OMG, two Windows with one product key???

Superfly · 12 Sep 2016

You may have a Win 8 Pro OEM key that got a digital licence on the second install (some OEM's used old stock and upgraded them to Home OEM without overwriting the firmware key)

DavidE · 12 Sep 2016

I'm interested in this as i'm in a similar situation.
I've read MS tweaked the activation/licensing with the Anniversary Update.
It now can use a MS Account as part of the activation/license.

@Pipppero2007
- When you installed/activated Win 10 where you using a MS Account or a Local Account ?
- If you used a MS Account, was it the same MS Account for both OS's ?
- Are each of the Win 10 OS's installed on different drives, or a single drive ?

I looked into this when i saw the same thing after the Anniversary Update.
I wonder if changing one of the OS's to a different MS Account would change the license for that OS.
I never found a definate answer, and i don't know.

Has anyone dual-booted Win 10 with a different MS Account for each OS, and know if that gives 2 different license/activation ?

Here's one article i found that discusses this, i don't know if it's fact or not.

Source for quote below: Microsoft tweaks activation rules for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update | ZDNet

The second situation where the link to a Microsoft account might help is on a PC that has more than one license attached to it. That situation might apply if you purchased a PC with Windows 10 Home installed by the OEM and then upgraded to Windows 10 Pro during the free upgrade period using a product key from a retail copy of Windows 7 Professional, for example.

In that situation, a clean reinstall of Windows 10 from the manufacturer's recovery media might result in the Home version being installed and activated. The procedure for upgrading to Windows 10 Pro is far from obvious, involving generic product keys that aren't officially published. Here, too, being able to link that Windows 10 Pro license to a Microsoft account makes it possible to identify the correct digital license.

Microsoft says the new feature to link a digital license to a Microsoft account is in Windows 10 build 14371 or later.

Superfly · 12 Sep 2016

I don't think the mere use of an MSA creates a digital licence - unless it's same as a registered Insider one - that may well re-activate on the same hardware...but that's just my guess FWIW.

Kbird · 12 Sep 2016

I am thinking the same as the others , the Activation Servers Can't tell it is a Dual boot but see the Hardware (MB) ID and so have activated the Dual Boot too , thinking you just reinstalled it without the Key.

Fafhrd · 12 Sep 2016

I have seen no evidence that Microsoft has ever enforced, or indeed is able to enforce, the clause that limits installation to a single "device" on the same hardware system, as defined in clause 2b:

Code:

2.    Installation and Use Rights.
.
.
.
b.    Device. In this agreement, “device” means a hardware system (whether physical or virtual) with an internal storage device capable of running the software. A hardware partition or blade is considered to be a device.

When a Windows installation has become inoperable, due to some irreparable corruption, it has always been possible to reinstall in another volume (partition on same or different disk drive on the same hardware system) before deleting the broken installation after transferring data, and in the case of XP, or earlier, in a differently named Windows folder on the same partition as well.

cereberus · 12 Sep 2016

alphanumeric said:

Go to Settings > Update & security > Activation. As already mentioned, it likely shows as "Activated with a Digital license". The second install of 10 Pro on the same hardware is activating with the DL the first install got. The activation server doesn't know its two separate installs. It does violate the EULA though. If you want to be totally legal with a clear conscience. Boot up to the second install, then go to Settings > Update & security > Activation. Then click change product key and enter your second product code that you haven't used. Keep in mind that this may just switch both installs the this new key? You will have done due diligence though. Or don't do anything and wait and see what happens? I'm thinking they will both stay activated with no issues. I'm with cereberus, you can only ever run the one install at any one time so I have a hard time getting to bent out of shape when things like this happen. In this case its not your fault the second install activated all on its own.

Using product key on second install makes no difference as the hardware id is not changed. Basically you can only have one digital licence per edition per pc.

So even attempting to be purist is futile. So as MS cannot get their act together, I see no reason to get emotive or worried about it.

If a person is trying to behave in good faith but cannot, I see no reason why that person should not dual boot as discussed. There are times when strict adherence is not possible without limiting oneself.

alphanumeric · 13 Sep 2016

cereberus said:

Using product key on second install makes no difference as the hardware id is not changed. Basically you can only have one digital licence per edition per pc.

So even attempting to be purist is futile. So as MS cannot get their act together, I see no reason to get emotive or worried about it.

If a person is trying to behave in good faith but cannot, I see no reason why that person should not dual boot as discussed. There are times when strict adherence is not possible without limiting oneself.

Totally agree, just giving options, as best I can.

Then let the OP decide what to do. Microsoft doesn't say how activation works , in detail, for obvious reasons. That leaves a lot of guess work on our part, well on my part anyway. Some here know a lot more about it than I do. I was thinking as I typed my above response that both install would just toggle to the new key/DL. No way to tell as far as I know. If it was me, I'd just run it as is and see what happens down the road.

alphanumeric · 13 Sep 2016

Superfly said:

I don't think the mere use of an MSA creates a digital licence - unless it's same as a registered Insider one - that may well re-activate on the same hardware...but that's just my guess FWIW.

It's my understanding that the "Linked to your Microsoft Account" part has nothing to do with Activation, or the DL. It just makes recovering activation easier via the activation trouble shooter. If you Install and log in with a local account it will still activate with the DL. I've done it. It just says activated with a DL, with no linked to the MSA at the end. Switch to your Microsoft Account and the Linked to part appears on the end.

cereberus · 16 Sep 2016

alphanumeric said:

It's my understanding that the "Linked to your Microsoft Account" part has nothing to do with Activation, or the DL. It just makes recovering activation easier via the activation trouble shooter. If you Install and log in with a local account it will still activate with the DL. I've done it. It just says activated with a DL, with no linked to the MSA at the end. Switch to your Microsoft Account and the Linked to part appears on the end.

That is exactly it - all the link does is help you find your digital licence when a hardware change changes mobo id so a digital licence cannot be found but exists. It is purely a backup mechanism which is manual.

Many people mistakenly think that all you need to do is longin with MSA and you get automatically activated - quite how they think this is simply because they jump to conclusions without checking facts.