Activation troubleshooting

Have you tried going to settings > updates & security > activation > change product key, and entering your key? I've lost track of what you've tried and didn't try.

alphanumeric said:

Have you tried going to settings > updates & security > activation > change product key, and entering your key? I've lost track of what you've tried and didn't try.

Not yet, but do you mean my original working key or the generic? Still not sure why my original key worked for 2 years. I wonder if I use my original if my installation ID, etc will be the same?

MPSAN said:

Not yet, but do you mean my original working key or the generic? Still not sure why my original key worked for 2 years. I wonder if I use my original if my installation ID, etc will be the same?

original working key.

alphanumeric said:

original working key.

OK will give it a try...

MPSAN said:

@Superfly
This is getting very strange!
So, first are you saying that the mobi link, that I also took down, is no good or that for some reason you do not trust it but it may be OK?

OK, here is the strange part of what is going on...I used PIDGEN.
All is OK, as I have said until I do a Windows Update. It does the update and deactivates my Windows. Slmgr shows I am activated but after the update it is NOT and somehow my key is changed to a strange key that is blocked. I had written down my original key and slmgr likes it, but after the windows update it changes to a key that PIDGEN says is blocked. Where in the world did that blocked key come from? Perhaps I can try to change the key to the generic one and see what happens. I am not sure why restoring my original fixes everything until the next update.

This is getting very strange!

The site has no registration info - it may well be a legit company that merely uses IVR technologies to automate the process but we can't be sure.

Code:

REGISTRANT CONTACT
Name:
Private Registrant

Organization:
Digital Privacy Corporation

I think getting a DL is the only way to get permanent activation and not have WU get its panties in a knot.
Once activated (by backup/tele or whatever) use the change product key option (not slmgr) and enter the generic Enterprise key.

Superfly said:

The site has no registration info - it may well be a legit company that merely uses IVR technologies to automate the process but we can't be sure.

Code:

REGISTRANT CONTACT
Name:
Private Registrant

Organization:
Digital Privacy Corporation

I think getting a DL is the only way to get permanent activation and not have WU get its panties in a knot.
Once activated (by backup/tele or whatever) use the change product key option (not slmgr) and enter the generic Enterprise key.

OK, so I will see that it is currently activated and then change the key to the generic one? I did not think the generic key would activate as it is, after all, generic.

MPSAN said:

OK, so I will see that it is currently activated and then change the key to the generic one? I did not think the generic key would activate as it is, after all, generic.

The generic provides a DL to an already activated system - on it's own it's blocked from activation.

Some while back I did an upgrade on a Win 10 Pro MAK and got a generic Pro MAK with DL...
ShowKeyPlus - Page 45 - Windows 10 Forums

The tell-tale sign of a generic is the 0's in the PID.

These days I only eve enter the generic keys to change editions via change product key. On clean install I just skip entering a key.

Did clean install of 10 Pro 1803 from my MSDN Business (VL) ISO. It actually let me setup with my Microsoft ID. In the past I could not do that with the Education Version for example. It wanted an Office 365 etc account. I would have to install as a local user then switch to a Microsoft account. I can't remember if Pro VL editions did that too though? I really need to keep better notes. No prompt to enter a key. Didn't activate automatically, but did when I clicked the troubleshoot button. Activated with a DL that this PC already had.
Forgot to write down the error code. I got there because a windows update totally hosed my system this morning, prompting the clean install. So I was a bit distracted and pissed off etc.