Windows 10: Do I still need to purchase a product key if I got my digital license for my other computer...

Ok so here's the explaination. I have a computer from 2012 that I don't really use that much but I decided to install Windows 10 on it then I made a new microsoft account then when I checked it said it was activated using a digital license that's linked to my NEW MADE MICROSOFT ACCOUNT keep in mind that it's new and I didn't put a product key when it was in the setup and it was in trial mode until I made an account then logged it in Is it a bug?

:)

 

Digital license key

What do you mean by digital license "key"? I've heard of a digital license for Windows 10, and I've heard of a Product Key for Windows 10, but I've never heard of a digital license key.

 

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

Well, to be quite honest and frank, it is because you don't know how Windows 10 licensing works. It is very different than previous versions of Windows. The product key for Windows 10 is not the license. The product key only establishes the digital license for Windows 10 that is stored at Microsoft. An OEM product key, whether stored in the computer's firmware or purchased separately is only supposed to be able to establish the digital license for the first computer it is used on (although, it is not strictly enforced by Microsoft). A retail product key can be used to establish a digital license for multiple computers. Once the digital license is established by the product key, it is the digital license that activates Windows.

It's like purchasing season tickets for an event with a credit card. The credit card (product key) is used to purchase the season ticket (digital license). But you don't use the credit card to get into the event (activate Windows) - you use the ticket (digital license) that you purchased.

This is completely different than previous versions of Windows, which used the product key itself to activate Windows. The reason you can use the same OEM disk for Windows 10 to install multiple systems is because the disk itself contains no product key or license. The product key comes from the computer's BIOS or input from the user. And if no product key at all is supplied, then the generic product key for that edition of Windows 10 is used and once connected to the internet, Windows will contact Microsoft activation servers and attempt to locate a digital license for Windows 10 stored there based upon the unique Hardware ID of that computer.

When you upgrade a computer from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro, the digital license for Windows 10 Home for that computer is still stored on Microsoft Activation Servers, so either Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro will activate for that computer. And, under normal circumstances, when you install Windows 10 on a computer, setup will first look for a Windows 8 or Windows 10 product key stored in BIOS (or UEFI firmware). If it finds a product key there, it will use that to determine which edition of Windows 10 to install (home or pro), and will install that edition automatically without giving the user a choice.

And, finally, there is NO difference in functionality between an OEM licensed Windows 10 and a Windows 10 licensed with a retail product key.

 

Windows 10 Digital License

Just curious why you would want to do that? It won't affect the digital license stored on Microsoft Activation servers for that computer. It could, however, affect the ability to reuse that same product on a different computer.