Windows 10 Pro Refurbisher Install

Hi,
I have a laptop that had Windows 8 and i bough refurbished with Windows 10 Pro - COA sticker attached, but not a traditional sticker with 25 Characters.
When I reinstall with the system isn't activated and i cant change the product key as there is no 25 character Key.
I believe I need to create a special install for refurbisher licenses - how do I do this to reinstall my system.

Thanks

M

Welcome to TenForums @mado

The 'traditional' CoA sticker with a 25-character key hasn't been used since Windows 7. On machines built for Windows 8 or later and sold with an OEM installed Windows a key is embedded in the firmware of the PC. You can read this key with ShowKey Plus.

ShowKeyPlus - Windows 10 Forums

Windows 10 licencing is tied to the hardware ID of the PC. In 'Settings > Update & Security > Activation' a properly activated Win10 will say "Activated with a digital licence...". If so, this means the Microsoft activation servers store a record of the PC's unique hardware ID and the edition of Windows 10 it is licenced for (Home or Pro). This means you should be able to clean install the same edition as before (Home or Pro) and skip entering a key if asked, it should activate automatically from the digital licence as soon as it can contact the activation servers.

When I reinstall with the system isn't activated...

Did you reinstall Pro? Does it not activate? If so, your machine may not have had a legitimate install of W10 Pro to begin with. Some less than scrupulous resellers put a pirated copy of Windows 10 on their PCs for a quick sale, then vanish from sight after pocketing your cash.

What sort of Windows 8 key does ShowKey say your machine has in its bios? Home or Pro? This key will be entitled to an upgrade to Windows 10. Use the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable Windows 10 USB and use that to do a clean install. It should detect the key in the PC's bios and use that to choose the edition to install and to activate Windows 10 legitimately.

Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10 | Tutorials

Clean Install Windows 10 | Tutorials

Hi,
Thanks for reply, but doesn’t really answer the question about installing with a Windows 10 Pro refurbished license. Stick is attached to laptop, so I know it genuine!

BecUse the refurbisher license has a coa but not 25 digit code, I don’t know where or how to activate with that sticker.

Help would be really appreciated.

Thanks
M

mado said:

Thanks for reply, but doesn’t really answer the question about installing with a Windows 10 Pro refurbished license. Stick is attached to laptop, so I know it genuine!

I have never come across a 'refubished license'. @Superfly is the expert on licencing questions and may know more about such things.

Thanks for your input.
So my research is that Microsoft offer windows refurbish licenses to some companies to refurbish equipments and install later version of Windows. Problem I have is that I am in a different country to where I purchased so can’t pop back to where I purchased from!


Any help on how to install with the elixense would be great

Hi,
As stated, it’s a Windows 10 Refurbisher license. So the laptop had windows 8.1, was refurbished and redistributed with the license. They come with coa sticker. The sticker is definitely genuine - that’s not the issue.
You just can’t activate with standard windows install - I’m guessing the refurbished companies have to do something specific for it to work or use pen copy?

http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...eet_FY14Q3.pdf
They don’t exist then do they?

“Refurbisher affixes a refurbisher COA to the refurbished PC.” Microsoft’s words not mine...