Son's SSD failed after four months and I gave him a replacement which has my info on it (Name, Requires PIN, etc.)
The SSD was registered legally on his computer but my SSD is not showing that.
What can be done to show Microsoft that the SSD is now being used on his computer? Does he have to format the drive and re-install Windows 10 to effect the change?
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Not showing on his pc? Do you mean inthe bios or its not booting from it if you had windows on it and put it in a new pc the drivers will all be wrong and it wont load and wont activate
I think you have misunderstood my question. The new SSD (mine) boots up fine but it has my name and requires my PIN. It needs to have his name and use his PIN.
He needs to login with your information and create a user account for himself.
User Account - Add in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
While still logged into your account, he needs to change the new user account he created for himself to administrator:
Account Type - Change in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
Then he can log into his own account and, if desired, delete your account.
Thanks, NavyLCDR. I will have him try that and see if it gets everything taken care of.
Well. I just talked to him and he has gone ahead and re-installed Windows 10. He wasn't sure if it was registered with Microsoft. Wish I could remember (senior moment) what program tells if it has been registered, you know, the one that says "You have 30 days to register."
winver
and Settings - Updates & Security - Activation tab on the left:
His product key was his Windows 7 license during the free period. Does that still work to activate? If this doesn't make sense, then just ignore. With Windows 7 we had a product key (25 characters) but we don't have that with Windows 10. Sorry, I don't understand how it is done now. And I'm sure he doesn't have a Microsoft account.
Update: Just talked to him and had him go to Activation and it says it is activated. He used the old Windows 7 code.
When you upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10, the unique ID of the computer itself - not the user - gets sent to Microsoft Activation servers and stored along with the digital license for Windows 10. When you re-install the same version of Windows 10 on that same computer, you do not have to enter a product key. There is a link at the bottom of the installation screen for "I don't have a product key". When the computer is connected to the internet, Windows 10 sends the unique ID of the computer to MS activation servers and if it matches a digital license for that version of Windows that was stored there previously, it will activate Windows 10 automatically.
Now, it does not matter that your son entered the old Windows 7 product key because it was for the same computer, and it is the unique ID of the computer itself that determines the license.
With the latest build of Windows 10, MS also attaches the digital license for Windows 10 to the MS account(s) of the users that log into that computer if they us a MS account login. The reason they do that is if the user replaces the motherboard or gets a new computer, they can log into their MS account on the new computer and transfer the license from the old computer to the new computer via the MS account.
In the case of your son, the digital license is based off the unique ID of the computer which already existed on MS activation servers and Windows 10 would have activated with or without the Windows 7 product key. If he creates a MS account - or changes his login to a MS account, that digital license will attach itself to his MS account.
I'm sure your son wouldn't have any problems with activation once he links his email account that he originally used with Windows 10 to a new User Account.
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