Windows 10: Windows Insiders will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 RTM for free

ttps://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder-faq/

 

They can't stop you from going back to 7 Home Premium on that PC. You'll never lose that license as long as you have the custom OEM install media for that PC. The factory OEM activation is against the SLIC table in the BIOS. It does not activate online. There is OEM activation info in the SLIC table but no product code is stored there. Not for Windows 7. Your factory OEM product code is a OEM master code used on multiple PC's from that manufacturer for that version of Windows. All Dell PC with OEM Windows 7 Home Premium from the factory use the same Product code. Microsoft can't block it. The product code on your COA sticker is for installing with regular off of the shelf Windows 7 install media.

The Ultimate key does activate online so they could revoke it if they wanted. They could make you give it up. I don't know if they will but they could.

 

Interesting, but magicjellybean produces a win 8 Pro key that is not my win 8 install key.

It's also not the 10074 Insider key.

Not going to agonise as I am sure it will work out in the end.

 

I have yet to have to enter a key when installing Windows 10. The last time I installed, I installed Enterprise and it would not accept my Live ID login info. It wanted a business login or something. I had to log in the first time with a local account and then switch to a Live ID. Still didn't have to enter a product code.

 

Upgrade install? I'm guessing if you upgrade from Windows 7 or 8 you'll get a unique Product code generated. Do a clean install and its going to be the Insider key.

 

But it did! "Last time I clean installed 7, I had to first install Home Premium, let it activate, then do Anytime Upgrade and manually enter it's key.

After several months of running, I clean installed Home form Dell DVD and it worked! Activation and all! Go figure...

 

As per my other reply, Microsoft can't kill that type of install and factory activation. If you use a normal off the shelf Windows 7 Ultimate ISO for your install, you can likely skip the Home Premium install and just enter your Ultimate key. The Dell install media is coded to look for the Dell SLIC table and install Home premium by default. The regular ISO won't even look for a SLIC table. That special code has to be added. Removing the $OEM$ folder and ei.cfg file from the sources folder of your Dell install media may be all that is required. You'll lose any Dell branding/logos etc in the process.

 

If anybody is wondering why I seem to know so much about factory activation, its because I got tired of working on pirated systems for friends etc. A friend or relative would do them a "favor" and install a "free" version of Windows for them. They'd have issues latter and I'd end up sorting it out. I learned by trying to figure out what was done to the PC and then trying to undo it and make it legal again. Microsoft doesn't give out any info on how activation works, and I don't blame them. The less the crooks know the better. I've spent a fair amount of time learning how to restore a PC back to the factory install when possible. That's all. I don't condone piracy in the least.

 

That explains clearly, to me, how it works. It's not a big deal for me about keeping 7, it was the curiosity of how it could work when "technically" it wasn't there! MS sells the license to OEM, OEM embeds and sells to consumer. MS out of the loop! I could probably go back to 7 Home, but Anytime Upgrade would fail. That sound plausible?

 

@alphanumeric

Now, I know how Dell Oems does it and they are able to replace motherboards without requiring re-activation (they replaced my motherboard). However, If I was going to upgrade to windows 10 and had to use key on the back of the machine, I would have to do a phone activation and tell them a year or so ago, my motherboard was replace under warranty.

Microsoft can kill those Oemslp if they wanted. I don't know how win7 & 8 oemslp upgrades to widows will work with those Oemslp systems.

 

It's one of the reasons why Microsoft tells you to contact the manufacturer of the PC when you have issues. The OEM is responsible for tech support. Mention the word pirated to them (the OEM) more often than not all you'll hear is a click, and dial tone.

 

Understood.... Back to topic! *Wink