Activate Windows Codes
Carmina Piette
With the introduction of Windows 10, Microsoft has proven that it is committed to improving its products to meet users' demands. Windows 10 is available for upgrading from earlier versions of Windows 7/8/8.1. After upgrading to Windows 10, you may need the Product Key to activate your Windows 10. If you are looking to enjoy the full features of Windows 10, we will be exploring various ways to activate your Windows 10 and also provide you with Generic Windows 10 Product keys. These keys work for all versions of Windows and can be used for free.
This is the question that a lot of users ask. Although the free upgrade to Windows 10 is ended in 2016 on the 16th of July, but you can still download Windows 10 unofficially and upgrade to the free version.
When you navigate to the "Settings" on your Windows, you will find a page where your activation information can be found. Your key will not display here though. To find this page, go to "Settings", click on "Update & Security" and then "Activation".
On the activation page, if you have a digital license, you will see the message of "Windows is activated with a digital license". If you have a Microsoft account, you can link it to your license by clicking on "add a Microsoft Account" at the bottom of the page and then log into your Microsoft account.If you still cannot find your product key, just take advantage of free product key finder to help you, here we list Top 10 Product Key Finder for Totally Free.
You can also use a Visual Basic Script to retrieve registry-based Windows Keys. You can download the script, copy the text into your notepad, save it as a .vbs file and double click it to run the file.
Step 3. If you do not have a Windows License Key, you can visit the Microsoft store by clicking on "Go to Store". Windows will open the product page for Windows 10. You can purchase the Windows key and use the key to activate your version of Windows 10.
While you are trying to get a product key for your Windows 10, it is possible that you may lose your windows 10 password. If this happens, you can recover forgotten or lost Windows 10 password using a third-party tool that has been tested and proven to be effective. What we introduce to you is Passper WinSenior, which is capable of resetting your forgotten password on your Windows 10 computer without losing data. Follow the steps below to recover Windows 10 password.
Step 2. After you have successfully created the bootable drive, connect the drive to your locked computer.Start up your PC and you will be prompted to enter the computer into Boot Menu.
Step 3. Once your PC boots correctly, The Passper WinSenior interface will come up. On this interface, you can either remove or reset your password. You also have the option to remove the admin account or create an entirely new one.
If you still have the old versions of Windows on your computer, it is time for you to make a change. Upgrading to Windows 10 is a great change, and there are lots of features you can enjoy after the upgrade process. If, when you upgrade your Windows version, you forget the password to your Windows, get Passper WinSenior to recover your Windows password now.
I recently had a motherboard and processor replacement performed by an HP service technician. Everything was fine at the completion of his work and the problem I was having was resolved.
The complication appeared later that evening when Windows 10 did its background tasks and began urging me to Activate windows. I followed the instructions of going to Settings > Update & Security > Activation where I have the error shown here
I used Troubleshooting and I went as far as logging in using both my skype and live.ca logins, but since I do not (refuse to) login to windows with those credentials, there is no record or recorded devices stored there. I was able to use restore to reverse the affects of that move, thank expletive lord, and did a little more research. I discovered from process of elimination where to find the OEM Key for my current OS and the new motherboard, as shown below.
If your system originally came with Windows 7, then the OEM license mechanism requires a SLIC table to be active within BIOS. This SLIC table is added and enabled at manufacture time using proprietary HP tools. Then an associated xrm license file and OEM product key, which are included in the HP reinstall disk along with the install scripts, are processed and this results in the OS becoming "activatated" the install without needing internet or user action.
However, to use the HP reinstall disks, the firmware needs some HP special sauce which the technician that replaced the mobo should have added. This special sauce is the featurebyte, BuildID and other data that the HP reinstall disks uses to work out what should be installed on your PC.
Jumping into BIOS and hitting "CTRL" and "A" key at the same time, before jumping to "System Information", will expose some of these special sauce data fields that the tech should have filled in. If they are not filled in, you should be able to find that data on the labels of your system and do it yourself - just don't put the wrong data in the wrong field
If at a later date you upgraded from Windows 7 to the free Windows 10 install, MS license servers would have taken note of this fact so a reinstall should occur without issue. However, if some major components are changed after the free update was made, then the system may not longer be seen as 'the same' comupter you installed the free Win10 on. As such you will need to call MS and explain what has happened and as @DGroves stated, MS is usually OK with such issues and so should provide you with a new Win10 license (write it down).
However, if your system came with Windows 10 from HP, which uses a different OEM activation mechanism to Windows 7, then likely the technician didn't enter the appropriate Windows10 5x5 license key into the firmware (which is where i believe it should be stored and tools can read it)...
In either case, and especially if the special sause data fields are not populated in BIOS, i'd call HP tech support and get them to come out and fix the system they failed to fix the first time around
I am, thus far, not happy with the solution provided by HP Elite support(David), who is sending me the 8.1 Pro restore media. He claims there is a path to the free Windows 10 upgrade still out there somewhere!? That is an elusive answer, and I want to find a conclusive statement to back that up, from someone of authority.
Being that the reason I had to have a new board and processor installed because of the latest (since pulled) BIOS update for my system, rushed to release by Intel and provided by HP, I think they both are responsible for the costs, even my inconvenience, for this. I am not done with this by any means.
Some expensive programs are allowed to work only if the MAC address of the communicating workstation matches a centrally stored authorized MAC, and an even higher level of security is based on matching of the UUID of the workstation instead, or one we use requires match of both the UUID and the MAC. Reportedly the central Microsoft W10 activation servers store the UUID of a W10-activated workstation and thus you can reinstall W10 of the same type without having to have access to your W10 license code ever again (your purchased code or your MS gift code). Since that is based on the UUID if you get a new motherboard and try to reinstall W10 the central MS servers won't recognize the new motherboard unless it was programmed with the original motherboard's UUID.
When you get a brand new motherboard out of its HP-sealed wrapper the chassis serial number comes starting with a C, and the tech (or you if you know what you are doing) get one shot to enter the critical values. After that they can't be changed. So, if you are using one of the highly secure type of programs noted above you'd want to capture that info ahead of time, and keep it in your files. A HP FSE might program all but the chassis serial number by mistake, I believe, but you can fix that to match what is on the labels of your box using the access method below.
You can get to what Skylarking is talking about by F10 into BIOS, tab over to the Security tab, arrow down to System IDs so it is highlighted, and then use CTRL + A. That does not need to be hit simultaneously... use the usual pattern of CTRL first and then A immediately after while still holding down CTRL. Then lift up and hit ENTER. You'll see more than you see usually inside System IDs. Copy that, and keep for if you ever need to "clone" these settings with a brand new motherboard.
Thanks for this further info. I have gone in and poked around with the system ids. I did not and as far as I can recall, see the service tech alter the UUID but did set the serial number. I had to set the Product Id and Model myself.
Wanted to get back to you about the google search topic I gave you..... the upgrade to W10Pro64 still works fine today if the current W7Pro64/W8Pro64 is activated and proper. There is still also another method if you use assistance as you'll see.
I'm typing this from a HP workstation just upgraded today to W10Pro64 from an official install from my HP OEM COA W7Pro64SP1 installer DVD, and the install now has been upgraded without cost to W10Pro64 - without trickery or hassle. The answer is that it is a win-win-win for MS, HP and us.
MS wants as many of us on W10 as possible, HP wants that too and knows its base will upgrade later when ready to upgrade hardware, and we all want flexibility still on the issue of W7 vs W10 using our current hardware. There still is a MS income stream from upgrading by those who don't read up on the issue. Actually, if you do some reading you'll see that the upgrade fees are small potatoes to MS in the big picture.
My current new W10Pro64 install on this workstation is now activated with a digital license, which means later when I'm really ready to shift to W10Pro64 my workstation's UUID is forever registered centrally with MS as W10Pro64 activated, and I'll not need to enter any codes during a re-install of W10.
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