"WINDOWS 10"

ACTIVATION
Web location for this
presentation:
http://aztcs.org
Click on “Meeting
Notes”
2
 SUMMARY
If you take an existing "Windows 7" or
"Windows 8" or "Windows 8.1"
computer and upgrade it for free, your
copy of "Windows 10" will be
activated with a "Digital License". If
you purchase a retail copy of
"Windows 10" and use it to install or
upgrade a computer, you will be
activating with a 25-character
"Windows 10 Product Key". 3
 TOPICS
• Microsoft's Activation Servers
• Do Not Comply With All Initial
Requests for A Product Key (For
"Windows 10")
• Two Ways to Activate "Windows 10"
• Which Method of Activation Was
Used in My "Windows 10"
Computer?
4
 TOPICS (continued)
• Details of "Digital License" Activation
• Details of "Product Key" Activation
• Difference Between "Digital License"
Activation and "Product Key"
Activation
• "Anniversary Update" Converts
"Product Key" to "Digital License"
• Linking Your "Microsoft Account" to a
"Digital License" Activation
5
 MICROSOFT'S ACTIVATION
SERVERS

• The activation process for

most of Microsoft's software
products including
"Windows.." depends on
their server farms:
6
 MICROSOFT'S ACTIVATION
SERVERS (continued)
• 1+ million servers for Microsoft
services such as "OneDrive",
"Bing", "Outlook.com", "Skype",
"Xbox", according to Steve Ballmer.
See
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/1
61772-microsoft-now-has-one-million-
servers-less-than-google-but-more-
than-amazon-says-ballmer
7
 MICROSOFT'S ACTIVATION
SERVERS (continued)
• $23 billion spent to build
server farms worldwide
according to
https://storageservers.wordpr
ess.com/2013/07/17/facts-
and-stats-of-worlds-largest-
data-centers/
8
 MICROSOFT'S ACTIVATION
SERVERS (continued)
• Server farms located in
Santa Clara, California
Chicago (Northlake), Illinois
West Des Moines, Iowa (x3)
San Antonio, Texas
Boydton, Virginia
Ashburn, Virginia
Quincy, Washington
Dublin, Ireland 9
10
11
12
13
14
 Server Farms
Operated by Internet
Microsoft: Connection
Activation Servers
Other servers for
Outlook.com,
OneDrive, Bing, etc.
Activated
"Windows 10"
Microsoft's Activation Servers

UUID of your motherboard, Internet

edition ("Home" or "Pro" or Connection
"Workstation"),
bitness (64bit or 32bit) and
optionally, your Microsoft
account's email address if this
is a "Digital License" activation
if you have "linked" the "Digital Activated
License to a Microsoft Account "Windows
10"
 MICROSOFT'S ACTIVATION
SERVERS (continued)
• Two separate databases inside
Microsoft's activation servers:
"Digital Licenses" database
and
"Product Keys" database

17
Microsoft's Activation Servers
DIGITAL LICENSES DATABASE

"Product Key" DATABASE,

 Microsoft's Activation Servers
UUID of your motherboard,
edition ("Home" or "Pro" or "Workstation" or
"Enterprise"),
bitness (64bit or 32bit), and
optionally, your Microsoft account's email
address if this is a "Digital License" and you
linked it to your Microsoft Account
"Product Key",
edition ("Home" or "Pro" or "Workstation" or
"Enterprise"),
bitness (64bit or 32bit), and
Number of remaining activations for key
 MICROSOFT'S ACTIVATION
SERVERS (continued)
• Microsoft states that they never
store the 25-character product key
and the UUID of a computer's
motherboard in the same database
record

20
 DO NOT COMPLY WITH ALL INITIAL
REQUESTS FOR A PRODUCT KEY IN
"WINDOWS 10.."
• When installing or upgrading to
"Windows 10..", do not comply with
all initial requests for a product key.

21
22
23
24
25
 DO NOT COMPLY WITH ALL INITIAL
REQUESTS FOR A PRODUCT KEY IN
"WINDOWS 10.." (continued)

• Unlike previous "Windows.."

products, "Windows 10" is kinder
and gentler, even if you do not
activate it.

26
 DO NOT COMPLY WITH ALL INITIAL
REQUESTS FOR A PRODUCT KEY IN
"WINDOWS 10.." (continued)

• Unlike previous "Windows.."

products, "Windows 10" will let you
complete an upgrade or installation,
even if you do not comply with all
initial requests for a product key.

27
 DO NOT COMPLY WITH ALL INITIAL
REQUESTS FOR A PRODUCT KEY FOR
"WINDOWS 10.." (continued)

• After installing or upgrading to

"Windows 10", if you need to
activate it with a 25-character
"Windows 10 Product Key" you
have an indefinite amount of time to
do so.

28
 DO NOT COMPLY WITH ALL INITIAL
REQUESTS FOR A PRODUCT KEY IN
"WINDOWS 10.." (continued)
• Unlike previous "Windows.."
products, "Windows 10" will not turn
your Desktop black, delete what you
are working on, and shut your
computer down every 60 minutes,
even if it is "Windows 10" is not
activated. Unactivated copies of
"Windows 10" are now kinder and
gentler! 29
 DO NOT COMPLY WITH ALL INITIAL
REQUESTS FOR A PRODUCT KEY (continued)
• Reason 1:
A digital license may already be stored
up in Microsoft's activation servers but
the installation wizard will not notify you
of this situation.

30
 DO NOT COMPLY WITH ALL INITIAL
REQUESTS FOR A PRODUCT KEY (continued)
• Reason 1 (continued):
If you enter in a newly-purchased Retail
key at this point and Microsoft already
has a "Digital License" stored up in their
activation server system, your computer
will now have two "Digital Licenses" and
you will have to jump thorough hoops to
re-use the newly-entered Retail key on
another computer some day.
31
 DO NOT COMPLY WITH ALL INITIAL
REQUESTS FOR A PRODUCT KEY (continued)
• Reason 2:
If you use a newly-purchased Retail key
for "Windows 10" and something goes
wrong during the rest of the installation
process:
and IF you have an "OEM System
Builder" channel key you might need to
buy another key (since OEM System
Builders have zero "support from
Microsoft 32
 DO NOT COMPLY WITH ALL INITIAL
REQUESTS FOR A PRODUCT KEY (continued)
• Reason 2 (continued):
If you use a newly-purchased Retail key
for "Windows 10" and something goes
wrong during the rest of the installation
process and you have purchased a
"Retail" channel key, you will have to
phone or text Microsoft support to reuse
the "Retail" key

33
 DO NOT COMPLY WITH ALL INITIAL
REQUESTS FOR A PRODUCT KEY (continued)

• If you install "Windows 10.." into a

blank hard drive or if you upgrade a
copy of "Windows 7", "Windows 8",
or "Windows 8.1", ignore the
following request to enter in a 25-
character activation key:

34
 TWO WAYS TO ACTIVATE
"WINDOWS 10.."
• Method 1:
"Digital License" Method
(No "Windows 10" product key is
used to activate "Windows 10".)
• Method 2:
"Product Key" Method
(A 25-character "Windows 10
Product Key" is used.) 35
 TWO WAYS TO ACTIVATE
"WINDOWS 10.." (continued)
• Microsoft's confusing description
of the differences between the
two activation methods is
located at
https://support.microsoft.com/en
-us/help/12440/windows-10-
activation
36
 WHICH METHOD OF ACTIVATION WAS
USED IN MY "WINDOWS 10"
COMPUTER?

• Step 1:
Click on the "Start" button.

37
38
39
 WHICH METHOD OF ACTIVATION WAS
USED IN MY "WINDOWS 10"
COMPUTER? (continued)

• Step 2:
Click on the "Settings" icon:

40
41
42
 WHICH METHOD OF ACTIVATION WAS
USED IN MY "WINDOWS 10"
COMPUTER? (continued)
• Step 3:
Click on "Update & Security":

43
44
45
 WHICH METHOD OF ACTIVATION WAS
USED IN MY "WINDOWS 10"
COMPUTER? (continued)

• Step 4:
Click on "Activation":

46
47
48
 WHICH METHOD OF ACTIVATION WAS
USED IN MY "WINDOWS 10" COMPUTER?
(continued)
• If Windows 10 has been activated
with a "digital license", the
"Activation" screen in "Settings"
will state
Activation: Windows is activated
with a digital license
and there will be no "Product
49
Key:" line:
50
51
 WHICH METHOD OF ACTIVATION WAS
USED IN MY "WINDOWS 10" COMPUTER?
(continued)
• If Windows 10 has been activated
with a "Windows 10 Product Key",
the "Activation" screen in
"Settings" will state
Activation: Windows is activated
and
Product Key: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx..
52
like this:
53
54
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)
• Digital License
(= "Digital Entitlement"
="Device Based Activation")
"Windows 10" is the first and only
"Windows.." product that can be
activated by means of a "Digital
License"
55
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)
• When you activate a copy of
"Windows.." prior to "Window
10..", Microsoft does not store
the UUID of the motherboard
of your computer in it's
activation servers
56
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)
• "Digital License" means that
Microsoft's activation servers in
their server farms store the UUID
of the motherboard of a computer,
the edition of "Windows 10"
("Home" or "Pro"), as part of the
activation process.
57
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)
• "UUID" stands for "Universally
Unique Identifier"
• A UUID is a 128-bit value that has
a high probability of being unique
that is used to label devices such
as motherboards, hard drives,
graphics adapters, etc.
58
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)
• According to
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Univer
sally_unique_identifier:
.. a UUID is represented by 32
lowercase hexadecimal digits,
displayed in five groups separated
by hyphens, in the form 8-4-4-4-12
for a total of 36 characters
59
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)
• If you look at the UUID that is
stored inside the firmware of your
computer's motherboard, it would
look like this:

60
61
DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)

•595B4D56-
3B34-BA91-
4F7C-
F030072DAE75 62
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)

• When "Windows 10" is not

activated:
If you go to "System" in the
"Control Panel":

63
64
65
66
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE
"ACTIVATION (continued)

• When "Windows 10" is

"activated":
If you go to "System" in the
"Control Panel":

67
68
69
70
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)
• If you upgrade a computer that has a
genuine copy of "Windows 7.." or
"Windows 8.1.." to "Windows 10", it will
activate your new copy of "Windows 10"
and the UUID of the motherboard of the
computer will be stored in Microsoft's
activation servers and a default,
placeholder 25-character product key will
be placed into the Windows registry in
your computer: 71
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)
• This means that everyone who
upgrades from Windows 7 or
Windows 8 to Windows 10 sees the
same default, placeholder product
keys listed at
https://www.maketecheasier.com/win
dows-10-activation-procedure/
when running "Belarc Advisor" or
other diagnostic software:
72
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)

• Use any Web browser in an Internet-

connection computer to go to
belarc.com
• Then download the free "Belarc
Advisor":

73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
When Windows 10 is
activated with a "Digital
License", a generic placehold
product key is stored in the
Windows registry

99
 DETAILS OF "DIGITAL LICENSE "
ACTIVATION (continued)
• When you use a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1
product key to activate "Windows 10.."
successfully, Microsoft's activation
servers actually store the
UUID of the motherboard
and
the edition of Windows 10 (Home or Pro
or Workstation)
100
101
" DIGITAL LICENSE" ACTIVATION

Activation Servers Operated

by Microsoft:
UUID of your motherboard, Internet
edition (Home or Pro), Connection
and
optionally, your Microsoft
account's email address if
you link your digital license
to a Microsoft Account Activated
"Windows 10"
" DIGITAL LICENSE" ACTIVATION
Activation Servers Operated by
Microsoft:

UUID of motherboard,
edition (Home or Pro or
Workstation),
and optionally, your Microsoft
account's email address if you
link your digital license to a
Microsoft Account
 DETAILS OF "PRODUCT KEY"
ACTIVATION
• "Product Key" activation is the
original method of activating
"Windows.." .
• A 25-character "Windows 10
Product Key" is provided inside
each retail copy of "Windows
10.." that you purchase.
104
 DETAILS OF "PRODUCT KEY"
ACTIVATION (continued)

• "Product Key" activation occurs

when you purchase and install a
retail copy of "Windows 10" and
you use a "Windows 10 Product
Key" to activate a copy of
"Windows 10"
105
 DETAILS OF "PRODUCT KEY"
ACTIVATION (continued)
• When you purchase a copy of "Windows
10" and you use it to either upgrade from
any prior version of "Windows.." OR to
install into a blank hard drive, Microsoft's
activation servers actually store :
UUID of the motherboard and
the edition of Windows 10 (Home or Pro or
Workstation),

106
 " PRODUCT KEY" ACTIVATION
Microsoft's Activation Servers
Internet
UUID of motherboard, Connection
edition (Home or Pro or
Workstation

Activated
"Windows
10"
" PRODUCT KEY" ACTIVATION
Microsoft's Activation Servers

UUID of motherboard,
edition (=Home or Pro or
Workstation),
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN "DIGITAL
LICENSE" AND "PRODUCT KEY"
ACTIVATION
• There are is only one difference
between "Digital License" and "Product
Key" activation:

109
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN "DIGITAL
LICENSE" AND "PRODUCT KEY"
ACTIVATION (continued)
• DIFFERENCE:
In "Product Key" activation with a
"Product Key " that is purchased from
the "Retail" distribution channel, the
25-character "Windows 10 Product
Key" (that you purchased) is stored up
in the Windows registry inside your
computer (instead of a placeholder
key). 110
"DIGITAL LICENSE" ACTIVATION
Activation Servers Operated by
Microsoft:
UUID of motherboard,
edition (Home or Pro),
status (trial, full, or "Insider Preview")
and
your Microsoft account's email
address username if you have linked
your "Microsoft Account"
to the digital license
 LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO A "DIGITAL LICENSE" ACTIVATION

• If a copy of "Windows 10" has a been

upgraded to or beyond the "Anniversary
Update" (= "Version 1607") "Digital
License", you can link it to your "Microsoft
Account".

112
 LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO A "DIGITAL LICENSE" ACTIVATION
(continued)

• If your "Microsoft account" is linked to

your "Digital License" activation, you can
then use the "Activation Troubleshooter"
in "Windows 10" when you change your
computer's motherboard and also resolve
other activation issues.

113
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO A "WINDOWS 10" ACTIVATION
(continued)
• After you "link your digital license to
your Microsoft account", the email
address that you use to log into your
Microsoft account will be stored up at
Microsoft's activation servers along
with the other information that
corresponds to your "Digital
License". 114
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO A "WINDOWS 10" ACTIVATION
(continued)

• Prior to making your digital license

linked to your Microsoft Account,
your digital license will look like this
up at Microsoft's activation servers:

115
Microsoft's Activation Servers

UUID of motherboard,
edition (Home or Pro),
status (trial, full, or "Insider
Preview"),
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO A "WINDOWS 10" ACTIVATON
(continued)

• After making your digital license

linked to your Microsoft Account,
your digital license will look like this:

117
"DIGITAL LICENSE" ACTIVATION
Microsoft's Activation Servers

UUID of motherboard,
edition (Home or Pro),
status (trial, full, or "Insider
Preview")
and
your linked Microsoft
account's
email address (optional)
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF "WINDOWS 10 "
(continued)
• There are two ways for you to link
your "Digital License" to a "Microsoft
Account":
Method 1: "Add a Microsoft Account"
from the "Activation" screen in
"Settings"
Method 2: Run the "Sign in with a
Microsoft Account instead" from
119
"Accounts" in "Settings"
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF
OF "WINDOWS 10" (continued)
• Details of Method 1:
Click on the "Settings" gear icon.
Click on "Update & security".
Click on "Activation".
Click on "Add an account".

120
121
122
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION
OF "WINDOWS 10" (continued)
• Details of Method 2:
Click on the "Settings" gear icon.
Click on "Accounts".
Click on "Sign in with a Microsoft
account instead".
etc.
123
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF
OF "WINDOWS 10" (continued)
• After you link your "Microsoft
Account" to the activation
process, your "Activation" screen
will say
"..linked to your Microsoft
Account."
124
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO A THE ACTIVATION OF "WINDOWS 10"
(continued)
• If you are running "Windows 10
Pro", it looks like this:

125
126
127
128
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF "WINDOWS 10"
(continued)
• If you are running "Windows 10
Home", it looks like this:

129
130
 LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF "WINDOWS 10"
(continued)
• After you link your "Microsoft Account" to
the activation process, if you originally
activated "Windows 10" with a "Windows
10 Product Key", the registry of "Windows
10" will still have your original 25-
character "Windows 10 Product Key" in it
as determined by software programs
such as "Belarc Advisor", if your key is a
"Retail" channel key. 131
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF "WINDOWS 10"
(continued)
• After you link your "Microsoft
Account" to the activation process,
"Windows 10" will start requiring you
to log into your computer with your
"Microsoft Account" (if you were
logging into your computer with a
"local account" prior to the linking
process). 132
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF "WINDOWS 10"
(continued)

• If you wish to go back to logging into

"Windows 10" with a "local account"
after "Adding a Microsoft Account" to
the activation of "Windows 10", go to
"Settings", "Accounts", "Sign in with
a local account", etc.

133
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF "WINDOWS 10"
(continued)
• If you go back to logging into "Windows
10" with a local account, the Microsoft's
activation servers will no longer store
your Microsoft account's email address
so you can no longer use the
"Activation Troubleshooter" to re-
activate if you change the motherboard
of the computer 134
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF "WINDOWS 10"
(continued)
• The process of linking a Microsoft
Account to a copy of Windows 10 that
was activated by means of a "Windows
10 Product key" converts the activation
to a "Digital License" even if you then
revert back to logging into "Windows
10" with a "local account".
135
IF YOU REVERT BACK TO LOGGING IN WITH A "LOCAL
ACCOUNT", MICROSOFT'S ACTIVATION SERVERS WILL
STOP STORING YOUR MICROSOFT ACCOUNT'S EMAIL
ADDRESS:
Activation Servers Operated by
Microsoft:
DIGITAL LICENSE RECORD:
UUID of motherboard,
edition (Home or Pro),
status (trial, full, or "Insider
Preview")
& your Microsoft account's
email address (optional)
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF "WINDOWS 10"
(continued)
• See
https://support.microsoft.com/en-
us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-
after-hardware-change

137
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF "WINDOWS 10"
(continued)
• The process of linking your
"Microsoft Account" and then
continuing or starting to log into
your copy of "Windows 10" is only
important if you plan to change
the motherboard of your
computer soon.
138
LINKING YOUR "MICROSOFT ACCOUNT"
TO THE ACTIVATION OF "WINDOWS 10"
(continued)
• We recommend linking your "Microsoft
Account" and then going back to logging
in with a local account in order to convert
your "product key" activation to a "digital
license" activation in order to mitigate the
privacy issues of logging into "Windows
10" with a "Microsoft Account".
139
TO GET THE UUID OF A MOTHERBOARD
• Many not-free diagnostic software
programs can give you the UUID of a
motherboard
• However, to get the UUID of a
motherboard for free: open a "Windows
Powershell" or a "Command Prompt"
window and copy one of the following
lines of code into it.
Then press the <Enter> key once:
140
wmic csproduct get uuid
wmic path win32_computersystemproduct
get uuid

get-wmiobject
Win32_ComputerSystemProduct | Select-
Object -ExpandProperty UUID
(get-wmiobject
Win32_ComputerSystemProduct).UUID

141
 WHEN YOU INSTALL OR UPGRADE
FROM FROM AN EARLIER VERSION OF
"WINDOWS.."
• If you use a "Version 1803" or "Version
1809" installation media DVD to either
install onto a blank hard drive or to upgrade
from Windows 7, 8, or 8.1,
AND you put in an invalid Windows 7, 8,
8.1, or 10 "Product Key", the installation
process will continue but you will have an
"not activated" copy of Windows 10.. unless
a digital license already exists for the UUID
of the motherboard of the computer.
142
 WINDOWS 10.. COMPUTER
Motherboard's UUID is stored in non-volatile
memory (for all desktop and laptop
computers)
If this is a OEM_DM computer that is built by
a large computer manufacter, then an "OEM
Product Key" is stored in a the "MSDM" table
of the "ACPI" of the motherboard

Hard drive stores the Windows "Registry"

in "hive" folders and in RAM
Windows.. "Product Key" is stored in the
"Windows Registry":
 WHEN YOU INSTALL OR UPGRADE
FROM FROM AN EARLIER VERSION OF
"WINDOWS.." (continued)
• If a large computer manufacturer built the
computer, the computer manufacturer will
place a unique, single-use "OEM Product
Key" in the MSDM table in the motherboard
of the computer
AND the computer manufacturer will place
a generic administrative product key in the
Windows "Registry" in the hard drive of the
computer
144
 WHEN YOU INSTALL OR UPGRADE
FROM FROM AN EARLIER VERSION OF
"WINDOWS.." (continued)
• The generic administrative product key in
the Windows "Registry" in the hard drive of
the computer is not unique:
The computer manufacturer will re-use this
generic administrative product key
thousands of the computers that it installs
"Windows 10" into.

145
 WHEN YOU INSTALL OR UPGRADE
FROM FROM AN EARLIER VERSION OF
"WINDOWS.." (continued)
• If you buy and install a "Retail" "Product
Key Channel" copy of "Windows 10", the
actual 25-character "product key" that you
buy and then use will be stored in the
Windows "Registry"
• If you buy and install a "OEM_.." copy of
"Windows 10", a generic, administrative,
placeholder 25-character product key will
be stored in the Windows "Registry"
146
 WHEN YOU INSTALL OR UPGRADE
FROM FROM AN EARLIER VERSION OF
"WINDOWS.." (continued)
• To determine if a 25-character "product
key" that is stored in the Windows
"Registry" is a "Retail" product key or a
generic, administrative, placeholder product
key, search for in the Google or Bing
search engine
since all generic and manufacturer's
generic product keys are published on the
Internet 147
 IF YOU ACQUIRE A USED "WINDOWS
10.." COMPUTER
• If you acquire a used "Windows 10.."
computer that does not have a hard drive,
you can install a hard drive into it and then
install installation DVD's for "Windows 10
Home", "Windows 10 Pro", or "Windows 10
Workstation" into the computer to
determine if the computer has any existing
"digital licenses" up in Microsoft's activation
servers:
Do not buy a new copy of "Windows 10.."
148
until you determine this!
 IF YOU ACQUIRE A USED "WINDOWS
10.." COMPUTER
• If you acquire a used "Windows 10.."
computer that does not have a hard drive,
you can install a hard drive into it and then
install installation DVD's for "Windows 10
Home", "Windows 10 Pro", or "Windows 10
Workstation" into the computer to
determine if the computer has any existing
"digital licenses" up in Microsoft's activation
servers:
Do not buy a new copy of "Windows 10.."
149
until you determine this!
Activation Servers Operated by Microsoft:
"PRODUCT KEY" DATABASE
UUID of motherboard of your
newly-acquired, used computer,
edition = "Home"

UUID of motherboard of your

newly-acquired, used computer,
edition = "Home"
 IF YOU ACQUIRE A USED "WINDOWS
10.." COMPUTER (continued)
• If you buy a new copy of "Windows 10.."
with a new "Product Key" and the computer
already has a "Digital License", then you
use the new "Product Key", Microsoft has
then managed to sell the same "digital
license" twice since they only store one
"digital license" for a specific motherboard
"UUID":
For a specific edition and bitness of
"Windows 10..", their activation servers can
only store one "digital license". 151
 REFERENCES
• http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/everythin
g-know-windows-product-keys/
• Older generic placeholder product keys
that you will find in the Registry of free
upgrades from Windows 7 and Windows
8.1 can be found at
https://www.maketecheasier.com/window
s-10-activation-procedure/

152
 REFERENCES (continued)
• Placeholder keys for the additional
flavors of "Windows 10" can also be
found at
https://winaero.com/blog/generic-key-to-
install-windows-10-rtm/
However, ignore their advice to use these
keys during the installation or upgrade
process.

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 REFERENCES (continued)
• Placeholder keys for the additional
flavors of "Windows 10" can be found at
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/9592
2-generic-product-keys-install-windows-
10-editions.html
and
https://winaero.com/blog/generic-key-to-
install-windows-10-rtm/

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