Windows 10: Unused Windows 11 product key activated?

Hi. I recently had a customer who had purchased a win11 product key from a local retailer for use on her laptop. My windows 11 installer confirmed my suspicion that her machine was not compatible so I installed win10 and this was automatically activated by the laptops inbuilt key. I recommended that she return the key to the retailer. The retailer has told her that the key was activated and refused a refund. I know that neither of us even read the key, let alone entered it anywhere and was wondering how best to proceed?

:)

 

Windows 10 product keys and activation - and the KMS angle

Changing the product key to the generic Windows 10 product key will reset activation to the standard retail channel for activation. It might just activate (if there was a previous digital license for Windows 10 for that computer established with Microsoft). Once Windows 10 is back on the retail activation channel, then more than likely changing the product key to the Windows 8 product key using the same method may work.

 

Activate windows 10 after re-installing (I have lost my product key)

I own a Lenovo T430 laptop. In 2017, I installed Windows 10 using my original Windows 7 product key. Unfortunately, I cannot find that product key anymore. I need to re-install windows 10. Will it be automatically activated after the installation, if I skip the step of asking the product key during the installation?

In my opinion, I believe that my laptop will have a digital entitlement stored on the Microsoft Activation Servers and this will not be a problem. Is that true?

If not, please suggest me a solution or a workaround.

 

Windows won't activate a digital license but will with a product key?

If you plan on "transferring" a digital license from one computer to another using the activation troubleshooter and your Microsoft Account, then yes, start with the generic product key on the new computer. Actually, on a new install, you select the option for "I don't have a product key" and then after the install use the Activation Troubleshooter.

Otherwise, if you are using a unique product key, either purchased or embedded in the firmware of the computer by the factory - let Windows 10/11 activate for the first time from that product key. AFTER it is activated, change the product key to the generic. One advantage to doing this is that if the original product key was OEM, changing it to the generic retail product key will also change the digital license type to retail and make it transferrable to another computer.