ShowKeyPlus

I have come to the conclusion that the version is activated with a MAK key. I don't know if it's Legal or not, so I decided to buy a Windows 10 Pro key. It may never become a problem, but I just don't feel right about running a version that I might be using in illegally.

Winuser said:

I have come to the conclusion that the version is activated with a MAK key. I don't know if it's Legal or not, so I decided to buy a Windows 10 Pro key. It may never become a problem, but I just don't feel right about running a version that I might be using in illegally.

Click to expand...

I really don't think the software police were planning to knock down your front door and wrestle you to the ground.
But as long as you feel good about it, then that's a positive, I guess.
:)

Stigg said:

I really don't think the software police were planning to knock down your front door and wrestle you to the ground.
But as long as you feel good about it, then that's a positive, I guess.
:)

Click to expand...

If they did my wife would kick my butt. I think the worse that would happen is that it would get deactivated.

Winuser said:

I have come to the conclusion that the version is activated with a MAK key. I don't know if it's Legal or not, so I decided to buy a Windows 10 Pro key. It may never become a problem, but I just don't feel right about running a version that I might be using in illegally.

Click to expand...

Good on you .... I also felt uneasy about that activation.

Personally I don't think a device sold with a digital licence but without the activation product key is cool.

BTW there are piracy tools that can get a hardware ID w/o a legit key - just an FYI.

Superfly said:

Good on you .... I also felt uneasy about that activation.

Personally I don't think a device sold with a digital licence but without the activation product key is cool.

BTW there are piracy tools that can get a hardware ID w/o a legit key - just an FYI.

Click to expand...

I was going to buy a version that was downloadable and just use the key they would send to me. I wasn't sure if any of the sites I looked at are legit. One site mentioned the OS was already activated. When I read that the first thing, I thought of was that it was probably another MAK key version.

@Superfly, My copy of Windows 10 Pro came in the mail today. I did a clean install using the USB drive. I entered the key when I did the install. I checked the activation before I signed into my MS account and I saw the last set of characters for the key. I then signed into the account. Now in settings it just shows that it is activated with a Digital License linked to my account. I downloaded and installed ShowKeyPlus and it still shows the same info as before. I then entered the key manually and and restarted the computer. ShowKeyPlus still doesn't show the key. I know Windows is using the key because it showed before I switched to my MS account. I know I used a legit key so I don't know what's going on.

@Winuser The key not showing in ShowKeyPlus is normal because once you've activated Windows, the key is no longer used as it gets switched to a digital license attached to your Microsoft Account. This is normal.

Archigos said:

@Winuser The key not showing in ShowKeyPlus is normal because once you've activated Windows, the key is no longer used as it gets switched to a digital license attached to your Microsoft Account. This is normal.

Click to expand...

I just ran ShowkeyPlus on my desktop and it shows the Installed key and the OEM key. They are the same. I did a clean install with the new key, so I feel more at ease about the OS being legit or not. It probably was legit before but I just wasn't sure what kind of key it was using.

Winuser said:

I just ran ShowkeyPlus on my desktop and it shows the Installed key and the OEM key. They are the same. I did a clean install with the new key, so I feel more at ease about the OS being legit or not. It probably was legit before but I just wasn't sure what kind of key it was using.

Click to expand...

Can you post a screenshot? I'm a reading is foreign and wait for the video-type .. LOL


...Update

Always check the key first... If it's not Win 10 it gets tossed for a default.

Superfly said:

Can you post a screenshot? I'm a reading is foreign and wait for the video-type .. LOL


...Update

Always check the key first... If it's not Win 10 it gets tossed for a default.

Click to expand...

In ShowKeyPlus Iit shows the same as the screenshot in post #8. Windows must have activated with my key because I did see the last set of characters of the key I used listed in Settings before I signed-in to my MS Account. Now it shows as being activated with a digital license. I just wanted to let you know of how it went when I used a key that I know is legit.

Winuser said:

In ShowKeyPlus Iit shows the same as the screenshot in post #8. Windows must have activated with my key because I did see the last set of characters of the key I used listed in Settings before I signed-in to my MS Account. Now it shows as being activated with a digital license. I just wanted to let you know of how it went when I used a key that I know is legit.

Click to expand...

Well it's still seeing the MAK DL then - try running slmgr.vbs /upk

That should de-activate you - then input the legit key in the System->Activation ->Change product key dialogue

Have you checked the key? Is it Win 10?

I got a new Notebook in Oct. and as with Win10 that was installed there was no entry of the Product Key required, after it had updated it then offered Win11, again no key required.

Berton said:

I got a new Notebook in Oct. and as with Win10 that was installed there was no entry of the Product Key required, after it had updated it then offered Win11, again no key required.

View attachment 25388

Click to expand...

The key is probably in the BIOS.

Winuser said:

The key is probably in the BIOS.

Click to expand...

Yep, actually started with Win8 on OEM computers. Retail, System Builder and some of the Microsoft programs are different.

I just purchased a new Dell XPS 15 9510.
I did my new computer installation setup.
I purchased it with Windows 11 Pro and as soon as I typed

account.microsoft.com

in my Microsoft Edge browser, there was my new computer listed in my account with all my other computers.

The OS still doesn't show the key when I run ShowKeyPlus but it is activated with a digital license and running good. Once I finish setting it up I'll be hanging it on the wall and using Mezzmo to stream to the three TVs in our house.