what happen if not using bought Windows activation for too long?

So basically you are saying that if I were to sell my motherboard as second hand, should I upgrade to a new computer then that person can activate Windows 10 or 11 using my motherboard as part of his/her upgrade with a blank CD Key?

Wouldn't that mean I lose my right to activate my new Windows 10/11 PC if they do so before me? Unless of-course after I upgrade my system I quickly activate my new PC with that Retail key first before selling off my existing motherboard, so they can't use it? If this is the case, this is quite a serious matter.

I don't want to have to destroy the mobo with a sledgehammer, if this can be useful to someone else.

I thought digital license keys are only unique to hardware systems under OEM.

NavyLCDR said:

If the user does not use a Microsoft Account on both the old and new computers, then the user would need to enter a product key (or have a product key stored in BIOS) in order to activate the new computer the first time.

This is where I am confused. So the product key is stored in the BIOS of the motherboard for both OEM and Retail licenses?!

I do not use a Microsoft Account. If I can activate my Windows with the Retail Key stored in the mobo and someone else can activate it. Then how can I prove to Microsoft that I am the original owner of the Windows 10 Retail key? I do not have any evidence that the key belongs to me, since a friend simply gave it (unused) to me for free as he had an extra key he didn't need.

This can potentially mean that the new user basically steals your license and you are left hopeless. Surely that can't be the case?

BLaZiNgSPEED said:

So basically you are saying that if I were to sell my motherboard as second hand, should I upgrade to a new computer then that person can activate Windows 10 or 11 using my motherboard as part of his/her upgrade with a blank CD Key?

Yes.

BLaZiNgSPEED said:

]Wouldn't that mean I lose my right to activate my new Windows 10/11 PC if they do so before me?

No.

BLaZiNgSPEED said:

Unless of-course after I upgrade my system I quickly activate my new PC with that Retail key first before selling off my existing motherboard, so they can't use it?

Quickly activating your new PC with that retail product key first does nothing to the digital license stored at Microsoft for the old motherboard. The new user of the motherboard can still activate it with the generic product key.

BLaZiNgSPEED said:

If this is the case, this is quite a serious matter.

Not to Microsoft. They don't care.

BLaZiNgSPEED said:

I don't want to have to destroy the mobo with a sledgehammer, if this can be useful to someone else.

Agreed. If it makes you feel any better, don't tell them about the digital license that exists for it. If you want to give the new owner a bonus, give them the generic product key for whichever edition of Windows 10/11 was activated on it before. Personally, if I were to buy a used motherboard, the first thing I would do is try to activate Windows 10 Home first, then Windows 10 Pro with the generic product key to take advantage of any digital license that might exist for it already.

BLaZiNgSPEED said:

I thought digital license keys are only unique to hardware systems under OEM.

Nope. A digital license is created the first time any product key (retail or OEM) is used to activate Windows 10 or 11. After the digital license is created, it loses its OEM or retail identity. You can change a digital license activated on the OEM channel to retail simply by changing the product key installed in Windows 10 or 11 to the generic product key for that edition of Windows.

BLaZiNgSPEED said:

This is where I am confused. So the product key is stored in the BIOS of the motherboard for both OEM and Retail licenses?!

No. Only OEM product keys placed into the motherboard firmware by computer manufacturers are stored in BIOS. You seem to be confusing product keys with digital licenses. The product key creates the permanent digital license for that motherboard regardless of where the product key came from (BIOS or user entered). The digital license is stored at Microsoft, not on the motherboard.

BLaZiNgSPEED said:

I do not use a Microsoft Account. If I can activate my Windows with the Retail Key stored in the mobo and someone else can activate it. Then how can I prove to Microsoft that I am the original owner of the Windows 10 Retail key? I do not have any evidence that the key belongs to me, since a friend simply gave it (unused) to me for free as he had an extra key he didn't need.

In your situation, without a receipt showing the product key (retail or standalone OEM) or for the factory built computer (OEM product key stored in BIOS), you can't prove to Microsoft that the product key is yours.

BLaZiNgSPEED said:

This can potentially mean that the new user basically steals your license and you are left hopeless. Surely that can't be the case?

Yes, that is exactly the case. Microsoft doesn't care, though. Once a digital license is created for a motherboard, the digital license becomes "anonymous". Microsoft is not tracking which product key created the digital license. They are not tracking if the origin of that digital license is OEM or retail. Microsoft is only tracking which edition of Windows 10 or 11 that license is good for on that motherboard (and they are not even tracking if the license is for Windows 10 or 11, Windows 10 Pro and Windows 11 Pro will use the exact same digital license to activate, for example).

Microsoft tracks the number of times a product key is used to create a new digital license within certain time frames. If a product key is used to activate 100 different computers in a day, Microsoft is going to block that product key because there is no legitimate reason for the owner of that product key to activate 100 different computers in a day. However, I have never read of any instance where Microsoft has revoked a digital license once it is created.

Superfly said:

Run https://github.com/Superfly-Inc/Wind...ensingDiag.ps1

I ran it and got the following message because I have a relocated desktop folder.

Code:

Something happened :(

Could not find a part of the path 'C:\Users\Matthew_Wai\Desktop\LicensingDiag.txt'.

Press ENTER to exit.

NavyLCDR said:

Quickly activating your new PC with that retail product key first does nothing to the digital license stored at Microsoft for the old motherboard. The new user of the motherboard can still activate it with the generic product key.

But that is if it is OEM license? As far as I am aware you can't activate multiple computers with the same Retail key at the same time. You can do it only one at a time. Or else why are there suggestions that you must first uninstall the product key from one computer to use it on another?

Here's some info I got. Can I use my Windows 10 key on multiple computers?When I google.

Can I use Windows key on 2 computers?

Originally Answered: Can I use windows retail key for two different PC? No. You cannot, unless they key is meant for multiple PCs/laptops. If you have bought the retail key for single machine, it wont get activated on another machine.
Source: Can I use my Windows 10 key on multiple computers?

So basically this digital license being stored in the Microsoft servers is irrelevant. The user cannot simply activate their computer with your given motherboard without your key. It seems to contradict with what you are saying, unless I am misunderstood...

NavyLCDR said:

Nope. A digital license is created the first time any product key (retail or OEM) is used to activate Windows 10 or 11. After the digital license is created, it loses its OEM or retail identity. You can change a digital license activated on the OEM channel to retail simply by changing the product key installed in Windows 10 or 11 to the generic product key for that edition of Windows.

The digital license being stored in the MS Servers doesn't seem to be all that important for the user. The users want to know if the key they have is secure and only usable for them.

If I am securely storing my key at home or on a blank USB stick and no one has it, it really doesn't make sense that simply selling off your motherboard to someone else means that person can now activate their computer.

Because then that will mean I won't be able to activate my PC with my retail key as the server will detect that that other user already has it activated. Unless you are telling me that the digital license is a separate entity and not tied to that one retail key.

NavyLCDR said:

No. Only OEM product keys placed into the motherboard firmware by computer manufacturers are stored in BIOS. You seem to be confusing product keys with digital licenses. The product key creates the permanent digital license for that motherboard regardless of where the product key came from (BIOS or user entered). The digital license is stored at Microsoft, not on the motherboard.

It seems rather contradictory. You said that the motherboard can still activate with a generic product key. But at the same time you are saying only OEM product keys are placed into the motherboard firmware.

Doesn't that not mean that a Retail Key that doesn't get stored in the motherboard. That motherboard cannot be reactivated with a blank product key?

Under a Retail key I don't see how that motherboard should reactivate even if the digital license is stored in the MS Servers. I read this for OEM that transferring will not work so easily unless you call Microsoft. But for Retail you don't have this issue when upgrading PC.

@BLaZiNgSPEED,

I am going to explain this one more time and show you an example. The first time that Windows 10 or 11 is activated on a motherboard with ANY product key - retail, OEM, entered by the user or retrieved from the motherboard's firmware - a digital license is created on Microsoft's Activation Servers with only two "tags" associated with it - the unique hardware ID of the motherboard and the edition of Windows 10 or 11 (IE: Home, Pro, Education, etc.). That's it. Nothing else. No Microsoft Account information and no product key information is stored with the digital license. Only 2 things - the unique hardware ID of the motherboard and the edition of Windows 10 or 11 - period. In order to reactivate the same edition of Windows 10 or 11 on the same motherboard all that is required is a generic product key that millions of other Windows 10/11 computers worldwide are also activated with. There is nothing that the user can do to change or erase the digital license that is stored on Microsoft Activation servers. It is there permanently, only Microsoft can delete it, and I have never seen nor heard of Microsoft cancelling or erasing a digital license once it has been created.

Proof: I give you an Asus ROG motherboard that I previously activated Windows 10 on. You clean install Windows 10 Home on it with no product key and only a local account. Your Windows 10 Home is not activated because there is no product key. You install the generic Windows 10 Home retail product key and Windows 10 Home activates on the retail activation channel - with absolutely no information provided regarding the initial source of the digital license. Well, you are going to ask, what about OEM. Let's change the product key to the generic OEM Windows 10 Home product key. Guess what happens? The same Windows 10, on the same motherboard, with the same local user account now activates on the OEM channel.

This example in no way affect's the user's ability to reuse a retail product key because Microsoft does not attach product keys to digital licenses. Also, this does not affect your ability to transfer the digital license if it was previously linked to your Microsoft Account. This link to this motherboard's (device) digital license will remain on my Microsoft Account until I delete it. Multiple Microsoft Accounts can be linked to the same motherboard digital license. Just because someone else logs onto the same motherboard with a different Microsoft Account does not remove the link to it on the first Microsoft Account.

I hope this finally proves that my explanation is true. Microsoft has changed their policies many times regarding digital licenses over the life of Windows 10. What I am presenting is their current policy. If you read something else on the internet, it is either outdated or they don't really know what they are talking about.

You can even do the exact same experiment presented below on your own Windows 10 or 11. Just make sure to use the generic product keys that match your edition of Windows 10 or 11.

cereberus said:

This is all correct.

Just one additional clarification. If you link your digital licence to MS account, and you change that to a local account, the digital link is removed. Equally, if you change to an MS account again, it is reinstated.

If you need to keep the link, but use a local account, you actually need to create a second account keeping original MS account.

I just completed a test. I am dual booting Windows 11 and Windows 10.

1. Changed my existing MA (Microsoft Account) to a local account. Yes, the computer was removed from my MA devices list.
2. Logged out of Windows 11 with my MA. Logged into Windows 10 with a local account. The device listing on my MA was not affected, the computer was still listed.
3. Created a new MA in Windows 10 and logged in with it. The same computer is listed in the device list in both Microsoft Accounts.

Therefore, if you sell or give away your motherboard, and a new user creates new accounts on it, it will remain in your devices list unless you remove it by intentionally removing your own Microsoft Account from Windows on that computer or select the device in your device list in your Microsoft Account and remove it from the list. Merely re-installing Windows or creating a new Microsoft Account on that computer will not remove it from your device list.