Roll Back

The-Hive · Dec 20, 2021

That's how I understood it to be

Winuser · Dec 20, 2021

franka said:
ShowKeyPlus - Windows Product Information

Product Name: Windows 11 Pro

Product ID: 00330-80000-00000-AA169

Build Version: 22000.376 (64-bit OS)

Installed Key: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T *

Original Key: MAK key not available

Original Edition: Windows 10 Professional Volume:MAK

OEM Key: OEM key not present in firmware

* Default key - requires a Digital License for activation

This is the information from "Showkeyplus" As it says the OEM i not present in firmware.

Did the laptop come with Win 10 preinstalled and was it activated? If it came with Win 10 installed the OEM key should be stored in the UEFI/BIOS. If Windows 10 was installed by someone other than HP that would explain why ShowKeyPlus can't find the OEM key.

The-Hive · Dec 20, 2021

The installed key appears to be a generic key see Reddit does that make any difference

franka · Dec 20, 2021

I think i now have an answer.

I went to the HP support forum and according to my details it would not have been supplied with Win 10, it would have had FreeDos.

As it had windows 10 preloaded that must have been done by a third party.
Now, my computer was not supplied directly from HP but from "Mesh Computers" via Amszon.

And it was there that Win 10 would have been loaded and activated with a group license.

So my problem now is do i carry on with the Win 8 key or do i opt for a completely new insta;llation at great expense.

Winuser · Dec 20, 2021

franka said:
I think i now have an answer.

I went to the HP support forum and according to my details it would not have been supplied with Win 10, it would have had FreeDos.

As it had windows 10 preloaded that must have been done by a third party.
Now, my computer was not supplied directly from HP but from "Mesh Computers" via Amszon.

And it was there that Win 10 would have been loaded and activated with a group license.

So my problem now is do i carry on with the Win 8 key or do i opt for a completely new insta;llation at great expense.

They should have supplied the key. Either a sticker on the laptop or a paper packed in the box.

cereberus · Dec 20, 2021

franka said:
ShowKeyPlus - Windows Product Information

Product Name: Windows 11 Pro

Product ID: 00330-80000-00000-AA169

Build Version: 22000.376 (64-bit OS)

Installed Key: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T *

Original Key: MAK key not available

Original Edition: Windows 10 Professional Volume:MAK

OEM Key: OEM key not present in firmware

* Default key - requires a Digital License for activation

This is the information from "Showkeyplus" As it says the OEM i not present in firmware.

Your original key was a volume licence key (MAK). This is why when you upgraded, it did not activate.

These are normally only available to corporate users, not domestic users, and this generally means the licence was a pirated copy (albeit you may not know that).

You say it activated with a W8 key - it would and that would still work if you rolled back to W10.

Run showkey plus, and enter W8 in "check key option", click on keys to hide them, and post image.

The-Hive · Dec 20, 2021

It looks like the Installed Win 8 key is a generic win 10 key so shouldn't make any difference

BunnyJ · Dec 20, 2021

The-Hive said:
It looks like the Win 8 key is a generic win 10 key so shouldn't make any difference

Looks like it's time to buy a valid Win 10 key

The-Hive · Dec 20, 2021

BunnyJ said:
Looks like it's time to buy a valid Win 10 key

I thought that key looked familiar and then I saw it on Reddit when I was trying to help with his problem

Bree · Dec 20, 2021

franka said:
Meanwhile, i remebered that i had a spare windows 8 key, and this worked and my system is now activated.

As cereberus points out, your original W10 Pro was activated with a volume licence multiple activation key (MAK). This may have been an illegal use of a MAK key, it was certainly dubious practice. But now that you have activated your W11 Pro with a legitimate W8 key your PC should now have a digital licence for Windows 10/11 stored on the Microsoft activation servers. This digital licence is valid for both W11 and W10.

The-Hive said:
It looks like the Installed Win 8 key is a generic win 10 key....

When you use a W7 or W8 key to activate a W10/W11 install it doesn't install that key in Windows. What it does is check that the key is valid, then issue the PC with a digital licence if it is. The installed key remains unchanged and will be the generic W10/W11 one, except that now the PC has a digital licence on the MS activation servers, so it will activate with the generic key.

cereberus · Dec 20, 2021

Bree said:
As cereberus points out, your original W10 Pro was activated with a volume licence multiple activation key (MAK). This may have been an illegal use of a MAK key, it was certainly dubious practice. But now that you have activated your W11 Pro with a legitimate W8 key your PC should now have a digital licence for Windows 10/11 stored on the Microsoft activation servers. This digital licence is valid for both W11 and W10.

When you use a W7 or W8 key to activate a W10/W11 install it doesn't install that key in Windows. What it does is check that the key is valid, then issue the PC with a digital licence if it is. The installed key remains unchanged and will be the generic W10/W11 one, except that now the PC has a digital licence on the MS activation servers, so it will activate with the generic key.

This is almost certainly true but it would be helpful to check the W8 key as suggested to confirm all is well.