MS to Allow Windows 10 Activation with Windows 7/8.1 Keys Start Nov.

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  1. Posts : 421
    Windows 10
       #30

    @NavyLCDR: I originally did the upgrade using the microsoft tool and then clean installed (using an iso made with the tool after my upgraded one was activated) and using showkeyplus, my key id not the same as you have for windows 10 home which is what i have...

    Mine starts with YTMG3-(other numbers that are also different then what you list) so i am wondering if perhaps the Windows 10 product key it converts to after upgrading is really not generic as some think here...
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #31

    Craig said:
    @NavyLCDR: I originally did the upgrade using the microsoft tool and then clean installed (using an iso made with the tool after my upgraded one was activated) and using showkeyplus, my key id not the same as you have for windows 10 home which is what i have...

    Mine starts with YTMG3-(other numbers that are also different then what you list) so i am wondering if perhaps the Windows 10 product key it converts to after upgrading is really not generic as some think here...
    My mistake: YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 421
    Windows 10
       #32

    Yep, that's the one...so it IS generic then
    I'm just wondering what would happen if you had a hard drive failure and had to install a new hard drive, if the MS servers would still recognize the hardware as being tied to an activated windows 10 if you would do a clean install at that point...
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #33

    Craig said:
    Yep, that's the one...so it IS generic then
    I'm just wondering what would happen if you had a hard drive failure and had to install a new hard drive, if the MS servers would still recognize the hardware as being tied to an activated windows 10 if you would do a clean install at that point...
    Hard drive replacement does not change the Hardware ID - so the Microsoft activation servers sees it as the same computer and will activate it. You can either enter the generic product key during install, or click "skip" and "do this later" when asked for the product key.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 421
    Windows 10
       #34

    Thanks for the clarification :)
    When i did the clean install, i did use the generic key when it asked for a product key...but good to know that i could have skipped it and it still would have activated anyway...
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 15,027
    Windows 10 IoT
       #35

    I enter the generic key automatically with a PID.txt file. It speeds things up for me on a clean install. If your going to type it in manually, you may as well just click skip though. A lot faster and easier than typing it all in and maybe making a typo.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 1,983
    Windows 10 x86 14383 Insider Pro and Core 10240
       #36

    Back on topic and concerning PID.txt - with 10565 setup on ISO, like the expected November update, you can enter your Windows 7 or 8 key for digital entitlement at the first Setup "Enter Product key" prompt, it will be accepted, and the install will complete with an activated Windows 10, sporting the Generic Windows 10 retail key.

    Has anyone confirmed that a Windows 7 or 8 product key in a PID.txt file in the 10565 source folder will setup Windows 10, without interaction as far as the Product key is concerned?
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 15,027
    Windows 10 IoT
       #37

    No, I haven't. All my home PC's are already upgraded to 10 Pro and already have a digital entitlement. I don't have anything to test it on at the moment.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 5,478
    2004
       #38

    alphanumeric said:
    No, I haven't. All my home PC's are already upgraded to 10 Pro and already have a digital entitlement. I don't have anything to test it on at the moment.
    You could easily test it on a VM. I don't have space to do this at the moment as I only have a 120GB drive and already I'm running 3 windows 10 and one OSX. I've only got about 8GB spare at the moment.

    What I did test yesterday though is to install 10565 and activate it on a new VM using a 7 Pro retail key. I then deleted the disk and created a new one and installed 10240 and it was activated immediately with digital entitlement. I've just customized it too much since then to delete it at the moment just to retest with a PID.txt.

    If you have space it would only take half an hour.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 5,899
    Win 11 Pro (x64) 22H2
       #39

    MS to Allow Windows 10 Activation with Windows 7/8.1 Keys Start Nov.

    Isn't this what MS was doing anyway, except it was done "automatically"? The way I understood it is when you upgraded from one of those two OS's you lost your Win 7/8 key after 30 days in swapping to Windows 10. In short, if you didn't revert back to your original OS after 30 days you lost those keys anyway. Remember the "you only have 30 days to revert back" statements MS made?

    If that's the case, the only difference I see is you can now do it on your own instead of waiting for the servers to "find" and validate your key.
      My Computers


 

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