Solved Windows 10 and Windows 11 Digital Licencing explained

Windows 10 / 11 Digital License explained

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The number of Windows 10 licensing and activation questions around the tech forums started to grow exponentially when Windows 7 hit its End of Life date. Users keep asking about how to find their Windows 10 or 11 product key after upgrading from Windows 7. The short answer is, there’s no need to find the key. That’s because Windows 10 and 11 are digitally licensed once a specific edition gets activated for the first time. All future clean installs on same machine will be automatically activated based on that existing, edition-specific digital license.

This Digital License is based on the host PC’s so-called hardware ID. The Digital License is stored on Microsoft’s activation servers, and when Windows 10 or 11 will be installed and it gets an Internet connection, the license status will be checked.

Hardware IDs​

Let’s start with the hardware ID (HWID). For Windows 10 and 11 computers, Microsoft has 15 different HWID values, from HWID 0 to HWID 14 (source):

– HardwareID-0: Manufacturer + Family + Product Name + SKU Number + BIOS Vendor + BIOS Version + BIOS Major Release + BIOS Minor Release
– HardwareID-1: Manufacturer + Family + Product Name + BIOS Vendor + BIOS Version + BIOS Major Release + BIOS Minor Release
– HardwareID-2: Manufacturer + Product Name + BIOS Vendor + BIOS Version + BIOS Major Release + BIOS Minor Release
– HardwareID-3: Manufacturer + Family + Product Name + SKU Number + Baseboard Manufacturer + Baseboard Product
– HardwareID-4: Manufacturer + Family + Product Name + SKU Number
– HardwareID-5: Manufacturer + Family + Product Name
– HardwareID-6: Manufacturer + SKU Number + Baseboard Manufacturer + Baseboard Product
– HardwareID-7: Manufacturer + SKU Number
– HardwareID-8: Manufacturer + Product Name + Baseboard Manufacturer + Baseboard Product
– HardwareID-9: Manufacturer + Product Name
– HardwareID-10: Manufacturer + Family + Baseboard Manufacturer + Baseboard Product
– HardwareID-11: Manufacturer + Family
– HardwareID-12: Manufacturer + Enclosure Type
– HardwareID-13: Manufacturer + Baseboard Manufacturer + Baseboard Product
– HardwareID-14: Manufacturer

The Windows 10 and 11 Digital License is based on HWID 3. As long as the Windows edition, motherboard and CPU remain the same, once the computer has been activated, all future clean installs with the same edition on that computer will activate automatically. Note that all HWIDs exclude storage media entirely. Thus, on a PC with Windows 10 or 11 activated, you can replace its storage (HDD / SSD) devices with one or more new ones and clean install Windows 10 or 11 on a new disk. Even so, the PC will activate automatically based on that machine’s existing digital license.

Important to know, is that Windows 10 and 11 licences are intertwined. A Windows 10 licence activates a Windows 11, too, and vice versa. An example: you have installed and activated Windows 10 PRO edition. From here on, you can always install both Windows 10 PRO and Windows 11 PRO on that computer, both will be automatically activated because of an existing digital licence. You can even install both Windows 10 and Windows 11 on that computer in dual boot, and both would be automatically licenced based on Hardware ID 3, the existing digital licence.

The Windows 10 and 11 digital License is edition but not bit architecture or language specific. In other words, you can replace an activated 32-bit Swedish Windows 10 PRO edition by clean installing a 64-bit French Windows 11 PRO. It will still activate automatically, because of its existing Digital License.

New PC with preinstalled Windows 10​

Simply set up your new PC, and when you get to the desktop, as soon as Windows gets to Internet Windows will be activated with a Digital License. If you, like me, don’t like all the bloatware that comes preinstalled on new computers, you can now replace everything. Simply boot from the Windows 10 or 11 install media, wipe the storage disks clean, and clean install the same edition. It will activate automatically.

On computers with preinstalled Windows, the product key used for activation and Digital License is a so-called OEM key. It cannot be transferred to another computer.

New PC without OS​

On new computers which have never had any Windows version installed, like for instance a self-assembled one, you need a valid Windows 10 or 11 product key to activate Windows. Once activated, the Digital License applies. Thus, that key won’t be needed as long as the PC’s HWID 3 does not change. All future clean installs should and will activate automatically.

If the key used is a Retail key, the digital license can be transferred to another computer.

That's it.
Kari

People have reported being able to upgrade CPUs on the same motherboard and Windows 10/11 remains activated.

Also, there is no longer a distinction between OEM and Retail. OEM can be transferred to a new computer just like Retail can. In fact, by switching between OEM and Retail generic product keys for Windows 10/11, the activation switches between Retail and OEM channels.

There is another oddity although doing it would be rather pointless (unless perhaps testing something).

If a pc has a digital licence for Pro, and you do a clean install of Home, the Home licence gets activated.

The same happens with Home SL as well if Pro or Home is initially activated.

Hi, just trying to get my head around HWID 3.

If I have a PC I want to sell, and I remove windows, when the new owner installs windows (assuming no H/W changes), it will pick up my digital license and activate their windows? Is there some sort of safeguard that ties the license to your Microsoft account.

Sorry if this has an obvious answer, but my knowledge of digital licencing is very limited.

The expounded theory is rareley the practical outcome.

jel said:

Hi, just trying to get my head around HWID 3.

If I have a PC I want to sell, and I remove windows, when the new owner installs windows (assuming no H/W changes), it will pick up my digital license and activate their windows? Is there some sort of safeguard that ties the license to your Microsoft account.

Sorry if this has an obvious answer, but my knowledge of digital licencing is very limited.

Click to expand...

Yes, their Windows will activate based upon the existing digital license for Windows for that computer stored at Microsoft. There is nothing you can do to prevent it.

Makes for a strange situation. So to ensure you keep a license for later use, you need to keep the PC until you can transfer the license to a new PC.

jel said:

Hi, just trying to get my head around HWID 3.

If I have a PC I want to sell, and I remove windows, when the new owner installs windows (assuming no H/W changes), it will pick up my digital license and activate their windows? Is there some sort of safeguard that ties the license to your Microsoft account.

Sorry if this has an obvious answer, but my knowledge of digital licencing is very limited.

Click to expand...

I believe it's only being activated by the Hardware ID stored on the MS server and not info from your MS account.

I've got 2 Windows digital licenses linked to my Microsoft Account. I've had both of them for quite a while now. I can transfer either license to another PC or laptop anytime I like over and over. As long as it is one license = one PC\laptop.

It is not well understood that the digital link with MS account is a rather fragile link.

If you login with an MS account used to set up pc, you will see licence is linked to the account. If you change that account to a local account - the link is lost. If you login back in with MS account, link is back.

There is a way to avoid this behaviour i.e. create a second local account but keep the original MS account in place (you do not need to use it). Of course the spyware tinfoil hat brigade will not like this, believing their information will still get beamed to a TLA organisation - LOL.

If you have a digital license associated with your MS account and sell the PC (after wiping windows from the PC) as @NavyLCDR mentioned when the new owner installs windows it uses that license. Are you still able to use that license using

Reactivating Windows after a hardware change - Microsoft Support

Learn how to prepare your Windows device for a hardware change and find help reactivating Windows after a hardware change is complete.

support.microsoft.com

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by logging in with your MS account or is that license lost?
Will that then cause the buyer's PC to lose activation?

jel said:

If you have a digital license associated with your MS account and sell the PC (after wiping windows from the PC) as @NavyLCDR mentioned when the new owner installs windows it uses that license. Are you still able to use that license using

by logging in with your MS account or is that license lost?
Will that then cause the buyer's PC to lose activation?

Click to expand...

First, the digital licence is stored on separate servers to the MS account and it is irrelevant if you use an MS account to login or a local account

The link to the MS account is only an enabling mechanism to allow you to transfer licence to a new device (actually it is copy really).

Once new owner of old pc sets up new account, your link to MS account disappears. Then you cannot transfer licence to your new pc.

You would only be able to do that of new owner had kept your MS account on old pc, and that just ain't gonna happen.

Even if the MS account was still on old pc, then you could transfer it to new device BUT old pc would remain activated.

So key point is transfer licence from old pc to new pc BEFORE you pass old pc to new owner.

cereberus said:

So key point is transfer licence from old pc to new pc BEFORE you pass old pc to new owner.

Click to expand...

Got it in one. That is a key point.

When I sold my old AMD system in April I had already transferred the license to my new Intel system and reinstalled Windows 11 Pro on the AMD system but left it un-activated. The new owner purchased the PC knowing he would have to license and activate Windows.

Yeah point

Marcus Vinicus said:

The new owner purchased the PC knowing he would have to license and activate Windows.

Click to expand...

Not exactly true .

I recently upgraded CPU/Mobo/RAM/AIO on my 5 year CPU upgrade Cycle (New case as well.

My Retail Windows License is W7 Ultimate, with which I grabbed the free upgrade offer for W10 Pro, in 2015 then carried on using W7U (Dual Boot with W10 Pro) for two years before, I considered my serious issues with, both the spyware, and, start Menu fixable..
That was the longest ever changeover, Though I've never accepted any new Windows without reverting something or other, except Windows Phone OS (W8/W8.1), which is the only Windows version I refused to even consider at all.
I'm no Luddite, thinking every change is bad, but I will revert what I really hate, and in most cases choose far superior 3rd Party tools, over the inferior Windows Bloatware

Until this last upgrade I've found no easy option to find what my installed W10/W11 Digital License Prouct Key is, this time round I got a free ROG AIDA64 Extreme License with the Mobo, and that is showng me a Product key (not the W7U one).

In 2018, with the same components changed, and a fresh Install of OS, I couldn't find a way to activate the new setup, due to my Local Account only stance, while MS was pushing hard to make an MS account (Not ever going to happen).
The build remained unactivated for about a month, then suddenly activated on it's own, without me doing anything to make it do that..
I can't remember for sure if I installed a Fresh OS, but it's very likely, it was October, and I was having issues Upgrading to the 6 month major upgrades, so was Dual Booting with alternate fresh installs every 6 months until in 2019 an upgrade just worked.

This Time I used NTLite to Preconfigure many of my changes including ditching bloatware I never used. Not that I think that has much to do with the activation process other than creating the unnattend.txt file to automate what is normally a user input..
This guide states

New PC without OS​

On new computers which have never had any Windows version installed, like for instance a self-assembled one, you need a valid Windows 10 or 11 product key to activate Windows. Once activated, the Digital License applies. Thus, that key won’t be needed as long as the PC’s HWID 3 does not change. All future clean installs should and will activate automatically.

If the key used is a Retail key, the digital license can be transferred to another computer.

Click to expand...

I already had serious doubts as to the accuracy of this, given my past experience, but things can change.
So Challenge accepted.

Being my complete first system rebuild in 10 years, I decided to completely reorganise, my entire setup,
So completely reformatted my NVMe, plus CPU was an Intel > AMD switcheroo on top, any other changes

These changes, and a fresh install of the OS, are more than enough to be considered a New PC without OS, in my opinion.
My Windows 7 Ultimate key was accepted, and W11 Pro launched 1st time, and Activated.
Though NTLite's unattended.txt instructions actually entered the product key, it's just doing what you would have to do manually, on a standard fresh install.
So while I accept a "Retail" key is required to switch to a "New PC", my test shows it can still be a W7+, (W7Ultimate for W11 Pro).

I'm still using a local account, and have never signed up for an MS one, so the only difference was this time I was entering the W7U key during the install process
I'm not sure whether initially using a W7U key during the year long free upgrade offer, changes things, but I do know it was still working years later, despite the offer being officially being time limited to a year.
So with the caveat, that a W7 key may need to have been used before (That would need testing with a legit W7 key never used on W10/W11, and I don't have one of those.

Peeps, sorry to bump this thread but, apparently seems MS has deprecated HWID activations (Meaning you can't use Windows 7 Keys anymore to install Windows 10/11). Anyone has confirmation or info about this?

Kari said:

Important to know, is that Windows 10 and 11 licences are intertwined. A Windows 10 licence activates a Windows 11, too, and vice versa. An example: you have installed and activated Windows 10 PRO edition. From here on, you can always install both Windows 10 PRO and Windows 11 PRO on that computer, both will be automatically activated because of an existing digital licence. You can even install both Windows 10 and Windows 11 on that computer in dual boot, and both would be automatically licenced based on Hardware ID 3, the existing digital licence.

Click to expand...

Please comment on these paragraphs:

(Microsoft Windows 10 MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS)

(Microsoft Windows 11 MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS)

zbook said:

Please comment on this paragraph:

Code:

Installation and Use Rights.

a.      License. The software is licensed, not sold. Under this agreement, we grant you the right to install and
run one instance of the software on your device (the licensed device), for use by one person at a time, so long
as you comply with all the terms of this agreement. Updating or upgrading from non-genuine software with
software from Microsoft or authorized sources does not make your original version or the updated/upgraded
version genuine, and in that situation, you do not have a license to use the software.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Useterms/OEM/Windows/10/Useterms_OEM_Windows_10_English.htm

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Probably the words "both would automatically be licensed based on hardware ID 3" would be better stated as "both would automatically be activated".

The license displayed: one instance

Is it one instance of Windows 10 only or one instance of each Windows 10 and Windows 11?

It also displayed:



It seems to allow the installation of just one version (not allowing dual boot without 2 licenses?)