Windows 10 Activation questions

Matthew Wai said:

That could be why I failed to re-activate Windows 10 via my Microsoft account last month.

If you reverted to local account before hardware change, then yes.

Porthos said:

The replacement motherboard might be a refurb and was activated previously with 10 before it got refurbed. That would explain the auto-activation. Do you really think Dell or any other OEM is going to give you a "new" board on a warranty replacement.

Plausable, but if a refurbish why no OEM embedded key? It's a non-factory installed mobo.

cereberus said:

For clarity.

If you login with an MS Account, the digital licence is tied to MS account enabling you to activate it in event of a hardware change as discussed.

HOWEVER - if you revert the account to a local account, the link is REMOVED!

If you want to keep the link AND use a local account, you have to create a second account and NOT touch the MS account.

Hmmm.... I need to test this myself...

Matthew Wai said:

That could be why I failed to re-activate Windows 10 via my Microsoft account last month.

Significant hardware changes (like a completely different mobo) requires you run the troubleshooter.

Matthew Wai said:

I did run Activation Troubleshooter but failed to activate Windows.
Then I ran "slui 3" and successfully activated it.

OIC, that's good info - so did you have to enter the default product key after running troubleshooter?

Matthew Wai said:

Activation Troubleshooter did not ask me to enter a key, but "slui 3" did, and I entered a valid Windows 7 key on "slui 3".

OK Thanx - so it didn't transfer anything...you just got new DL from scratch - just as well those old licences are still working - the troubleshooter seems useless.

Matthew Wai said:

What is DL?

Sorry ol' chap, it's Digital Licence

cereberus said:

For clarity.

If you login with an MS Account, the digital licence is tied to MS account enabling you to activate it in event of a hardware change as discussed.

HOWEVER - if you revert the account to a local account, the link is REMOVED!

If you want to keep the link AND use a local account, you have to create a second account and NOT touch the MS account.

Superfly said:

Hmmm.... I need to test this myself...

Craig, I would be very much interested in the results of that test (I think others too)!
As I have linked the DL to my MS account and then changed back to local and when I logged in again with MS account the link was there.
I'm not sure though as I have always been using a local account, changed to MS to link the DL and then back to local. if that did create a local account or changed the MS account as Martin says.
So please post back if and when you try it.

Thanks bud!