Activation still works with old technet 8.1 License TODAY 04 Aug 2022

jimbo45 · Aug 4, 2022

Hi folks
Any of you guys who still have old Technet keys - W10/W11 activated with a digital license -- STILL -- I needed a New VM on totally new hardware and it activated with digital license.

1) Just at Install time --DO NOT ENTER A PRODUCT KEY -- choose I don't have a product key.

2) After boot up go to activation ->change product key

3) enter the old technet key

Q.E.D -- active -- those old technet keys are valid for zillionsof activations BTW !!!!

Cheers
jimbo

NavyLCDR · Aug 4, 2022

I still have OEM Windows 7 product keys from COA stickers that will activate brand new VMs. And I don't know how many times each one has been used. I think Microsoft resets the product key use counters like every six months, even for OEM product keys.

Berton · Aug 5, 2022

I was in the Microsoft Partners program until they discontinued it, got lots of software such as Windows and Office but a limit of 10.

BrianInEngland · Aug 5, 2022

jimbo45 said:
Hi folks
Any of you guys who still have old Technet keys - W10/W11 activated with a digital license -- STILL -- I needed a New VM on totally new hardware and it activated with digital license.

1) Just at Install time --DO NOT ENTER A PRODUCT KEY -- choose I don't have a product key.

2) After boot up go to activation ->change product key

3) enter the old technet key

Q.E.D -- active -- those old technet keys are valid for zillionsof activations BTW !!!!

Cheers
jimbo

Do you have a spare key?!

Bree · Aug 5, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
I still have OEM Windows 7 product keys from COA stickers that will activate brand new VMs. And I don't know how many times each one has been used.

Good to know. I have some too, but only used each one once to activate a VM so far.....

tyreman · Aug 6, 2022

I had the same experience when I got a new system up and running few days ago.
When I did Win 11I had to enter my old 7 key in change product key.
Only thing I could think of.
As it was having trouble activating with purchase suggested.

Side note: when I first powered up thé new system and used my old SSD with Win 10, loaded defaults thingy in bios it went into Win 10, System paused for a bit then an MSI box popped up and it offered/loaded in new drivers.
I ran the thing about for half a day, it activated, never blue screened or coughed.
Previous build had been Intel with MSI MB

Bree · Aug 6, 2022

tyreman said:
when I first powered up thé new system and used my old SSD with Win 10 .... I ran the thing about for half a day, it activated, never blue screened or coughed. Previous build had been Intel with MSI MB

Welcome to Eleven Forum.

Yes, Windows 10/11 is very good at sorting out new drivers when moved to completely different hardware. My System One is an AMD based laptop with Radeon graphics. I bought it so it would be a supported device for Windows 11, then cloned the Windows 10 install from my old 'main machine' to it. That was an Intel based system with Intel HD graphics. After sorting out drivers it booted to the desktop and worked fine.

Activation depends on whether the machine you move the OS to already has a digital licence on the Microsoft activation servers. Digital licences are linked to the hardware ID of the PC. If there is an existing digital licence for the edition you are running (Home or Pro) then it will activate.

jimbo45 · Aug 6, 2022

Bree said:
Welcome to Eleven Forum.

Yes, Windows 10/11 is very good at sorting out new drivers when moved to completely different hardware. My System One is an AMD based laptop with Radeon graphics. I bought it so it would be a supported device for Windows 11, then cloned the Windows 10 install from my old 'main machine' to it. That was an Intel based system with Intel HD graphics. After sorting out drivers it booted to the desktop and worked fine.

Activation depends on whether the machine you move the OS to already has a digital licence on the Microsoft activation servers. Digital licences are linked to the hardware ID of the PC. If there is an existing digital licence for the edition you are running (Home or Pro) then it will activate.

Not quite true -- also with VM's ensure the guuid is the same otherwise Windows activation thinks it's a brand new machine !!!! - but if that happens and windows asks for activation and it won't activate - THEN enter the W7/W8/W8.1 product key. The best way with VM's though is to ensure the GUUID is the same. In VMware workstation hit the I moved it box rather than the I copied it box if that prompt turns up.

Cheers
jimbo