As do we all, I was addressing the comments about permanently activated.
I will update one test machine and learn things from the early adopters before I upgrade any of my other machines. There's no rush, the offer is for a year.
I will probably wait until the first release codenamed Redstone in Q1 2016 to upgrade any clients. That gives MS two feature cycle updrates to work out any and many issues.
The information you want is right above your post.
Wynona's image: Partial Product Key is the tail-end of the Preview key
VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
If the key is not the Preview key on your machine, please post that information.
Since Win10 is an upgrade license, you would expect the key to reflect the qualifying OS key.
It's highly unlikely that my key, Wynona's key and a bunch of other members keys all end in 3V66T.
I make a bet: we who have upgraded to build 10240, got it activated and will remain Insiders will not need to change the product key on or after the 29th. Windows will remain permanently activated with this key without none whatsoever changes and without any user interaction.
Of course MS will use a generic key for these "upgrade for free during the first 12 months" licenses and again I am willing to bet that the key we are using will be if not the only one but at least one of the generic keys for that purpose. Logics: all other builds, all previous builds had an expiration date even when activated with a valid key for those builds. Build 10240 however, when activated, clearly shows the activation is permanent, no expiration date. A small but significant telltale to support this theory is that an activated 10240 has no more watermark telling it's a preview build.
Last bet: Microsoft will not send millions of Insiders a unique, personal product key on Wednesday for re-activation. The key we used to activate Windows 10 before the launch will keep Windows 10 permanently activated (read: life time of the device).
Kari
After all the testing I have done. 10240 does activate and each time it is permanently activated. If 10240 is a build giving to OEMS, the oems won't want it to deactivated because that would tick off consumers buying their systems. They will want it to work like the release version.
Kari, after you upgrade you decided to create your own usb or dvd disk for a clean install. What key will be used for a clean install? It is suppose to be pre-activated as well.Of course MS will use a generic key for these "upgrade for free during the first 12 months" licenses and again I am willing to bet that the key we are using will be if not the only one but at least one of the generic keys for that purpose. Logics: all other builds, all previous builds had an expiration date even when activated with a valid key for those builds. Build 10240 however, when activated, clearly shows the activation is permanent, no expiration date. A small but significant telltale to support this theory is that an activated 10240 has no more watermark telling it's a preview build.
I have created a USB recovery drive (Settings, search for Recovery, select Create a recovery drive) of my activated system, a retail 8.1 Pro upgraded to 10240 using an ISO. I have not yet tested this recovery media but I have no reasons to believe that it would even ask for the product key; as far as I understand how it works the activation information for this PC is already included in the recovery files and process itself.
I will test it end of this week after the launch and our launch party, all my computer time for the past weeks has gone for the Ten Forums Windows Launch Party preparations and I have had absolutely no extra time nor will to play with various install / setup / customization scenarios.
But, again a bet: I will not need a product key when reinstalling using my recovery media. A side bet: My Windows 10 will be automatically activated when reinstalled using this media.
Kari
So what we are saying is that the 4 VM on 3 PC's I have are permanently activated as I have been in the program sine it started. I can use these VM's on the same PC's until the end of life. Now if VMWare updates the basic computer too much it will fail.
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