Windows 10: bought Windows10 at Microsoft store did not get a product key or digital license or...

We are all just lost in the details.

:)

 

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

I have 3 users on my pc - I have digital too

Activation helps verify that your copy of Windows is genuine and hasn’t been used on more devices than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. Depending on how you got your copy of Windows 10, activation will use either a digital license or a 25-character product key.


Digital license (called a digital entitlement in Windows 10 Version 1511) is a method of activation in Windows 10 that doesn't require you to enter a product key.


[table][tr] How you got Windows 10 Activation method [/tr] [tr][td]You upgraded to Windows 10 for free from an eligible device running a genuine copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.[/td] [td]Digital license[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]You bought genuine Windows 10 from the Windows Store and successfully activated Windows 10.[/td] [td]Digital license[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]You bought a Windows 10 Pro upgrade from the Windows Store and successfully activated Windows 10.[/td] [td]Digital license[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]You’re a Windows Insider and upgraded to the newest Windows 10 Insider Preview build on an eligible device that was running an activated previous version of Windows and Windows 10 Preview.[/td] [td]Digital license[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]You bought a copy of Windows 10 from an authorized retailer.[/td] [td]Product key (On a label inside the Windows 10 box. A digital license will be given to your device for Windows 10 based on the valid product key you entered.)[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]You bought a digital copy of Windows 10 from an authorized retailer.[/td] [td]Product key (In the confirmation email you received after buying Windows 10 or in a digital locker accessible through the retailer’s website. A digital license will be given to your device for Windows 10 based on the valid product key you entered.) [/td] [/tr] [tr][td]You have a Volume Licensing agreement for Windows 10 or MSDN subscription.[/td] [td]Product key (Available through the web portal for your program.)[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]You bought a new device running Windows 10.[/td] [td]Product key (Pre–installed on your device, included with the device packaging, or included as a card or on the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached to the device.)[/td] [/tr] [/table]

 

Win10 Home to W10 Pro Upgrade Error using Product Key

The keys are there because 1. It is the product key you end up with when you gain a digital license for Windows 10 Pro through legitimate means and 2. When you do a clean install of Windows 10 (without adding an ei.cfg file), on a computer with a product key for Windows 10 Home stored in UEFI, you can use the generic product key to upgrade the Windows 10 Home that installs by default to Windows 10 Pro - but only if you have an existing digital license for that computer for Windows 10 Pro previously stored on Microsoft Activation Servers.

The reason the generic Windows10 Pro product key will not upgrade your Windows 10 Home to Pro is because you do not have a preexisting digital license for Pro for that computer stored on Microsoft activation servers.

 

How does a Windows 10 'digital license' activate the OS?

source: Activate Windows - Microsoft Support

Does MS digital license 'fingerprint' hardware information during the free upgrade / activation and store it (at Microsoft) , so that the next re-install queries MS for the fingerprint and activates Windows 10?

Thought the disk drive may change, I expect that none of the other fingerprinted hardware will change.