Windows 10: Windows Activated without a key being entered

So what's this about.

I have transferred my Windows 10 Pro digital licence from my old laptop to a new laptop. This was upgraded (MS 2016 free upgrade) from a purchased RETAIL copy of Win 7 Pro (I used the Windows 7 Pro key during installation).

Prior to passing the old laptop onto someone else I have formatted and reinstalled Windows 10 HOME fully expecting that it would remain inactivated until such time as the new owner bought a licence.

I chose to skip entering a licence key during installation.

Will this automatic digital licencing on the old laptop in any way compromise my transferred digital licence on the new laptop?

Thanks in advance.

:)

 

I entered a wrong product key on my activated windows 10 pc. Now it says my PC is not activated.

If your previous edition was installed and activated, it will automatically reactivate.

 

I entered a wrong product key on my activated windows 10 pc. Now it says my PC is not activated.

Whichever edition of Windows 10 you were running before (Home or Pro), you will need to reinstall that manually.

Step 1: How
to download official Windows 10 ISO files

Step 2: How to: Perform a clean install of Windows
10

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 ownto reactivate if necessary. or use the reset function in Windows 10.

 

You gave up your Win 7 license for the old install. That system now has your Free upgrade from Win 7.

Since you cannot now do a free upgrade, the Win 7 license in no longer relevant.

 

Its a bit like simple maths:

Old laptop 1 OEM Windows 7 home (basic or premium) license + 1 retail Windows 7 Pro
upgraded to windows 10 Pro = 2 licenses - 1 windows 10 Pro (retail by virtue of upgrade) transferred to another machine = 1 license upgraded to (OEM by virtue of upgrade) windows 10 home non-transferable, except with the original hardware

New laptop ( assumed 1 OEM Windows 10 home license ) + 1 (retail) Windows 10 Pro transferred from old laptop = 2 licenses, 1 (potentially transferable) Pro license +1 latent OEM home license (non-transferable)

 

Totally confused! Can I pass on the old laptop with the Windows 10 Home activated without fear that his will in any way compromise my win 10 pro digital licence on the new machine?

 

My old laptop did not come with a win 7 OEM licence. It came with XP OEM. I bought a Win7 Pro RETAIL. Then I upgraded to Win10 Pro (free MS upgrade) which I have now transferred to the new machine.

As you say, I assume the new laptop cam with a Win10 Home OEM licence.

But that still does not explain for me why the Win10 Home activated with digital licence on the old machine which never came with an O/S that was upgradable to Win10.

 

Are you sure you installed Home on the old laptop? It should not have activated.

 

How did you transfer your Digital License to the new machine? Was it done during the free upgrade period?

If the prior install does mess with your current activation status, you should be able to purchase a Win 10 license and change the License key to get it working or perhaps call Microsoft. Not sure anyone will be able to give you a definite answer.

 

The short and simple answer is yes you can, don't worry about it.

 

He likely used the Activation Troubleshooter Activation Troubleshooter - Use in Windows 10 It only shows up if the system isn't activated.

 

Hi there

@Saltgrass
@Fafhrd
@NavyLCDR
@kevvyb

actually NOT TRUE -- yiu can still enter a valid W7 / W8 / W8.1 key AFTER W10 is installed and it will activate (the old W7/W8/W8.1 OS must be RETAIL though not OEM).

I needed a NEW W10 VM system Today (4th Feb 2017) and after installing a Brand new W10 (from the media creation tool) on a VM I entered (after boot) a key from W7 - old TechNet subscriber --kept the keys even though I've long since discarded the ISO's.

W7 key Pro worked just fine to activate new W10 Pro install.

Install the OS first --then change product key to activate - enter a valid old Key from the previous OS --even after a CLEAN install.

Not sure how long this legal "loophole" will last so I'm creating 3 or 4 W10 systems while the old keys still work !!.

Cheers
jimbo

 

It's no secret to some of us in your "@" list, Jimbo, that Microsoft activation servers are still behaving exactly as they did before the Anniversary Upgrade at the end of 1607. In fact it probably has been done to death here on TF, and there is a list floating around of not only retail pre-Windows 10 edition keys, but OEM-COA, free MCE upgrade and several other discrete types of product keys that will still activate a fresh windows 10 clean install.

If you have the time and the virtual or real hardware resources (and physical space) to run all these new systems on and the keys to spare, go for it.

If it's an oversight, loophole or deliberate laxity, nobody's saying

 

Yes definitely Home on old laptop - just checked, but good point.

Logged into MSA on both machines. Installed on new machine and entered Windows 7 Pro (RETAIL) licence key. Did not use the Activation trouble-shooter.

The point is that is not really what I want. Having successfully transferred my Win10Pro licence to the new machine (on the back of my upgrade from Win7Pro RETAIL), I merely want to be able to pass the machine on legitimately to someone else but with Windows 10 installed ready for activation. If I can't do that I will just uninstall it and pass it on with nothing installed.

 

I'll just deactivate it....