reactivating windows 10 on new hardware, without "proper" product key

Bree said:

I don't think the OP has confirmed yet that it's the Dell in their specs. If it is, then entering its service tag at https://www.dell.com/support/home will tell the OP in the 'view system configuration' section exactly what OS it was supplied with.

Its a Dell T5400, dual quad core intel CPUs, bought from the Amazon retailer with Windows-10 pro, 64 bit. It has nothing to do with what was originally installed on the machine to whoever the first owner was. I've entered my device tag number at DELL. Some old Windows XP SP2 install was recorded there, under some kind of VISTA license, and the windows tag on the machine mentions VISTA, but again i think this is all old and no longer relevent news.

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Porthos said:

No such thing legally exists.
All OS licenses are for one computer at a time if it is a retail key.

You're wrong, so i won't argue. My company installed substation automation systems for electric utility substations, and we had unlimited license disks for both windows XP, and then Windows 7, and part of our MSDN agreement, which I assure you was 100% legal and paid for.

Porthos said:

@PeterPan2000
Easy to find out.
Please download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool and save it to your desktop.
Note: You need to run the version compatible with your system.
You can check here if you're not sure if your computer is 32-bit or 64-bit

• Double-click to run it. When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
• Press the Scan button.
• It will make a log (FRST.txt) in the same directory the tool is run. Please attach it to your reply.
• The first time the tool is run, it also makes another log (Addition.txt). Please attach it to your reply as well.

OK, you asked for it. The files produced are huge, and have entries for every piece of software I've ported over. I know all about the items my security/virus detection didn't like. They are all tried and true items. But if you can pick out any system components that aren't as they should be, that would be good to know, especially anything added prior to about January 20, which is around the time I received the machine, and probably would be things the seller did.

(trying to add the attachements here... not sure it its working)

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Porthos said:

That is different but... If you are not a part of that company anymore you are not authorized to use them. And they were not completely unlimited. They had limits and other rules of use.

I understand that. And I am authorized by the company to use them as part of an ongoing contract. I just don't want to go that VERY LONG route.

The idea is to install win7 on a separate partition. Then upgrade it to win 10 to get the digital license for that machine.

It can be done if the machine has 7oem slic table.

If it doesn't have the correct slic, it can be done with valid ( non slp) win 7 installation media and key, or with win8 or win8.1 media and key.

I am not sure if you need perc drivers for that machine. You could use dism++ on your existing win10 installation to see what 3rd party drivers are installed.

Porthos said:

The license keys are built-in OEM motherboards (BIOS embedded keys) at the factory for Dell's HP's etc since Windows 8.



That is why, since the majority of my clients I serve are older and many on fixed incomes have me buy and sell them a legally refurbished machine when needed.

I have had a few who made the same error you did when purchasing a computer and sent them back after I informed them of thier error. Also had one not too long buy a decent gaming machine with a bootleg license as well. I just had him get the correct one and did the install.
All other types like system builders and retail still have 25 digit keys to input.

Do you think if I buy a cheap OEM license I cpould just use its key? They are going for about $35 on ebay, money back if it doesn't work. One even said he'd send me the key, let me try, and if it works I could then follow through and buy the disk. These disks are old win-10 pro (64) installs from about 2017, so I would not want to do a full install and then have to go through all those windows upgrades again. Maybe its like older (win7 and XP ) installs? In those days, you might do an install to repair or refresh an existing system and up-date the ownership, but If the install saw your current OS and drivers and such were newer, it would leave them alone.

Of course its possible such an attempt at putting in a new key could both fail, AND NOT let me go back! I don't know. I could try it on a working drive clone.

In any case, returns won't be possible at this point. I have both scorned the seller in my feedback, and turned him in the the fraud division of Amazon. So I've burned my bridges, in hopes of warning potential buyers.

We'll see how it goes. My "bogus" license has already done all windows updates with no issue, and if the the activation expiration "magically" keeps bumping the ending date forward, maybe I can live with it as is (for a while at least).