The Free Upgrade Path expired on the 2nd of October 2015. With some trickery one could change the date and continue to activate Windows 10130 Insider Preview to use as a stepping stone to Windows 10 Pro. On the 26th of August 2016 Microsoft patched their Product Activation Servers. Consequently the Windows 10130 Insider Preview Path cannot be activated, terminating this Free Upgrade path.

You will get the following error message:

"Error 0x80072F8F On a computer running Microsoft Windows non-core edition, run 'slui.exe 0x2a 0x80072F8F' to display the error text."

You will not be able to register a Windows Vista or Windows XP system via the 10130 Insider Preview with a Microsoft Product Activation server to make it a new Windows 10 Pro Device without buying a key.

Note: If you have already made your VM a Windows 10 Pro Device using the Windows 10130 path it'll continue to work.

Definitions

Host = Physical Hardware

Virtual Machine = Virtual Computer with Emulated Hardware

System Requirements

You need strong Physical Hardware at least double those of Windows 10's minimum system requirements. At least 4 times recommended.

Right click the start button and select system (in Windows 7, left click start and then right click computer and select properties):

You will need a 64 Bit Windows OS.

Check the RAM, you want at least 4 GB >8 GB recommended.

Also check the processor.

If the processor is Intel Google Search "Intel Ark Processor Number" e.g. Intel Ark i7-2600. You want to check the number of threads and you want the processor to support virtualisation technologies.

Of course sufficient graphics and hard drive space is also sufficient.

Windows 10130 and Windows 10 RS1 14393 .iso

In order to get a Free Windows 10 Pro VM you'll need the Windows 10130 Insider Preview .iso and the Windwos 10 RS1 14393 .iso. Because you are performing an upgrade install you cannot cross architectures. Use the 32 Bit 10130 .iso with the 32 Bit 14393 .iso or alternatively the 64 Bit 10130 .iso with the 64 Bit 14393 .iso.

10130 Insider Preview .iso

As the Insider Preview has expired Microsoft have removed it from their server. It may be found in the following unofficial download location:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7NmwbOVcSyzU3BBMGhHblJBcTA&usp=sharing

The file sizes for the 10130 Insider Preview .iso are as follows:

It doesn’t matter that is English US only as its only going to be used as an intermediate stepping stone.

Since the 10130 .iso is Downloaded from an unofficial source I recommend however installing the latest version of 7-zip and checking the CRC SHA. Once 7-zip is installed, simply right click the .iso and select CRC SHA and then select the *:

This will give you the various checksums and they should match the checksums below.

If they are different you will have an incomplete/corrupt download.

14393 RS1 .iso

The Download Link for Windows 10 RS1 is here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

If your Host PC is running Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 you'll get the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. If you are running Linux on your Host PC you'll get a direct download link. Ensure to select the Windows 10 .iso in both cases.

Setting up a VM for the Windows 10130 Insider

Download and install VMware Player for Windows or Linux:

• https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/free#desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_workstation_player/12_0

This guide will instruct you in making a Windows 10586 (TH2) Pro Virtual Machine using the Expired Windows 10130 Insider Preview as a stepping stone.

Select Player.

Select File → New Virtual Machine:

Select I will install this operating system later and then select next:

Select Microsoft Windows and Windows 10 64 Bit:

Name your Virtual Machine and Select the Location (Physical Harddrive Location to Store the VM Files). Select Next:

You may increase the Virtual HDD size if you want. Its usually better to split the virtual disk into multiple files. Select next:

Select Customise Hardware:

If you computer is capable (has at least 8 GB of RAM) up the RAM to 4 GB:

If you computer is capable has at least 8 threads change the Number of processor cores to 4.

If you processor has 4 threads change the Number of processor cores to 2.

This will substantially increase the Windows 10 VMs system performance.

For installation of Windows 10130 to circumvent the fact that its expired we will want to disable the optical drive from connecting at power on so the installation doesn't automatically begin:

We will also want to disable the virtual ethernet adapter from connecting at power on so we install Windows 10130 offline:

When done select close:

Launch the VM:

The BIOS screen will display too slow for you to respond:

It will automatically select its first working boot device, the offline ethernet. Left click the VM.

Then press [Ctrl], [Alt] and [Delete] together.

Press [Esc] twice (quickly).

[Ctrl], [Alt] and [Delete] will show this screen on the Host PC and also simultaneously restart the Virtual Machine.

The first [Esc] will exit this screen and take you back into Windows on the Host machine.

The second [Esc] will take you to the VM Boot Menu.

Note if you aren't fast you will be back here and will need to retry:

If done correctly you should be on the Boot Menu. Press the [↓] key until you get to Enter setup and press [Enter]:

Press the [↓] key until you get to System Date and press [Enter]:

Change the date to 09/02/2015. Note this is the US format and not the UK format 02/09/2015.

Press [F10] and save the changes and Exit by selecting Yes with the [←] key and pressing [Enter] twice:

You will again see this screen.

Go to Player → Removable Devices → Settings:

Select use .iso Image:

Load the 10130 .iso:

Ensure Connected and Connect at Power on are Enabled:

Select Okay.

Clean Install Build 10130

Press [Ctrl], [Alt] and [Delete] together.

Press [Esc] twice (quickly).

If done correctly you should be on the Boot Menu. Press the [↓] key until you get to CD and press [Enter]:

The Windows 10130 setup should now begin:

Select your language and keyboard settings (if using the .iso from the unofficial location, you will need to select English (United States as the Language):

Select Install now:

Accept the license agreement:

As always select custom (advanced):

This is the screen you can load SATA drivers on as normal however this installation media should is up to date and should accommodate the hardware of all Windows Vista systems.

I advise selecting drive options and deleting everything on the drive so it says unallocated space as shown below. Then select Drive 0 and select next:

Windows 10130 will then install:

The computer will restart.

You will be given setup options select express settings, theres no point in customising these settings as this is just an intermediate install which you will use directly to get to Windows 10 10240:

In this screen select I do:

Sign in with a Local Account.

Gabe Aul stated you need to use a Microsoft Account but in my testing this was only to get Windows 10 Pro via Windows Update.

The initial upgrade using the Windows 10 Pro .iso or Media Creation Tool works without a Microsoft Account and it is safer to sign in without a Microsoft Account if you’ve been forced to download 10130 from an unofficial location.

You should log in and Windows should configure your profile settings and Apps and now be on the Windows 10130 desktop.

We now must change a setting of Windows 10130. Left click the clock and select change date and time settings:

This will open up PC Settings, select Time & Language:

Ensure that “Set Time Automatically” is Off:

To activate Windows 10130, right click the start button and select Command Prompt (Admin):

Accept the User Account Control prompt:

Type in

slmgr /ipk 6P99N-YF42M-TPGBG-9VMJP-YKHCF

Then press [Enter]

The dialogue box will come up telling you the product key is installed successfully. Press ok:

Now go to Player → Removable Devices → Network Adapter → Settings:

Enable Connected and Connect at Power on:

.

Type in

slmgr /ato

Press [Enter]:

You will be informed that Windows is activated:

If you get the following error message you have not connected to the Internet or have been too fast. Wait anther minute and retype slmgr /ato:

If you get this error message you have been online and past the expiry date so should retry the steps above.

I will note that its likely Microsoft will remove the ability to activate 10130 soon:

You can check this by right clicking the start button and selecting system:

It should now say Windows is activated:

Windows 10 RS1 14393 (Pro)

 

Go to Player → Removable Devices → Settings:

Select use .iso Image:

Load the 14393 Pro .iso:

Ensure Connected and Connect at Power on are Enabled:

Select Okay.

Tap to choose what happens with it:

Select run setup.exe (you can also launch setup.exe from Windows explorer from the USB flash drive):

Double click the setup:

Select yes at the User Account Control prompt:

The Windows setup will load and prepare:

On the following screen ensure you select Not at this Moment and uncheck “I want to help make installation of Windows Better”. Checking for Updates on the expired 10130 build may stall the installation. Then select next:

Accept the license agreement:

If you are changing language select ok here:

Select Change what to keep:

Select Nothing. This will give you a clean Windows 10 RS1 Install:

Windows 14393 RS1 will then restart and begin the upgrade during which it will restart another three times:

Select customise settings and press “next” once you’ve made your desired selection on each page or use the express settings:

Next select “I own it” for a home PC or “My organisation” for a work PC:

For “I Own It” sign in with a Microsoft Account (recommended by Microsoft so you can use all of Microsoft’s services in particular OneDrive).

Alternatively skip this step and sign in with a local account. A Local Account can later be converted to a Microsoft Account if desired:

The PC will configure the last stages and install Apps (which now work as Windows):

You can the opt to use Cortana or not:

 

You should now be in the Windows 10 Desktop:

The date will be correct but the exact time might not be. You can go to date/time settings and correct it to match the actual time.

Wait 10 minutes and then right click the start button and select System:

You should see that Windows is Activated and the Edition is Windows 10 Pro:

If you have checked too early it may state to connect to the internet to activate. Leave it another 5-10 minutes. Restart your computer and recheck if its activated. In all my test cases it was.

Now your system is a Windows 10 Pro Device. It won’t have a product key but its hardware profile is stored and registered with a Microsoft Product Activation server.

Install VMware Tools

Go to Player and select Manage → Install VMware Tools:

The VMware Tools will be loaded in the Virtual Machines Virtual Optical Drive:

Select Setup64 for a 64 Bit OS and accept the UAC:

Select Next:

Select typical and next:

Select Install:

Select Finish:

Select Yes to Restart:

Then select this button to make the VM full screen:

If you don’t want the VM to be full screen press the same button again. You can resize the VM to your desired size and with the proper display adapter installed the VM will automatically follow resizing to the size you selected.