Windows 10 License Issue

[DarLes]

Hi all.

I've just bought my 4th desktop PC with PC Specialist. I purchased it with Windows 10 Professional, which I understand is not an OEM edition. (Since otherwise I wouldn't have paid so much for it.) I couldn't find the license code anywhere in what was shipped to me. So, to obtain the code, I ran the Magic Jellybean Key Finder application. The key finder revealed the license key associated with my new PC.

Here's where it gets weird... When I went to store this in my spreadsheet of keys, I discovered it was a key that I had written down years ago, associated with Windows 10 Pro installed on a PC I purchased from PCSpecialist previously. Because that older desktop is still in the house, that implies I have two machines running off the same key? How can this be?

I've emailed PCSpecialist, but not had any response. I wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience, or knows why I might have the same code appearing against different PCs. (FYI, the new PC shipped with a new M.2 drive, with Windows 10 Pro freshly installed. The disks in the old PC have never been near this new machine.)

 

[SpyderTracks]

Hi all.

I've just bought my 4th desktop PC with PC Specialist. I purchased it with Windows 10 Professional, which I understand is not an OEM edition. (Since otherwise I wouldn't have paid so much for it.) I couldn't find the license code anywhere in what was shipped to me. So, to obtain the code, I ran the Magic Jellybean Key Finder application. The key finder revealed the license key associated with my new PC.

Here's where it gets weird... When I went to store this in my spreadsheet of keys, I discovered it was a key that I had written down years ago, associated with Windows 10 Pro installed on a PC I purchased from PCSpecialist previously. Because that older desktop is still in the house, that implies I have two machines running off the same key? How can this be?

I've emailed PCSpecialist, but not had any response. I wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience, or knows why I might have the same code appearing against different PCs. (FYI, the new PC shipped with a new M.2 drive, with Windows 10 Pro freshly installed. The disks in the old PC have never been near this new machine.)

Windows 10 doesn’t have a key as such, it licenses through the BIOS. You will never require a key, it just reads your BIOS on install and automatically registers.

 

[ubuysa]

Windows 10 doesn’t have a key as such, it licenses through the BIOS. You will never require a key, it just reads your BIOS on install and automatically registers.

And all the 'find my key' tools on Windows 10 only find a generic key. Once Windows 10 has activated for the first time using the BIOS code the Microsoft activation servers record the hardware ID of the host computer. Anytime you reinstall Windows it will automatically activate because the activation servers will recognise your hardware ID. There is thus no product key.

 

[DarLes]

And all the 'find my key' tools on Windows 10 only find a generic key. Once Windows 10 has activated for the first time using the BIOS code the Microsoft activation servers record the hardware ID of the host computer. Anytime you reinstall Windows it will automatically activate because the activation servers will recognise your hardware ID. There is thus no product key.

Cool, I think that explains it. I was aware it registers with the BIOS, but I wasn't aware that the key finder returns a generic code.

However, my expectation is that I purchased a Retail version, not an OEM, allowing me to transfer to another machine in future. Presumably, you need key to re-use it in the future on another machine?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Cool, I think that explains it. I was aware it registers with the BIOS, but I wasn't aware that the key finder returns a generic code.

However, my expectation is that I purchased a Retail version, not an OEM, allowing me to transfer to another machine in future. Presumably, you need key to re-use it in the future on another machine?

No, there is no retail vs OEM anymore, as it doesn’t make a difference. With windows 10 you can tie any key (except enterprise volume licenses) to your Microsoft account and transfer it to as many other machines (one at a time) as you like.

How to link your Windows 10 product key to a Microsoft account

If you're using a local account, use this guide to link your Windows 10 product key to your Microsoft account for easier re-activation.

www.windowscentral.com

Then on install to the new machine you just log in with the Microsoft account it’s tied to.

 

[DarLes]

Cool. That's really helpful.

So, in theory, I have multiple Windows 10 Pro licenses associated with my Microsoft account, i.e. associated with the various Windows devices in the house. If I decommission and replace any of those devices, I shouldn't need to buy a new Windows Pro license, as I should be able to re-use the license that is freed up. (I've found the process for de-registering an existing product key.)

 

[SpyderTracks]

Cool. That's really helpful.

So, in theory, I have multiple Windows 10 Pro licenses associated with my Microsoft account, i.e. associated with the various Windows devices in the house. If I decommission and replace any of those devices, I shouldn't need to buy a new Windows Pro license, as I should be able to re-use the license that is freed up. (I've found the process for de-registering an existing product key.)

You don't need to de register like you used to.

So long as the old device is not online when you log in with the MS account it's licensed to on the new device, it will automatically assign that license to the new hardware.

 

[DarLes]

This just gets easier and easier! It seems the online articles and documentation are somewhat slow in catching up with your knowledge, since the various articles I've read from 2019 and 2020 are still saying you need to unregister. Do you know when the process changed, out of interest?

 

[SpyderTracks]

This just gets easier and easier! It seems the online articles and documentation are somewhat slow in catching up with your knowledge, since the various articles I've read from 2019 and 2020 are still saying you need to unregister. Do you know when the process changed, out of interest?

I’ve moved licenses to multiple machines since windows 10 was introduced and never had to deregister.

I think the articles you’re referencing is if the license hasn’t been tied to a Microsoft account.

 

[ubuysa]

This just gets easier and easier! It seems the online articles and documentation are somewhat slow in catching up with your knowledge, since the various articles I've read from 2019 and 2020 are still saying you need to unregister. Do you know when the process changed, out of interest?

The deregistering issue will crop up if the 'old' PC, the license of which you have transferred to a new PC, ever comes online. The Microsoft activation servers will log two hardware IDs using the same license and will likely block both of them until you contact Microsoft and elect which one to use.

What @SpyderTracks is describing with a digital license is designed to be used only when the 'old' PC is being scrapped or its copy of Windows removed (perhaps replaced by Linux). You're still limited to one PC per license, as long as you stick to that using a digital license on a new PC is hassle free.

 

[DarLes]

The deregistering issue will crop up if the 'old' PC, the license of which you have transferred to a new PC, ever comes online. The Microsoft activation servers will log two hardware IDs using the same license and will likely block both of them until you contact Microsoft and elect which one to use.

What @SpyderTracks is describing with a digital license is designed to be used only when the 'old' PC is being scrapped or its copy of Windows removed (perhaps replaced by Linux). You're still limited to one PC per license, as long as you stick to that using a digital license on a new PC is hassle free.

Ta.

Typically, having recently married and acquired step kids, I've got several Windows 10 machines in the house, all with licenses I've purchased. So, my original goal was to track the licenses I have (i.e. now a pool of 5), and to not have to buy new ones when, say, an old machine is decomm'd and a new one arrives.

Interestingly, I just received this email response from PC Specialist, which seems somewhat at odds to the "there is no retail vs OEM anymore" statement:

The window licences we offer are OEM versions. The license key is injected into the BIOS and can only be used for that specific computer.

Doh!

 

[SpyderTracks]

Ta.

Typically, having recently married and acquired step kids, I've got several Windows 10 machines in the house, all with licenses I've purchased. So, my original goal was to track the licenses I have (i.e. now a pool of 5), and to not have to buy new ones when, say, an old machine is decomm'd and a new one arrives.

Interestingly, I just received this email response from PC Specialist, which seems somewhat at odds to the "there is no retail vs OEM anymore" statement:



Doh!

My point is, it doesn’t matter if it’s OEM or retail as they both work in the same way.

 

[ubuysa]

Ta.

Typically, having recently married and acquired step kids, I've got several Windows 10 machines in the house, all with licenses I've purchased. So, my original goal was to track the licenses I have (i.e. now a pool of 5), and to not have to buy new ones when, say, an old machine is decomm'd and a new one arrives.

Interestingly, I just received this email response from PC Specialist, which seems somewhat at odds to the "there is no retail vs OEM anymore" statement:



Doh!

Retail and OEM do still exist. With an OEM license there is no product key, there's a code in the BIOS. With a retail license there is a product key.

The retail license can easily be transferred to another PC, but only one at a time of course.

An OEM license cannot be transferred as is, it's tied to that computer.

BUT

The introduction of the digital license changed all that. If you convert your OEM license to a digital license (it's easy and free) then you can use that digital license on another PC, but only one at a time of course.

This is what @SpyderTracks meant when he said there are no OEM or retail licenses, because a digital license offers the same features.

 

[lauwai]

Hi

I'm about to receive my new PCS laptop in a couple of days and will be transferring a current Win 10 license over to it. I have several computers that have Win10 licenses that I sign into via my Microsoft account. If I log onto my new laptop with my Microsoft account, how will it know which license to associate to my computer? Is it just my account that becomes associated and as long as I don't sign into any older computers that I no longer use that will be fine? i.e I have 4 licenses and as long as I don't log into a 5th computer that'll be ok? Hopefully that makes sense!

 

[ubuysa]

Hi

I'm about to receive my new PCS laptop in a couple of days and will be transferring a current Win 10 license over to it. I have several computers that have Win10 licenses that I sign into via my Microsoft account. If I log onto my new laptop with my Microsoft account, how will it know which license to associate to my computer? Is it just my account that becomes associated and as long as I don't sign into any older computers that I no longer use that will be fine? i.e I have 4 licenses and as long as I don't log into a 5th computer that'll be ok? Hopefully that makes sense!

That is more or less correct.

A license associated with your Microsoft account is a digital license. A digital license will follow your Microsoft account login if you change hardware, but just like other licenses it's valid for use on only one PC. The PC that previously used that digital license will no longer have a valid Windows license and cannot be used at all. That previous PC either needs to be scrapped or have a different OS installed (Linux perhaps).

A digital license isn't a convenience to allow you to share a single license between two (or more) computers, logging in to each one at a time. It's a means to permanently transfer the digital license from one PC to another (or if you have to change the motherboard or CPU in a PC). Bad things will happen if you try to use the same digital license on two PCs; the sky will fall in, volcanoes will erupt, meteorites will strike the Earth, tsunamis will flood coastal cities, that sort of thing....

 

[lauwai]

That is more or less correct.

A license associated with your Microsoft account is a digital license. A digital license will follow your Microsoft account login if you change hardware, but just like other licenses it's valid for use on only one PC. The PC that previously used that digital license will no longer have a valid Windows license and cannot be used at all. That previous PC either needs to be scrapped or have a different OS installed (Linux perhaps).

A digital license isn't a convenience to allow you to share a single license between two (or more) computers, logging in to each one at a time. It's a means to permanently transfer the digital license from one PC to another (or if you have to change the motherboard or CPU in a PC). Bad things will happen if you try to use the same digital license on two PCs; the sky will fall in, volcanoes will erupt, meteorites will strike the Earth, tsunamis will flood coastal cities, that sort of thing....

Thanks. One of my PCs is a laptop that came with an 'OEM' license as such. If I sold/passed the laptop onwards would the laptop link the license to the next user who signs in with a Microsoft account or would I need to deregister it?

 

[ubuysa]

Thanks. One of my PCs is a laptop that came with an 'OEM' license as such. If I sold/passed the laptop onwards would the laptop link the license to the next user who signs in with a Microsoft account or would I need to deregister it?

No. Because the new user would not have your Microsoft login details[!] so they would not have your digital license. The OEM license would be passed as an OEM license to the new user. The digital license you were using on that laptop would then become invalid because you've sold the copy of Windows it was tied to.

They only way you could retain the use of that digital license would be to uninstall Windows from the laptop before you sold it.

 

[lauwai]

No. Because the new user would not have your Microsoft login details[!] so they would not have your digital license. The OEM license would be passed as an OEM license to the new user. The digital license you were using on that laptop would then become invalid because you've sold the copy of Windows it was tied to.

They only way you could retain the use of that digital license would be to uninstall Windows from the laptop before you sold it.

I'm not fussed about retaining the use of the license I just want to sell the laptop as complete with OS. In this case a full reset of windows ie deleting my user profile. This should be sufficient?

 

[ubuysa]

I'm not fussed about retaining the use of the license I just want to sell the laptop as complete with OS. In this case a full reset of windows ie deleting my user profile. This should be sufficient?

Yep. You'd be wise to do a clean install in any case.

 

[lauwai]

Yep. You'd be wise to do a clean install in any case.

Thanks