Windows 10: Activation switched from "with product key" to "with Digital License"

Partially *Smile

It seems that the Education edition has different rules for digital activation. Clean install of 1511 Education when activated with product key earns the digital entitlement, which was carried over to 1607 clean install on same machine without a key, then further carried over to 1511 Education clean install on same machine without a key. Conclusion: product key activation of 1511 Home, Pro and Education entitles the selected edition to digital license, but in case of Education edition the machine has had to have at least one installation of 1607 before 1511 can again be installed without a key.

However, speaking only about consumer editions Home and Pro (and also Single Language which I have tested, too), a product key activation of version 1511 always gets the digital activation. A fresh clean install of Home, Pro or Single Language directly after activating 1511 automatically gets digital entitlement / license.

This latter is the part you refused to believe, yet this remains valid information as long as we speak about consumer editions (Single Language, Home, Pro) of Windows 10:



Information As soon as Windows 10 version 1511 or later is activated, regardless of the activation method or product key type, it is entitled to digital activation and license.

Therefore, the product key or other activation methods are not needed when re-installing Windows.

Our tests with Education edition are quite irrelevant in big picture because a normal Windows user does not use it, and when does it is / should be volume licenced through school or such.

 

Yes, for most users its a non issue. It was me noticing that activation switched from "with Product Code" to "with Digital license" on the upgrade that started the whole debate. If I had not been running Education I would never have happened and I would not have picked up on anything out of the ordinary.

In any case I think we can put this one to bed now. Like Wynona said " 1511 is so last week . . ".

I'm going to activate my 1507 install on my test rig and then just let it upgrade to 1607 and be done with it.

 

Here's a question to get us thinking:

Do you get a digital licence if you use a windows 10 OEM key to initially activate Windows?

I could see that in this case, it would not give a digital licence, as then you would not be able to move Windows 10 to a new PC using the activation troubleshooter (which is not permitted in the EULA of course).

So if anybody has a pc that has either used an oem 10 key (system builder licence), or it came with Windows 10 preinstalled, what does it say in the activation menu now on version 1607?

 

I upgraded a Windows 7 Home Premium OEM (system builders) install to Windows 10 Home. 10 Home was never activated on that PC prior to this. The new 10 Home install was activated with a digital license. After switching my login to a Microsoft account it said activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account. That test install was done to see if free upgrades were still being allowed. It was done after the 29th of July. It's been wiped by another test install on that PC now though. It's long gone.

 

Yes, you get a digital license also with OEM installations but that is of course not transferable, applying only to that device.

 

oh dear, we have a progressive freak!! He is sooooooooooooooooo tomorrow!! *Cool

 

1607 gives us the OEM EULA terms in C:\Windows\System32\Licenses\neutral\OEM\Professional or, for the core version, from the iso:

\sources\install.wim\2\Windows\System32\Licenses\neutral\OEM\Core\

as files, both called license.rtf. They may vary from some EULAs that have been published online.

Whether OEM or retail, the digital license is needed for upgrading and activating the upgrade.

I have no idea whether this aspect (transfer of OEM acquired license) of enforcing the EULA terms is working yet - I somehow doubt it, since some other terms do not seem to be enforced yet.

 

I was specifically asking about a windows oem 10 key. It is certain any upgrade from 7/8 gives a digital licence.

Have any of you guys actually ever used one and checked what it says on 1607 screen. I was just wondering if there was more to things than we have thought of.

My expectation is it will give a digital licence like using a 10 retail key, but I can see logic as I said for NOT giving a digital licence in that case.

I would just like somebody to just look and say what screen says rather than speculating.

 

I don't have any devices with OEM embedded Windows 10 keys. It could be long while before I buy a new device that has one. My MSDN keys are all Retail or MAK.

 

Ummm, that would be, "she is sooooooooooooooo tomorrow!" Thank you very much. *Tongue

 

I think this relevant to some questions asked here, Windows 10: More free upgrade and activation questions answered

 

MS needs to add to this page-
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...-10-activation

the following-
You upgraded to a newer build version of Windows 10, and the previous build was activated- Digital License.

(they almost have a correct paragraph, but they refer to Windows Insider and Windows Preview- maybe they should just reword this removing references to Insider/Preview)

I have upgraded several pc's to 1607 that had Windows 10 embedded OEM keys (and were activated), and they all show Digital License after the upgrade (previously showed as Product Key). I'm guessing the first time Windows activates it will show 'Product Key' activation until any build upgrade (1607 or > ), then will show as Digital License. I have not tested this, but I suspect if you take a pc with an embedded OEM key (never been activated), do a clean install of 1607, you will end up with Product Key activation and any subsequent build upgrade will show Digital License.