Windows 10: Activation:"Digital License" form in-use before input of Retail Key...

What would cause Windows to activate prior to the input of a CD-Key? From some supposed "digital license"? I had installed an OEM version prior to this but deleted the partition and formatted prior to my (current) retail version.

:)

 

Activation switched from "with product key" to "with Digital License"


After doing the upgrade from Windows 10 Education 1511 to 1607, Settings > Update & security > Activation, switched from "activated with a product key" to Activated with a Digital License".
Activation has changed with the upgrade to 1607.
To clarify what I'm talking about I'll add some info.
I originally installed Windows 10 Education 1511 with my MSDN Retail key. Settings > Update & security > Activation would show "Activated with a Product key" and show the last 5 digits of the key I used to activate it.
After it upgrading to 1607 via Windows update, it now says "Activated with a digital License tied to your Microsoft account". It has switched to a Digital license?

As a test, I did clean install of Windows 10 Education 1511 on a PC that never had that version installed on it. I did a " I don't have a key" option and it installed and showed as not activated.
I then entered one of my Retail MSDN keys and activated it. It then showed as "Activated with a product code" in Settings > Update & security > Activation.
I then did a clean install on that same PC, with a " I don't have a key" option and it showed as not activated. If it had a DL it would have activated automatically.
I then entered my MSDN key and activated it. It showed activated with a product key as before. To me that indicates it does not have a digital entitlement.
As one last test, I installed windows 10 Education 1511 with a skip key, then upgraded to 1607, and it still showed as not activated, this PC does not have a digital license.

I was told by another forum member that any activation of Windows 10 will get you a digital license, and that's its always been that way. Which, as far as I can tell, is not true.
The PC I'm referring too, was activated twice with Windows 10 1511 but still shows as unactivated on a clean install of 1511 and 1607.
All installs being switched to a digital license only happened with the release of the anniversary edition. Before that Retail installs stayed as activated with a product key.

If anybody has upgraded from a retail install of Windows 10 1511, I would be very interested to know what , Settings > Update & security > Activation shows for you?
Doesn't matter if its Home, Pro etc? My keys were Retail keys.

 

Activation switched from "with product key" to "with Digital License"


This webpage has been updated to reflect what is new with version 1607 of Windows 10:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...-10-activation

It clearly states that if your Windows 10 is activated with a retail product key, then you get a digital license in return. The unanswered question is whether or not that digital license is stored on Microsoft activation servers based upon installation ID or whether the user must re-enter their retail product key on a new clean install. The answer to that question would be to do a clean re-install the version 1607 Windows 10 Education edition in the OP and skip entering the product key and see if it activated automatically online - or if the product key will be required to be entered to obtain activation.

 

Windows is activated by a digital license

Hello,
I have a Dreamspark's Windows 10 multiple edition key which is retail.
I installed it for the first time on a new laptop and its status was "Windowa is activated.".
I had to return the new computer because it was faulty, and got a new one. I dont know what Lenovo did with my older one which had the Windows key on it.
Anyway, I installed Windows 10 using the same key but now the status is "Windows is activated by a digital license".
Can someone tell me what caused the change and what are the differences? What about validity issues - is digital license need to be confirmed in Microsoft database once in a while?
Thanks