Windows 10: Changed laptop's HDD to SSD, want to transfer windows 10 key

I can confirm what NavyLCDR posted. My laptop has an OEM embedded key for 8.0 Core. If I use stock install media I get 10 Home by default with no prompt for a key and no option to select Home or Pro. I had originally upgraded from Core to Pro with one of my MSDN keys. Then to 8.1 Pro. My free upgrade was dome from 8.1 Pro. The first time I got Home instead of Pro on a clean install I just used the Change Product Key option and entered the generic Pro key. Windows then upgraded to Pro and activated with the Digital License I already had via the free upgrade. If I had not already had a DL it would have just upgraded but not activated. Now I add a PID.txt with the generic Pro key in it. It's the same deal, no prompt for a key and no option to select Home or Pro. But it installs Pro by default instead of Home.

My desktop PC has no embedded key. On that PC I get prompted for a key and get the pick Home or Pro option. If I use stock install media. I use a PID.txt on that PC too just to speed things up a little.

 

Hi there

suggestion -- Don't throw away the old HDD -- get a SATA-->USB connector and then use that drive for storing backups. !!!!

Cheers
jimbo

 

Two possibilities. Put the old hard drive back in and download and run pruductkey.exe, yes that is the correct spelling. ...Secondly. I have changed hard drives too with no problem. BUT with the prior drive I was registered with Microsoft with a outlook.com email. Then on the next install skip the 25-digit spot. Once you get a desktop, just sign in with Microsoft, and your new install is activated. Has worked twice for me.

 

Never heard of that ...are you sure you are not referring to ProduKey? If not, do you have a link to that app?

 

You could be right. It was spelled unusual.

 

Hi C (belated response)

This was a significant change with version 1607 - ie you get a digital licence now however you activate (upgrade or product key). The plus point is you can now reinstall on same pc even if you do not know the product key.

A side effect of that is that it makes it possible to transfer oem licences to another device EVEN though that is against the EULA. Not suggesting people should do this of course. Frankly, I do not think MS really care about this as their whole commercial model is based on getting as many people (and keeping them) in the windows ecosphere. In reality, the distinction between retail and oem has become rather blurred.

This is further implied by the fact you can run it unactivated ad nauseam, with only (and relatively unobtrusive) occasional nags to buy a licence. Of course, you would not get the benefit of a digital licence here.

One interesting point about digital licences is they cannot be transferred many times (three max from my testing) before they get blocked. There does not seem to be any way to move it after this unlike product keys where you can use telephone activation as often as you need.

I am inclined to think MS will phase out product keys and all pcs will just have digital licences at some point and the old retail/oem distinction will disappear. Oem system builder licences etc will be a thing of the past. It may even become impossible to"illegally" buy volume licence keys as a member of public in future.


cheers

M.

 

Thanx M for that.. been struggling with getting to grips on how to troubleshoot digital licences to include in the Activation diagnostic tool, - thus far all I have is the activation server reported code and the store licensing event log (really cryptic stuff) to go on...

I agree that it's making the EULA difficult to enforce...not that it ever was, TBH.

I don't think the OEM's are at all knowledgeable about digital activation to provide support - thus that will have to shift to MS (especially if activated with an MSA)

 

As far as I can tell, there is no difference between a digital licence obtained from an OEM upgrade, retail upgrade, OEM 10 initial install, or retail 10 initial install.

This perhaps suggests MS are moving away from OEM versions ie everything will be 'limited' retail in effect. I say limited as you can only transfer two or three times to a new mobo (I guess MS consider very few people would change that frequently).

I am not sure you can do anything to handle digital licences as the algorithms for the hardware binding are an MS secret (presumably to minimise piracy).

You would be amazed at how many posts I have seen where people say 'just login with MS account on new PC and it will activate' showing a complete lack of understanding of how the new digital licences and the link to MS accounts works. Of course, it will not activate automatically - you have to manually transfer licence using the troubleshooter.

 

Quite a few people think their DL is tied to their Microsoft Account and not to the device. And that they have to log in with their Microsoft Account to activate. There is lots of confusion on what linking actually does, and doesn't do.

Microsoft doesn't give out very much, if any detailed info on activation, for good reasons. I've had to go to some shady areas of the internet to figure out what I've gleamed over the years. I have no Interest in how to pirate Windows, but when things go wrong with legitimate installs, you have to know what's what to sort it out. I'm still a long way from what some of you know and can do though.

Moving to all DL sounds good. But I see that creating extra work for the OEM's. How do they pre activate and get a DL for every device before they box and ship it? Assuming there are no more product codes? A new thread on this subject might be in order?

 

Actually, there is not really any mystery over linking. It is very simple - digital licence activation is still tied to hardware in same way as always. All the link does (in effect) keep a record of your digital licence on your MS account (presumably its details), so if it fails to activate due to a hardware change, you can MANUALLY activate the licence on new hardware as the MS account has the necessary info.

Re. digital licences on oem, I assume they would continue to use bios embedded keys. The digital licence is granted during installation. I think total elimination of product keys is unlikely but less reliance already now is good.

 

I know what it does. The thing is I have several PC's with multiple Digital Licenses. Only one of which, as far as I can tell, is linked to my Microsoft Account, the currently installed OS on each device. Which one and or how many of those DL can I transfer is the confusing part. And why I ended up in that situation in the first place. Some of it was beyond my control. Anyway, this (my having multiple DL's) has all ben hashed over before in another thread so no need to go into that again. I just wanted to pint that there are parts of the mechanism that make you want to just shake your head and wonder why did they do that?

 

I had three towers running Windows 10 at one time, no problems. On all I was running the 1511 build, now the 1607 build.

I have redone a number of computers for friends. Just used their Windows 7 25-digit key and version 10 installed and activated.

Where is this going? Mikey will let us know I'm sure. They want to see no more movements to Apple...