New
#31
Hi Kat,
Some good explanation here about why we see a generic product key after activation and getting a digital license:
Windows 10 Prod key shows different
Why you can’t find your product key after upgrading to Windows 10
OEM key activated in 2 machines at the same time
-
-
-
New #33
SLP Product Keys Explained – d7xTech.com (formerly Foolish IT)
More reading material
Windows 10 Digital License explained – Win10.Guru another must read from our forum guru Kari.Last edited by steve108; 25 Nov 2021 at 18:56.
-
New #34
That makes sense, the physical install media I have says it's a "System Builder" DVD.SLP Product Keys Explained – d7xTech.com (formerly Foolish IT)
More reading material
Windows 10 Digital License explained – Win10.Guru another must read from our forum guru Kari.
Oooh, Kari has a blog. Nice.
-
New #35
After Windows 7 was released in 2009 Microsoft sold Windows 7 Home Premium - Family Pack. It came with both 32-bit & 64-bit DVDs. The single Product Key that came with it could activate up to 3 computers at the same time.
I bought this ten years ago. I am not sure but over the years I think I used it on 4 different computers as shown below. I wonder how many times I can use the key before it is blocked.
Desktop #1:
- Windows 7 Home Premium #1 32-bit
- Windows 7 Home Premium #1 64-bit
- Free update to Windows 10 Home 64-bit
- Windows 7 Home Premium #2 64-bit (dual boot)
Desktop #2:
- Windows 7 Home Premium #3
Laptop #1:
- Windows 7 Home Premium #4
Note Desktop #2 has not been used in a few years
-
New #36
@MisterEd That cover is such a throwback, I love it.
There appears to be a leeway on how many times such keys can be activated at the same time. I guess if it isn't as blatant piracy in the "wild", Microsoft has tended to become lenient with these things.
I keep it 1:1 as much as possible with every legitimate purchase. This experiment just happened to show we "can" push it to reasonable degrees.
-
New #37
It is actually a rare thing when Microsoft lets you use one Product Key for Windows legally on more than one computer at the same time. Microsoft only produced this product for a short time to encourage people to upgrade to Windows 7. When I bought it in 2011 for $129.99 I thought it was a good deal.@MisterEd That cover is such a throwback, I love it.
There appears to be a leeway on how many times such keys can be activated at the same time. I guess if it isn't as blatant piracy in the "wild", Microsoft has tended to become lenient with these things.
I keep it 1:1 as much as possible with every legitimate purchase. This experiment just happened to show we "can" push it to reasonable degrees.
BTW, notice that at the top it said Upgrade. Just like the Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade I bought I could do a clean install on any computer without it asking to prove I actually owned a previous qualifying copy of Windows (XP or Vista). A lot of people like me found out Microsoft most of the time did not enforce this with Windows 7. Microsoft never officially confirmed that was true. Of course they did something even better with Windows 10. The free upgrade was only to be for the first year after Windows 10 was released. As far as I know people can still upgrade Windows 7 or 8.1 to Windows 10 for free.
-
New #38
Microsoft were very careful with their choice of words. What ended after a year was the free upgrade through the GWX app, as their official statement said. They were happy to let it imply that all paths to a free upgrade had ended without actually confirming or denying it.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...e-e1cf00382445Microsoft said:
-
-
Quote
Related Discussions
