Microsoft warns that users who have installed the Media Center with a product key won’t get other updates on Windows 10

Oct 13, 2014 11:29 GMT  ·  By
Windows 10 Preview could also include bug fixes and performance improvements
   Windows 10 Preview could also include bug fixes and performance improvements

Windows 10 Preview does not ask for a product key when installed, but some people who decided to give it a try used one to gain additional features in the operating system.

Some users introduced their product keys for Windows 8 in order to install the Media Center add-on, but it turns out that doing such a thing would actually cause more trouble on your computer.

The company has confirmed in a short post that users who introduce their product keys in Windows 10 Preview to add the Media Center pack will only block the software from getting additional updates.

At this point, it’s not yet clear if those who have already entered their product keys have any other option than to reinstall Windows 10 Preview altogether, but as a future recommendation, avoid doing so when using testing software.

Microsoft admits it should have issued this advice before launch

In a statement posted today, Microsoft’s support engineer Winston M. admits that the company should have offered the recommendation to avoid using product keys before the actual launch of Windows 10 Preview, just to make sure that no problems would be experienced.

“We apologize for not catching this before we launched Tech Preview. We did not intend for you to be able to use a purchased product key on a preview build. We do not recommend adding Media Center to Windows 10 Technical Preview as using a purchased product key will also prevent you from getting updates and future builds for Windows 10 Technical Preview.”

“To make sure you get updates for Tech Preview, we recommend that you download the ISO file and perform an in-place upgrade to re-install Windows 10 Technical Preview.”

Frequent updates promised for Windows 10 Preview

Microsoft hasn’t said it specifically, but Windows 10 Preview is expected to get frequent updates, containing not only features, but also other improvements and bug fixes supposed to correct some of the problems that users find in this early build.

Tomorrow, Microsoft will roll out this month’s Patch Tuesday updates, and improvements for Windows 10 Preview are also expected, although it’s not yet clear whether the company will stick to bug fixes or could also include a number of new features and options.

Windows 10 Preview has a new update system that allows Microsoft to deliver bug fixes and significant improvements without the need for a clean install, thus making the testing program much smoother for everyone joining it.