Same here. I’ve had nothing but problems with Windows upgrades. When I bought my computer new it came with Windows 8. I was naive & thought I had to upgrade to 8.1; the literature & information put forth to stay on top with Microsoft functionality, it was put forth as simple, easy transition…everything through Windows update. So I did it, unaware of how it would affect my system. I was locked out of the recovery partition. Learned AFTERWARD from Tech BLOGS (not Microsoft support which has long since ended; including all the remote assistance/support from HP-both items 12 months. Then user-subscription at $200 each product for extended coverage) that a boot disk (recovery image) has to be done BEFORE the Win 8.1 upgrade. I did it afterward therefore my flashdrive backup for my OS was useless. I then ended up with a lock screen anomaly. One hour e’things fine, next hour I’m permenantly LOCKED OUT of my system. I followed all sorts of tutorials & couldn’t bypass this matter, then something in the UEFI firmware got corrupted from all my attempts to restore & use the shadow volume to try & restore the recovery image…I spent 2 wks on this & finally had to take it in to a technician. Even with his access & it’s QUOTED in PC MAG tech spots, “these are the Windows vagaries they don’t tell you about & sometimes even the techies are bested.”

I thought I was saved when he replaced my OS but didn’t have a Win 8 disk so I was ‘downgraded’ to Win 7 ultimate. The product key, licensing…& activation was all there in my desktop specs. The OS certified as ‘genuine’. Then the whole deal with Windows 10 was out. I felt like I was now an informed consumer & I had a couple glitches I couldn’t bypass [loss of recovery partition & all Windows app’s with removal of Win 8; loss of ALL HP update software & even CYBERCAM software & dolby digital surround audio drivers]. Some of the issues with backup & so on would be reset with Windows 10. I read, I educated myself…I signed up for my reserve copy when the ‘free’ upgrade would be released. Again I was blindsided by the things MICROSOFT does not candidly disclose. Windows 10 autolaunched installation. The automatic DOWNLOAD had to be deferred EVERY 2 DAYS. What a pain in the ***! I live alone & forgot one night that the download would time out, I came back to my computer & it was installing. I figured oh well, what’s done is done. What I didn’t know is that after the merge to Windows 10…the new OS only gives a ‘shadow license’ & I think the product key etc., remained in tact. Where things went very wrong, NOT IDENTIFIED BY MICROSOFT, is after 4-5 days nothing but BUGS with Windows 10 & the Windows updates seemed to keep automatically installing even though I adjusted settings to NOTIFY ME of download & let ME CHOOSE to install. Not always the case & that wasn’t the easiest to navigate. The more updates installed the more I had problems with my system. I was nervous & uneasy but the SAFE OPTION of rolling BACK to Windows 7 was left ‘optional’ with Microsoft in the transition to Windows 10. I made the decision to roll back as Win 7 Ultimate is much more stable. Then after a time the ROLL BACK caused my licensing & product key to spontaneously ‘disappear’ or reset & after things being alright, suddenly I turn on my computer one day & I have ‘your copy of windows may not be genuine’; I have the constant pop-up from the Windows Activation Client…I have done everything in every tutorial & still it’s there. I cannot “end the process” in task manager, nothing happens. It says to look for Winlogon.exe & Wintaskmgr.exe (s’thing like that) in my registry & delete them. Well BIZARRO, they are NOT there, I have gone to extensive lengths…followed instructions for CMD prompt & to delete them there, it does not turn up in my system, yet this POP-UP PERSISTS.

I followed the steps above for the activation client…I entered my CD key [which is also the product key] & it returns, “a problem occurred when windows tried to activate. Error Code 0xC004E003. I have had people in computer tech stuff tell me this is what happens when you upgrade to Windows 10 then fall back, because of something with the OEM despite Microsoft stating the upgrade leaves everything in tact, it is not a FULL LICENSE KEY, it’s a shadow version (something like that). S’times the product validation remains in tact, other times the registry values get corrupted & then you get THIS PROBLEM with the Windows Activation Client failing to authenticate your OS as being genuine or valid. You either get stuck having to buy the installation media & reinstall or buying a new product KEY.

I now know that this is purposefully done, I call it ‘booby traps’. The companies MUST as it guarantee’s profit/consumer base. You stumble into these ‘pits’ & you are forced to buy your way out unless you’re a whiz at computer decoding & build structures. It is SABOTAGE…all digital media is built to FAIL; all computer OPERATING SYSTEMS are built to be BUGGED so that you have problems & need to pay for technical support or technicians to fix it or the quickest, replace your system. All things lead to forced consumerism & profit sharing.

So now I either put up with the annoying, endless pop up or pay for a new product key! And even that isn’t a solution as there’s now limited time on the product keys for Windows 7; & eventually all activation will end anyways as everything is being mainlined to force you to Windows 10. The Win 7 licensing ends in 2020; support ended January of 2014.