Windows 10: How does Microsoft store activation credentials?

Hi all.
Been a long while since I've needed to fix a Windows PC -- thanks to the tech gods, I guess.
Family member's HDD failed.
Installed a replacement HDD.
Installed Windows 10 using Windows Creation Tool.
They had no record of their Windows activation code; so, I was worried about having to buy a new copy of Windows.

I was very happy to see that the newly installed copy of Windows is automatically activated. Is Microsoft using the motherboard or something else to identify the PC as the owner of genuine copy of Windows?

Just wondering how license management works at Microsoft these days. Thank you! *Smile

:)

 

Activating Windows 10 after installing a new motherboard

The old system (x99) has Windows Anniversary on it and has been activated.

The new system (Z170) does not have Windows Anniversary on it since the installation balked when there was no activation of the Windows 10. This is the problem I'm having . . . . . how to I get to activating the new system? There is no reference to "Troubleshoot"
or "Activate with Microsoft Account"; only "Go to Store" or "Enter a Product Code".

 

Install apps to Windows Phone 8.1 using Microsoft store with PC?

How can I push apps to my Windows Phone 8.1 from the Microsoft store website? When I browse for Windows Phone 8.1 apps on the microsoft apps store, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps/windows-phone , the option to install the app to my phone isn't
active. The button is there but it's greyed out and there's a note saying to visit the store with my phone to install.

BTW I have activated my phone's "Find my phone" setting set to use push notifications (not sms) to send commands and apps to my phone. Find my phone does work.

 

I recently bought a secondhand Windows 7 Professional Laptop, lovingly restored back to Windows 7 with the Pawnbroker's own Legitimate reinstallation system, using the OEM COA product key.

When I clean installed Windows 10 Pro on the machine, it activated with a digital license, without my, or anybody else's Microsoft Account being used.

There must have been a previous installation or upgrade on the machine, linked to its hardware. Specifically, the motherboard, but with some small contribution from Processor, Network Adapter, installed memory etc., it has been said. The main HDD or SSD storage has very little weighting in the hardware contribution to the PCs digital identity, or "Hardware hash" as it is sometimes known, it seems.

But you are right: the PC is the "Owner" of the digital entitlement, in much the same way that the PC "owns" an OEM preinstalled software and OS, and they cannot be independently transferred.

In the case of Windows 10, if the Microsoft account is linked to the digital license, then Microsoft usually will allow you to transfer the license to another machine, at least by telephone licensing support if automatic transfer activation does not occur. The Microsoft account linked to the digital license is the record of activation stored by Microsoft that the user can refer to if there are difficulties in transferring the license.

Potentially, if my laptop was installed with Windows 10 by someone with a digital licence for it linked to their MS Account in the past, they could remove the device from their Microsoft Account at some time in the future, but it is unlikely that the laptop will lose its license.

As Microsoft is looking to get Windows 10 on as many devices as it can, and lose as many older versions of Windows still running as possible for the purposes of impressing competitors and shareholders alike, they will not likely perform a purge yet.

 

You can install Windows 10 with a Windows 7 key.

 

But I didn't need to use any key.

 

Because the Windows 7 key is in the BIOS.

 

Windows 7 COA keys were never in BIOS only generic oem-slp key which cannot be used to activate a clean install of Windows 10.

 

Hi there

Ms would probably say in the old words of that famous Mafia Boss - "If we told you we'd have to kill you". !!

I can state though the IP address, or anything to do with NIC's / networking aren't involved --- replaced several NIC's on different computers and did CLEAN installs in different countries and no problems with activation --none of these machines used any Ms account either (always local users).

The only change is currently with the CU update is if you do a CLEAN install you might get prompted after install to activate --simply enter a W7 key. You can also still update FOR FREE -- same editions apply though.

BTW if you use the update tool and then install CLEAN from the ISO (or a bootable USB) you won't get the selection screen which asks you what version you want to install --it defaults to HOME edition.

To get PRO / Education etc you need to add to the sources folder (extract the ISO with 7-zip or similar) the ei.cfg file. A USB stick can be opened directly with file explorer.

create the file ei.cfg with notepad containing the following :

Channel]
_Default
[VL]
0

Save as ei.cfg in the sources folder and then you will get the prompt screen when clean installing Windows. The 0 in the bottom line isn't a typo - that needs to be included in the file.

Note though you will only get activation if you are going say from W7 Pro / ultimate to W10 Pro etc.

Cheers
jimbo

 

Jim you`re saying if someone clean installs the CU it will not auto activate ??

OK you said you MIGHT get prompted. Got it *Smile

I`m back to the AU anyway, gonna Defer the CU as long as possible.

Gonna clean install the AU on my new M.2, not the CU.

 

Once a PC is activated with a Digital license a hardware hash code is stored on the activation server. A fingerprint if you will of the hardware in the PC. Install the same version that the DL is for, and it will auto activate. No key needed. The linked to your Microsoft Account is just an extra feature, its not needed to activate on the same hardware. You can clean install and activate with a local account. What account you log in with doesn't matter, the hardware your installing on is what matters. If you do a skip key, and that PC doesn't have a Digital License it won't activate. Install the wrong version and the same thing will happen. If your DL is for Home and you install Pro, it won't activate. And vise versa.
If you change some major hardware like the motherboard it will fail activation. That's where the Linked to your Microsoft Account comes in. You run the activation trouble shooter and you'll get a "I've changed some hardware on this device" option. Click that and a new hash is stored and that PC is activated. That's how it supposed to work anyway.

From what I'm seeing, you can still activate with a Windows 7 or 8 product code. Like you could with the free upgrade. That could stop at any time though. Windows 7 OEM-SLP keys will be refused on a clean install. You have to use the OEM-COA key on the COA sticker. Windows 7 does not store a key in the BIOS. All that is there is the OEM SLIC table that has OEM info in it. There is no key stored in the SLIC table though.

 

This will work even with Legacy BIOS?

 

Yes, Legacy or UEFI doesn't matter. I have two desktop PC's with legacy BIOS, they both have Digital Licenses for Home, Pro, Education and Enterprise. I can install any of those with a skip key and they will activate. Normally you would only have the one DL for any one PC. I do so much testing that I ended up with multiple DLs. I didn't plan it that way it just ended up like that.

The only big difference UEFI wise is embedded OEM keys. I don't think legacy has embedded keys. If your PC has an embedded Windows 10 key that will be read automatically by the install media and the matching version installed automatically. You won't be prompted to enter a key and version selection will be automatic. If its a Home key you get 10 Home, if its a Pro key you get Pro.

 

It does not, I built it and there is no place in the BIOS for it. I activated with an MSA, I suppose MS at least grabs my MAC address . Every so often I have to re identify myself by just entering my Pin. There is some stuff in a strange folder in Windows that may be it. I do not have a problem , was just curious. Thanks.*Smile I am on the TP so I change builds , well it used to be twice a week now...??

Well I suppose they have my retail Win 7 key that I updated from.

 

I'm not sure what your saying? "What" does not? No place in the BIOS for "What? Nothing is stored/added to the BIOS when you activate. Its all stored online on the activation server. Only the OEM's can embed a key in the BIOS, its done at the factory. Flashing the BIOS will not change it either.

I have done countless clean installs on my legacy BIOS desktop PC and clicked the "I don't have one" option on the screen that asks for a key. Then selected which version I wanted. I've also used local accounts and my Microsoft account, the PC activated with both.