Windows 10 Home no digial license / entitlement on cloned disk?


  1. Posts : 36
    XP
       #1

    Windows 10 Home no digital license / entitlement on cloned disk?


    I'm sure I read, and have previously tested a couple of times, that your license remained active if you changed hard drives.

    What I done a while ago is saved an image of an activated Win 10 Home install on ssd (by clean installing Win 10 from USB (Media Creation Tool) using a never-before-used Win 8.1 retail key), then saved it as an image. I then restored that image to a HDD and went online for a while. Windows remained active.

    However, I noticed yesterday when I restored that same image to the same HDD (other hardware remains the same) that it cannot find a digital entitlement. Restored the image a few times to no avail.

    However, hooking up the original SSD showed that the license is still active. BTW, I pulled the plug when I realised Win Updates downloading and when I restarted, my sudden decision to terminate Win Updates messed up my install.

    So I performed a fresh clean install of 1511 that I have on USB, skipped the key and when I got online - voila .... it was digitally activated!

    Re-restored the image to the HDD and still no go?

    So, am I doing something wrong, or have MS introduced something new - such as having to validate a key everytime a new peice of hardware's changed?
    Last edited by EightK; 15 Nov 2016 at 20:00.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #2

    If you have the Windows 10 installed that is not activated, right click on start icon. Select Command Prompt (Admin). Run:

    slmgr /dlv

    Post results here. Should look something like:

    Windows 10 Home no digial license / entitlement on cloned disk?-capture.jpg
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 3,453
       #3

    Check the diagnostic report from here : Activation troubleshooting - Windows 10 Forums

    If you have digital entitlement the genuine ticket data should be at the bottom - it's all encrypted but at least we will know it's getting it - we can then determine any other error from the report as to why it's not being accepted.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 36
    XP
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Thanks both for your time. Sorry, I've been a bit busy.

    I've ran the windows activation tool, but cannot get a report identical to that shown.

    When I run the tool, I initially get an 'input string was not in a correct format' - when I continue, it basically confirms some basic details but nothing on Genuine Ticket.

    I have since performed several clean installs on the SSD, switching between MBR and GPT (is GPT the way to go?) and on each ocassion, I've skipped a key during installation and automatically activated once connected online.

    Surely deploying to a different disk (mechanical HDD) shouldn't affect the license digital entitlement?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #5

    EightK said:
    Surely deploying to a different disk (mechanical HDD) shouldn't affect the license digital entitlement?
    As long as it is for the same computer, switching drives should not affect the digital entitlement. Move the drive to a new computer and Windows 10 will look for a digital entitlement stored for the new computer it was moved to, it will not keep the old one.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 3,453
       #6

    OK, let me get this straight - a clean install on that PC gets digitally activated, whilst the image restore does not? If so I would think the image is corrupted perhaps?

    Anyway I will check/fix that error that the ADT is throwing on 1511 and hopefully a diagnostic report will shed some light.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 36
    XP
    Thread Starter
       #7

    After further testing, I've realised that my original image had a product ID ending 169 and that the display adaptor was showing as ms basic display adaptor, and exclamation marks against pci simple comms, sm bus controllers and unknown device under other devices. when this image is restored to hdd, it didn't activate (i'm sure it has previously). before wiping the ssd (which created said original image), it remained activated when i went online. from the shots i've kept, the product id was the same.

    so i have performed several clean installs as mentioned above, all of which auto activated with a de license. however, despite being on exactly the same hardware (except switching drives), i noticed the product id ends in 664. Anyways, I've stayed online for about 5 minutes, giving it enough time to search for and intsall relevant drivers (Intel hd and those under other devices). i then created an image of this activated install.

    this image was deployed onto another disk and it appears on this ocassion, despite being on different drive, it remains activated.

    is it something to do with the product id? has it changed due to the change from mbr to gpt? why did the original ssd install ending 169 remain activated if for some reason MS systems thinks it has since changed to end in 664?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 3,453
       #8

    Missing device drivers will certainly mess-up the hardware ID and explain the results on that restore.

    Regarding the PiD, the last 5 characters are irrelevant - eg.. all OEM installs have that as AAOEM.

    The PiD consistes of two major sub-ID's - using the generic Pro key's id: 00330-80000-00000-AA975

    The bold = Windows Version as in Win 10 RTM Professional Retail

    The Italics = KeyID (unique id a key is based on... NB: zeros normally indicate the first of the sequence and a generic key)

    Anyway I have fixed the error you got on 1511 - you can re-download and try to a generate a report.
      My Computer


 

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