Windows 10: Clean SSD: How can my Windows License be active?

1. I have a clean SSD

2. I install a new Windows without entering any serial code or logging in on any account

3. Windows Starts

4. Activation says: 'Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account'


How is this possible? Is Windows activation linked to my motherboard or anything like that?


I want to sell this computer, but NOT with my license on it. I want a clean Windows without any activated stuff on it.

:)

 

Activate windows 10 after a clean install through digital license.

Windows 10 Digital License

When you upgraded from a previous version of Windows or receive a new computer preinstalled with Windows 10, what happened is the hardware (your PC) will get a digital entitlement, where a unique signature of the computer will be stored on Microsoft
Activation Servers. The Windows 7 or Windows 8 genuine license you were previously running will be exchanged for a diagnostics key.

Anytime you need to reinstall Windows 10 on that machine, just proceed to reinstall Windows 10. It will automatically reactivate. You will prompted to enter a product key a couple times through the installation, click I don't have
a key and Do this later.

There is no need to know or get a new key, but if you have issues with Digital Licensing or the Activation Troubleshooter, you can utilize an existing Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 product key you already own to
reactivate if necessary. or use the reset function in Windows 10.

Activate Your Windows 10 License via Microsoft Chat Support

Reinstall by Performing a Direct Clean Install

If Windows 10 was already installed and activated on your system, just proceed to perform a direct clean install as described in the following articles.

Step 1: How
to download official Windows 10 ISO files

Step 2:

• How to: Perform a clean install of Windows 10

 

Can't activate windows after clean install


Could you post a link to the "Clean" install instructions you followed? Or list the steps you took. It sounds like you may have done an upgrade.

What account you log in with has nothing to do with activation. Unless your trying transfer a license to new hardware. You can setup with a local account and Windows will activate. Was Windows 10 previously installed and activated on that PC?

The Product Code is good for 32 bit or 64 bit, its your choice which you use. The only thing locked in is the Edition, Home, Pro etc. You can't activate Home with a Pro key for example.

 

Can't activate windows after clean reinstall

It sounds like you did this:

• Install Windows 10 as upgrade from previous version
• Clean install Windows 10 again

The clean install will not activate if the original "upgrade install" didn't get activated prior to the clean install. What needs to happen is this:

• Install Windows 10 as upgrade from previous version
• Activate Windows 10
• Now you can clean install anytime without activation problems

I believe that step 2 got skipped. It should activate on it's own after several hours/days, but if you do a clean install before that's done (or don't manually activate yourself first), you will have to go back to step 1 and upgrade from inside your previous
qualifying version (yes, that means re-installing Windows 7 or whatever you had before).

Please don't shoot the messenger