Installing Win10 from MS to HP OEM PC

Mark Phelps · 28 Jan 2017

I'm trying to get some ACTUAL information to respond to questions on the HP Forums about whether or not folks can use a Win10 ISO downloaded from MS to reinstall Win10 on their PC, and STILL have it activate OK.

I know that in the case of Win7, this will NOT work as I tried it myself when I needed to resurrect an HP DV6 laptop that crashed hard from a failed Win10 Upgrade. Win7 installed OK but would not activate -- as expected.

I have heard that Win8.1 ISOs from MS WILL activate on HP OEM PCs, but I don't have such a PC, so I can not personally confirm that.

But, what I need to know is if you build Win10 install media from the MS link and then use that to do a clean-install, or a repair-install, on your HP OEM PC, will it activate OK using the embedded HP OEM product key?

Anyone actually confirm this?

NavyLCDR · 28 Jan 2017

Yes, as long as it had Windows 10 on it before.

alphanumeric · 28 Jan 2017

Windows 7 won't activate if you use the factory OEM-SLP key with stock install media. With stock install media you need to use the OEM-COA key from the COA sticker. Those days are gone now with the new OEM embedded keys. Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 stock Microsoft supplied ISO will read an use OEM embedded keys. Verified it myself several times. My ASUS laptop came with Windows 8.0 Core. If I use a Windows 8 ISO I get 8.0 Core automatically installed and activates online just fine. Windows 8.1 ISO gets me Window 8.1 Home, and Windows 10 ISO gets me 10 Home. They all activate online automatically without asking for any keys. No having to select Home or Pro during the install either.

Kyhi · 28 Jan 2017

YES...

Mark Phelps · 28 Jan 2017

NavyLCDR said:

Yes, as long as it had Windows 10 on it before.

Sorry, I should have been clearer -- while the PCs did have Win10 on there, it was preloaded by HP, and is their OEM version.

So, the issue was either overlaying (in the case of a repair-install), or replacing (in the case of a clean-install) using an MS (supposedly) retail version in place of the previous OEM version.

Mark Phelps · 28 Jan 2017

OK, so let me be sure I understand what you're all saying ...

Just like the MS Win8.1 ISO will activate when being being installed on an HP OEM PC, the MS Win10 ISO will, as well.

This will be very good news to folks whose Win10 PC's have problems and aren't up to paying HP $50 or more to order recovery media, which when they get it, might not even work.

Bree · 28 Jan 2017

Mark Phelps said:

while the PCs did have Win10 on there, it was preloaded by HP, and is their OEM version.

As long as it was activated there is a digital licence for Windows 10 tied to this PC. This will activate a clean install of the straight MS version.

There is one important provision that no one has mentioned yet - the licence will be for the type previously installed, Home or Pro. You must install the same type as it had before else it won't activate.

alphanumeric · 29 Jan 2017

The key used determines if its OEM or Retail, not the install media. It's always been that way. The distinction between the two is a bit blurred now in Windows 10 with the Digital License though. The only difference between Retail and custom OEM install media is the OEM's add stuff to the stock Microsoft ISO. I do it myself. I add a $OEM$ folder to my sources folder that has my custom info for the system page etc. OEM logo make model etc. I do one up for each PC I own. I add a PID.txt file to with my Pro key in it to bypass the auto detection of my OEM Home key. If I don't I get home instead of Pro and have to do a change key to get Pro. The PID.txt bypasses the extra steps and speeds things up.

DavidY · 29 Jan 2017

Bree said:

As long as it was activated there is a digital licence for Windows 10 tied to this PC. This will activate a clean install of the straight MS version.

If the computer had Windows 10 OEM, I'd imagined there would be a key on the motherboard, like Windows 8.x OEM computers. (Which would mean that it wouldn't matter if there was a digital licence or not.)
Have MS stopped putting the keys on the motherboard now?

Mark Phelps · 29 Jan 2017

DavidY said:

If the computer had Windows 10 OEM, I'd imagined there would be a key on the motherboard, like Windows 8.x OEM computers. (Which would mean that it wouldn't matter if there was a digital licence or not.)
Have MS stopped putting the keys on the motherboard now?

As far as I know, MS never put the keys onto the motherboard; instead, the OEMs did that. And yes, at least with HP, the OEMs still embed keys onto the motherboard for the new Win10 PCs.