Solved Windows automatically activated with a digital licence - But How

Recently I retired my Sandybridge system and replaced all parts but the case and power supply.

My new system is going to be a Dual boot system and I have already installed the first system using an OEM system builders key from the Computer store where I bought the major parts and key at full retail.

When I installed the 1st system I chose "I dont have a key" during setup and also a Local account using a rufus USB. When this installation was finished and arrived at the Desktop windows was Not Activated so I entered 1 of 2 keys I purchased and Windows is activated on the 1st system with an OEM Licence which is perfectly normal and expected.

However when I went to install the 2nd system and used the Exact same steps above Windows activated itself with a digital licence and the generic Windows key for Windows 11 Pro as soon as I connected to the Internet and was not even asked to enter a key although I now have one OEM Key available it seems.

This 2nd system is not currently linked to any Microsoft Account and have logged in to all of my MS accounts to see if the device name was linked to any existing account but isnt.

My question is how Windows activated automatically with the digital licence and did it just use the OEM Key from the 1st system since it is linked to the Motherboard. Also can I leave the activation as is since it activated automatically (Then I have a spare unused licence) or do I need to change the key.



System Specs

Windows 11 Pro 22621.525
ASUS ROG Strix Z690-F GAMING WIFI Motherboard
Intel Core i9 12900 K Processor
Corsair Vengence RGB DDR 5 (16 GB X 4)
ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 3070 TI V2 OC

Question: On the system in question, was Windows ever installed and activated on that system previously or is this a brand new installation of Windows with no previous installation ever having been made on this system?

OAT said:

@James
Per OP:
This 2nd system is not currently linked to any Microsoft Account and have logged in to all of my MS accounts ...

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Thanks. Misread it. Deleted the post now.

IownAmoneyPit said:

Recently I retired my Sandybridge system and replaced all parts but the case and power supply.

My new system is going to be a Dual boot system and I have already installed the first system using an OEM system builders key from the Computer store where I bought the major parts and key at full retail.

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Practically a brand new system, @hsehestedt

hsehestedt said:

Question: On the system in question, was Windows ever installed and activated on that system previously or is this a brand new installation of Windows with no previous installation ever having been made on this system?

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@hsehestedt I am building a Dual Boot system and yes Windows is installed and activated on system one then when I went to follow the same install procedure on as outlined in my original post on system two with a unformatted NVME drive the computer was then configured as a Dual Boot and activated with a digital licence as soon as I turned on the internet. (See original post).

IownAmoneyPit said:

I am building a Dual Boot system and yes Windows is installed and activated on system one then when I went to follow the same install procedure on as outlined in my original post on system two with a unformatted NVME drive the computer was then configured as a Dual Boot and activated with a digital licence as soon as I turned on the internet.

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These two systems are dual booting on the one PC? If so, then what you need to know about a digital licence is that it linked to the hardware ID of the PC, not the installed Windows, and that the hard drive plays no part in this hardware ID.

Your PC got a digital licence for Pro stored on Microsoft's activation servers when you installed and activated the first system. This existing digital licence was what activated your second install as soon as it could contact the activation servers. Once a PC's hardware has a digital licence it will activate any install of Windows 10 or 11 that you put on the PC, there is no difference between W10 and Win11 as far as keys of digital licences are concerned. All installs of 10/11 of the same edition (Pro in your case) will activate from the PC's existing digital licence.

The hardware hash that was performed on your components is the same, thus your dual boot will provide the same hash and Microsoft will just activate that one as well. It's effectively the same as formatting and reinstalling Windows. You will mark you don't have a key and once the OS comes up, it just magically activates.

Kari explains digital licences in detail here:

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.

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@Bree an @pparks1 thanks for your informative replies so basically what both of you are saying is that windows being activated one system drive will activate another installation of windows on a second seperate drive or more because the activation is linked to the same Mobo, CPU , RAM I thought I would need a key for each install.

Had I'd known this info earlier (And I probably already read Kari's tut but your replies were more concise) when I built my ROG MAXIMUS system around Christmas when just I entered 2 retail keys for the dual boot during setup I could have saved myself a key however that problem can still be remedied as the keys are transferable.

One bonus is now I know I can also run insider builds on the same mobo without needing a key and will mark this thread as Solved.

IownAmoneyPit said:

@Bree an @pparks1 thanks for your informative replies so basically what both of you are saying is that windows being activated one system drive will activate another installation of windows on a second seperate drive or more because the activation is linked to the same Mobo, CPU , RAM I thought I would need a key for each install.

Had I'd known this info earlier (And I probably already read Kari's tut but your replies were more concise) when I built my ROG MAXIMUS system around Christmas when just I entered 2 retail keys for the dual boot during setup I could have saved myself a key however that problem can still be remedied as the keys are transferable.

One bonus is now I know I can also run insider builds on the same mobo without needing a key and will mark this thread as Solved.

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Your summary is correct.

IownAmoneyPit said:

One bonus is now I know I can also run insider builds on the same mobo without needing a key and will mark this thread as Solved.

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Yes, I triple boot one of my laptops, all activate from its digital licence. It is technically an unsupported device for W11, but along side its installed W10 Pro I run two W11 Pro Insider builds, Beta and Dev, both as native boot .vhdx.

Solved? OH I hope so, because I've not heard so much gibberish, and mumbo jumbo in a very long time. Insider this, outsider that, etc., etc., etc. Keys? I've not used a key since 98 days!

Different strokes for different folks! I guess I'm just different.

Here's wishing y'all a Happy 4th of July.

TechnoMage2021 said:

Solved? OH I hope so, because I've not heard so much gibberish, and mumbo jumbo in a very long time. Insider this, outsider that, etc., etc., etc. Keys? I've not used a key since 98 days!

Different strokes for different folks! I guess I'm just different.

Here's wishing y'all a Happy 4th of July.

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@Tecnomage2021 the original post discussion was a non insider disscussion (Please read 1st post), I myself havent bought any keys since Windows 7 days and only one $15 upgrade for window 8 and was able to upgrade all of my PC's to windows 10 for Free and so consider myself lucky as legit keys are expensive in CAD dollars.

However since I had to build 2 BRAND new systems recently as the old hardware didnt meet Windows 11 specs (although which can be bypassed for NOW) and were 12+ years old I figured I would need a key for each new windows 11 installation and the replies by other members were not jibberish to me as I would rather know beforehand an answer to my original activation question first before I install all of my other programs that takes days or the risk to have to possibly reinstall everything again.

@IownAmoneyPit,

Just for clarification - when a digital license is created, it is tied to a specific machine. Windows setup generates a hash based upon various unique system features. That is how it can identify the same computer again in the future for re-activation on the same system.

Bear in mind that the disk drive(s) are specifically one marker that Windows activation does NOT look at. This why if you install another copy of Windows on the same machine but on a different physical drive or in a virtual disk, Windows will simply activate. It comes up with the same hardware signature regardless of what drive you install onto and as a result, it activates.

TechnoMage2021 said:

I've not heard so much gibberish, and mumbo jumbo in a very long time

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The word that seems to elude you is facts.

Denis

Try3 said:

The word that seems to elude you is facts.

Denis

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These days it seems as if facts are becoming more and more irrelevant. Just like common sense is becoming more and more scarce.