Windows 10 Activation questions

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  1. Posts : 985
    Windows 10 Home 21H1
    Thread Starter
       #21

    Superfly said:
    Service centres install a default board - OA3 (Win 8/Win10 key injection) occurs only at the factory - the bios may however contain a Win7 SLIC from a base bios/firmware - an envelope with a new OEM key must accompany the RMA.




    A same edition installed with an MSA will retrieve the digital licence when on line from different hardware automatically.

    By this I mean no substantial change in HardwareID.. like NIC (a major component of the ID)
    Hi mate. Thanks for the info. What if I clean install from a Local Account sign in instead of my Microsoft Account? Will it still Activate on my laptop automatically bearing in mind that Dell replaced the original motherboard under warranty? The general feeling on here is that it will but I thought it would be good to ask your opinion too. Like Ive said above when the Dell engineer came and replaced the faulty motherboard he gave me a card with a product key on it and told me to use it for future Activations. Ive never had to use it though...not even once. Im wondering if I change to a clean install using a Local Account that I may have to Activate Windows manually using a product key. The Dell engineer gave me a product key card after replacing the faulty motherboard which I stored away safely just in case I ever needed it but so far its never been used. That was 18 months ago and my Dell laptop warranty has expired now. Im a just a bit concerned if I do end up needing to Activate manually in case the Dell engineers product key no longer works as it was 18 months ago when he gave it to me
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  2. Posts : 3,453
       #22

    sportsfan148 said:
    Hi mate. Thanks for the info. What if I clean install from a Local Account sign in instead of my Microsoft Account? Will it still Activate on my laptop automatically bearing in mind that Dell replaced the original motherboard under warranty? The general feeling on here is that it will but I thought it would be good to ask your opinion too. Like Ive said above when the Dell engineer came and replaced the faulty motherboard he gave me a card with a product key on it and told me to use it for future Activations. Ive never had to use it though...not even once. Im wondering if I change to a clean install using a Local Account that I may have to Activate Windows manually using a product key. The Dell engineer gave me a product key card after replacing the faulty motherboard which I stored away safely just in case I ever needed it but so far its never been used. That was 18 months ago and my Dell laptop warranty has expired now. Im a just a bit concerned if I do end up needing to Activate manually in case the Dell engineers product key no longer works as it was 18 months ago when he gave it to me
    Yes, irrespective of the type of account it will re-activate with a digital licence - the MSA is just a link between the Activation server and your PC... i.e only required for transfer.
    A local account will access the tranferred licence directly from the Activation server each time a new install of the licenced version is done on that PC using the built-in default product key.
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  3. Posts : 985
    Windows 10 Home 21H1
    Thread Starter
       #23

    Thanks again mate. Do you mind just elaborating a bit on …" the MSA is just a link between the Activation server and your PC... i.e only required for transfer"...and in your explanation you talk about transferred license. By transferred license do you mean when I upgraded originally during the free Windows 10 upgrade period from 8.1 to Windows 10? And when you say "using the built in default product key"..are you referring to the generic Windows 10 key which Showkey says I have now ..ending in -8HVX7?
    It all got a bit confusing for me when a few Builds back they announced that there were advantages to using a Microsoft Account regarding Windows Activation. I was never really sure what exactly that meant?
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  4. Posts : 3,453
       #24

    sportsfan148 said:
    Thanks again mate. Do you mind just elaborating a bit on …" the MSA is just a link between the Activation server and your PC... i.e only required for transfer"...and in your explanation you talk about transferred license. By transferred license do you mean when I upgraded originally during the free Windows 10 upgrade period from 8.1 to Windows 10? And when you say built in default key...by that do you mean the generic key which Showkey says I have now ..ending in -8HVX7
    It all got a bit confusing for me when a few Builds back they announced that there were advantages to using a Microsoft Account regarding Windows Activation. I was never really sure what exactly that meant?
    You're welcome.

    The only advantage an MSA has, in activation terms, is that it allows one to transfer a digital licence.

    Take this eg.

    1. PC1 has licence A
    2. Logon to PC1 with local account and the licence shows "Acitivated with digital licence"
    3. Logon to PC1 with MSA and the licence shows "Acitivated with a digital licence linked to your MSA"
    4. PC1 has motherborad melt-down and gets RMA'd
    5. PC1 now becomes PC2 due to the change in HardwareID
    6. PC2 logged as local account tries to activate but the licence is not valid as it sees it a different PC
    7. PC2 logged in with MSA tries to activate and finds licence A as it recognises the MSA
    8. Activation server compares HardareID's (PC1 vs PC2) and finds little change and assigns it licence B
    9. PC2 has licence B

    The process from 1 above then applies to PC2.

    HTH.
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  5. Posts : 985
    Windows 10 Home 21H1
    Thread Starter
       #25

    Superfly said:
    You're welcome.

    The only advantage an MSA has, in activation terms, is that it allows one to transfer a digital licence.

    Take this eg.

    1. PC1 has licence A
    2. Logon to PC1 with local account and the licence shows "Acitivated with digital licence"
    3. Logon to PC1 with MSA and the licence shows "Acitivated with a digital licence linked to your MSA"
    4. PC1 has motherborad melt-down and gets RMA'd
    5. PC1 now becomes PC2 due to the change in HardwareID
    6. PC2 logged as local account tries to activate but the licence is not valid as it sees it a different PC
    7. PC2 logged in with MSA tries to activate and finds licence A as it recognises the MSA
    8. Activation server compares HardareID's (PC1 vs PC2) and finds little change and assigns it licence B
    9. PC2 has licence B

    The process from 1 above then applies to PC2.

    HTH.
    You wrote...
    4. PC1 has motherborad melt-down and gets RMA'd
    5. PC1 now becomes PC2 due to the change in HardwareID
    6. PC2 logged as local account tries to activate but the licence is not valid as it sees it a different PC
    7. PC2 logged in with MSA tries to activate and finds licence A as it recognises the MSA
    8. Activation server compares HardareID's (PC1 vs PC2) and finds little change and assigns it licence B
    9. PC2 has licence B

    So because in my case I was signed into a Microsoft Account at the time when the Dell engineer replaced the faulty motherboard thats why Activations have remained automatic throughout. If I'd been signed in with a Local Account at the time the motherboard was replaced I would have needed to use the Product Key given to me by the Dell engineer on the day he replaced the motherboard to Activate. Have I understood you correctly?
    Because the motherboard change was deemed as little change at the time when it recognised the digital license in my Microsoft Account....Does that mean going forward my digital license sees the replacement motherboard as part of my Hardware ID and not the original faulty motherboard? Is that why I will be able to use a Local Account to clean install and sign in and still get Automatic activation..because the Activation Servers have confirmed already 18 months ago that the new motherboard was just a replacement belonging to the same laptop..so the new motherboard became permanently part of laptops Hardware ID (removing the old motherboard as if it had never existed). By that I mean if clean install with a local account the Activation Servers check the Hardware ID and that now includes the replacement motherboard. Have I got that right now? I can feel a headache coming on!! lol
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  6. Posts : 3,453
       #26

    Yup, correct.

    Being thorough is good but don't forget, overthinking causes headaches... LOL

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  7. Posts : 985
    Windows 10 Home 21H1
    Thread Starter
       #27

    Overthinking can be a problem of mine yeah!! lol
    It seems that using a Microsoft Account at the time was a good move. It enabled the digital license transfer to go through smoothly. Its making me wonder now..if for that reason alone..sticking to using a Microsoft Account might be advisable. It looks like if youre signed in with a Local Account and youre about to have a motherboard replaced..future activations would be affected. If I had been signed into my laptop with a Local Account at the time but I managed to switch the Local account to my Microsoft Account immediately before the engineer replaced the motherboard..would that still have enabled a smooth transfer of the Digital License? Or is that not the same thing as if Windows 10 had been clean installed and Activated using a Microsoft Account sign in?
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  8. Posts : 3,453
       #28

    sportsfan148 said:
    Overthinking can be a problem of mine yeah!! lol
    It seems that using a Microsoft Account at the time was a good move. It enabled the digital license transfer to go through smoothly. Its making me wonder now..if for that reason alone..sticking to using a Microsoft Account might be advisable. It looks like if youre signed in with a Local Account and youre about to have a motherboard replaced..future activations would be affected. If I had been signed into my laptop with a Local Account at the time but I managed to switch the Local account to my Microsoft Account immediately before the engineer replaced the motherboard..would that still have enabled a smooth transfer of the Digital License? Or is that not the same thing as if Windows 10 had been clean installed and Activated using a Microsoft Account sign in?
    Always sign-in with a MSA even just once - it's just good practice - you never need to again unless hardware changes.
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  9. Posts : 15,024
    Windows 10 IoT
       #29

    The only future activation that would be affected is the one done right after the motherboard swap. Once that motherboard gets its Digital License it makes no difference what type of account you sign in with. Or what account even, you could use a totally new account and that device will still activate.
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  10. Posts : 15,024
    Windows 10 IoT
       #30

    And one finale bit of advise. Don't worry be happy.
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