Strange activation issue

PAFOS · 09 Feb 2019

Hello
I had just purchased a used Motherboard on E bay and in order to test it out before using in a new PC I set up a temporary system on the bench with a clean Hard drive and installed Windows 10 pro (1809) from a MS download ISO from a bootable USB stick. It all went well and I ended up with a fully working Windows 10 Installation in about 10 minutes. So the MBO was 100%. During the installation I entered NO product key so I was rather amazed to see that it had been activated. I set up the system without any Microsoft Account just used the local account option. Any ideas how this happened ?
Thanks
Peter

Caledon Ken · 09 Feb 2019

When you say you purchased a used MB did it come with processor?

MS would have interrogated system and if it had Win 10 previously it could have okayed. That said I would have thought it might complain about a hardware change.

The key could also be loaded in the BIOS if this board originally was installed in a vendor device like Lenovo or HP but it would be a coincidence to have the Pro key.

Two WAG's.

dalchina · 09 Feb 2019

Probably been activated previously, and the hardware id must have been recognised.

Caledon Ken · 09 Feb 2019

That is two votes for that idea.

dalchina · 09 Feb 2019

& for interest

If this is an OEM PC that has a valid product key embedded in its UEFI firmware chip, then you will not be prompted to enter a product key. Windows 10 will automatically use the embedded product key if its valid for the edition being installed. If needed, you can change the product key after installation has finished.

(from
Clean Install Windows 10 | Tutorials
)

Caledon Ken · 09 Feb 2019

Yes but he could always use his original retail key on another device... bonus.

Assuming retail key.

alphanumeric · 09 Feb 2019

What they said, somebody has already activated it on Windows 10 Pro. Or it has an OEM embedded key. If you were prompted to enter key, and skipped doing it, there is no embedded key in the BIOS.
Showkey will tell it does or doesn't, https://www.tenforums.com/software-apps/2577-showkeyplus.html
And the account you log in with has no effect on activation. If it already has a Digital License for that edition it will activete. Being linked to your Microsoft account or not has no effect on activation. Its just an added feature to make transfering the license easier. Have a look in Settings > Updates & security > Activation. For a local account it should say activated with a digital license. Switch to a Microsoft Account and it will add Linked to your microsoft account on the end.

PAFOS · 09 Feb 2019

Hi Folks
Thank you all for your input. The MBO did not have any CPU installed so I put in one I had had to hand. I ran Showkey and it gave me the full product key and it also said that there was no OEM key present in the firmware. The last 5 digits of the key are 3v66t (

VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T)

and I am sure I have seen this before on other PC's that I have built and Googling it tells me that it is a RTM Generic Key Retail) for WIN 10 Pro used to install Windows without a purchased valid key but on my PC it is fully activated with that key.---odd or what ?
Cheers
Peter

PAFOS · 09 Feb 2019

Hi just ran slmgr /xpr and it tells me that the "machine is permanently activated " !!!

Bree · 09 Feb 2019

Your 3V66T key is the generic Windows 10 Pro key. It is unable to activate on its own, but will activate only if the machine's Hardware ID matches an existing digital licence.

Generic Product Keys to Install Windows 10 Editions | Tutorials

Microsoft do not say what makes up the hardware ID that identifies a machine and is linked to the Digital Licence stored on the MS activation servers, or how big a hardware change is 'too much'. What they have said is that the HDD plays no part in the ID. As for the cpu, some have been able swap their cpu and keep their activation, while others have lost activation. Swapping out the motherboard seems to cause the most reports of activation loss, so it's safe to assume the motherboard is a large part of the hardware ID.

Seems this motherboard once was in a machine that had Pro installed and activated. You seem to have lucked out by using a cpu that's not too different from the one it had before, the hardware ID is sufficiently close for MS to regard it as still being the same machine.