Media Creation Tool

An unactivated windows installed by the Media Creation Tool - pros and cons? If Windows can be freely installed by MCT what's the reason in buying it?

John21 said:

An unactivated windows installed by the Media Creation Tool - pros and cons? If Windows can be freely installed by MCT what's the reason in buying it?

Because it violates the End Users License Agreement to use Windows 10 without activating it and we cannot discuss violating the End Users License Agreement on this forum.

"5. Authorized Software and Activation. You are authorized to use this software only if you are properly licensed and the software has been properly activated with a genuine product key or by other authorized method. When you connect to the Internet while using the software, the software will automatically contact Microsoft or its affiliate to conduct activation to associate it with a certain device. You can also activate the software manually by Internet or telephone."

NavyLCDR said:

Because it violates the End Users License Agreement to use Windows 10 without activating it and we cannot discuss violating the End Users License Agreement on this forum.

"5. Authorized Software and Activation. You are authorized to use this software only if you are properly licensed and the software has been properly activated with a genuine product key or by other authorized method. When you connect to the Internet while using the software, the software will automatically contact Microsoft or its affiliate to conduct activation to associate it with a certain device. You can also activate the software manually by Internet or telephone."

So why would Microsoft allow install it at all for free?

John21 said:

So why would Microsoft allow install it at all for free?

In order to maintain the ability of legitimate users to install Windows 10 under their new Digital License method of activation, they had to pretty much separate the process of downloading and installing Windows from the activation process. For example, a user legitimately upgraded their computer from OEM factory installed Windows 7 to Windows 10. When the original upgrade happened, a digital license for Windows 10 was stored on Microsoft Activation Servers for that version (Home or Pro) of Windows 10 for that specific computer based upon that computer's unique hardware ID. Now that user wants to do a clean install of Windows 10. Microsoft could force that user to produce a valid Product Key in order to download and/or install Windows 10. But Microsoft has chosen to not make it that difficult for the user. They have chosen, instead, to make Windows 10 freely available to download and install without a product key and then subsequent activation will occur when Windows 10 contacts Microsoft Activation Servers and sends that same computer's unique hardware ID in order to retrieve the digital license to re-activate Windows.

In the process of making it easier for legitimately licensed users to re-install Windows, they had to also make it easier for non-licensed users to use Windows 10 in violation of the EULA.

John21 said:

So why would Microsoft allow install it at all for free?

Microsoft presumably hope that you will get fed up with the restrictions on an unactivated Windows 10 and purchase a license.

John21 said:

So why would Microsoft allow install it at all for free?

It's called marketing.
They want you to taste the product, then they would like you to purchase a license.