Windows 11 because I thought it was able to upgrade without doing that. I also bought an upgrade to Windows 11. I have tried the Generic Product Key but it failed. Currently my system is in Notification Mode and has changed from OEM_DM to Windows(R) Professional Edition, Retail Channel.

I need to be able to PXE this image out to all of my workstations without this issue in the future; is there a better way to do this? Should I activate all of the Windows 10 Pro before pushing the Windows 11 Pro? Do I have to reinstall Windows 10 Pro and activate then PXE again? I am so confused why it would change from OEM_DM to Retail when the systems were bought with Windows 10 Pro w/upgrade to Windows 11 Pro.

Windows 10
Windows 10
A Microsoft operating system that runs on personal computers and tablets.
10,630 questions
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
A collection of Microsoft tools and documentation for automating desktop and server deployment. Previously known as Microsoft Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment (BDD).
831 questions
Windows 11
Windows 11
A Microsoft operating system designed for productivity, creativity, and ease of use.
8,182 questions
Windows Licensing
Windows Licensing
Windows: A family of Microsoft operating systems that run across personal computers, tablets, laptops, phones, internet of things devices, self-contained mixed reality headsets, large collaboration screens, and other devices.Licensing: Rules, regulations, and restrictions that define how software can be used and distributed.
33 questions
{count} votes

4 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. Darrell Gorter 1,296 Reputation points
    2024-04-17T14:16:13.81+00:00

    Hello,

    Yes you need to activate Windows 10 Pro first.


  2. Samantha 0 Reputation points
    2024-04-19T14:02:50.6466667+00:00

    I reverted back to the original win10 pro and the install ID could still not be validated. How can I actually speak to someone about this issue instead of just asking a question that doesnt get answered?

    0 comments No comments

  3. Wesley Li 4,815 Reputation points
    2024-04-19T15:36:29.6166667+00:00

    Hello

    How did you configure the MDT task? Is it an upgrade task or clean installation task?

    If it is an upgrade operation, it should be available to be activated. But we may activate windows 10 firstly.

    Upgrade to Windows 11: FAQ - Microsoft Support

    We could try to activate Windows 10 firstly then upgrade with the Windows 11 iso manually then check whether it would be activated aotomatically.

    According to your description, there is a possibility that it didn't support clean installation. Or the Windows 11 iso include an invalid product key.

    0 comments No comments

  4. Deleted

    This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.


    Comments have been turned off. Learn more