2 OSes, 1 Product Key?

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FierceGuppy

134 posts

Master Geek

#177388 31-Jul-2015 18:28

I had a full retail licensed copy of 8.1 Pro on my new PC, and an OEM licensed copy of 8.1 Pro on the old PC. After upgrading both to Win 10 Pro using the USB media installer method I discovered the product key for both OSes to be identical. ( ....-3V66T ) That's *supposed* to happen, right? Does upgrading from Win 8.1 Pro full retail to Win 10 Pro mean that I lose the right to transfer the license to a future PC (so long as the old copy of windows in deleted)?

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5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1356275 31-Jul-2015 18:37

if you upgraded from an activated Windows 7/8 machine you should have 2 new Windows 10 licenses against those 2 hardware IDs.

No idea on the transfer rights thing. IANAL.

FierceGuppy

134 posts

Master Geek

#1356280 31-Jul-2015 18:59

nathan: if you upgraded from an activated Windows 7/8 machine you should have 2 new Windows 10 licenses against those 2 hardware IDs.

No idea on the transfer rights thing. IANAL.

Yes, they were both activated 8.1 Pro machines. Post upgrade they have the same product key (according to Aida64) and both OSes are still activated. I'm so confused...

Brumfondl

1187 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1356284 31-Jul-2015 19:09

FierceGuppy:
nathan: if you upgraded from an activated Windows 7/8 machine you should have 2 new Windows 10 licenses against those 2 hardware IDs.

No idea on the transfer rights thing. IANAL.

Yes, they were both activated 8.1 Pro machines. Post upgrade they have the same product key (according to Aida64) and both OSes are still activated. I'm so confused...

The reported product key is either a lie or irrelevant at a guess. I have two machines here with the exact same product key according to produkey, and both end in 3V66T.

I'm guessing that the number generated that represents your machine in it's current state is the one that is really important.

TL;DR: You're fine.

crazed

484 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1356313 31-Jul-2015 20:09

I managed to pull out a Win 10 Productkey using ProduKey, that identifies as Windows 10 Pro and is different from my Windows 7 Pro key. I'm asuming that is the correct key, I feel alittle uneasy having to rely on some cloud thingy for the storage of my activation. Have printed it out and added it to my key collect just to be on the safe side.

Microsoft's past reliance heavily on product keys and activation has me alittle uneasy not having it.

CraZeD,
Your friendly Southern Geeky Fellow :P

tchart

2380 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1356323 31-Jul-2015 20:30

Me too. Two upgrades. Same product key. I think it's irrelevant as Microsoft somehow know your machine from here on in.

tchart

2380 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1356347 31-Jul-2015 21:02

Correction, just checked a third PC and product key is the same.

FierceGuppy

134 posts

Master Geek

#1356359 31-Jul-2015 21:41

tchart: Correction, just checked a third PC and product key is the same.

Yes. It will be one of these.

Generic Windows 10 Home                           TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99
Generic Windows 10 Home Single Language 7HNRX-D7KGG-3K4RQ-4WPJ4-YTDFH
Generic WIndows 10 Pro                              VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
Generic Windows 10 Enterprise                     NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43

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crazed

484 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1356369 31-Jul-2015 22:25

FierceGuppy:
tchart: Correction, just checked a third PC and product key is the same.

Yes. It will be one of these.

Generic Windows 10 Home                           TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99
Generic Windows 10 Home Single Language 7HNRX-D7KGG-3K4RQ-4WPJ4-YTDFH
Generic WIndows 10 Pro                              VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
Generic Windows 10 Enterprise                     NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43

Yea mine isn't any of them either.

CraZeD,
Your friendly Southern Geeky Fellow :P

FierceGuppy

134 posts

Master Geek

#1356371 31-Jul-2015 22:29

Rappelle:
FierceGuppy:
tchart: Correction, just checked a third PC and product key is the same.

Yes. It will be one of these.

Generic Windows 10 Home                           TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99
Generic Windows 10 Home Single Language 7HNRX-D7KGG-3K4RQ-4WPJ4-YTDFH
Generic WIndows 10 Pro                              VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
Generic Windows 10 Enterprise                     NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43

What does it mean if it is not one of those listed? (Have genuine Windows 10 Home now after upgrading)

If the OS is activated be happy. I subsequently did a *clean* install, and while I was able to install Win 10 Pro successfully with the generic key above, the OS will no longer will activate. The generic product key is now blocked. So, it's back to Win 8.1 pro for me.

crazed

484 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1356373 31-Jul-2015 22:32

What I've read so far on several forums, is you install your version of Win 10 clean install, skip past the product key entry point, and some how MS identifies your install/hardware and activates it, I'm not game to try at present though, maybe someone like Nathan on here could shed some light on this?

CraZeD,
Your friendly Southern Geeky Fellow :P

Brumfondl

1187 posts

Uber Geek

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#1356380 31-Jul-2015 22:39

FierceGuppy: If the OS is activated be happy. I subsequently did a *clean* install, and while I was able to install Win 10 Pro successfully with the generic key above, the OS will no longer will activate. The generic product key is now blocked. So, it's back to Win 8.1 pro for me.

Have you tried doing the clean install without putting in a key? That is what my flatmate did and it activated fine.

Brumfondl

1187 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1356381 31-Jul-2015 22:40

crazed: What I've read so far on several forums, is you install your version of Win 10 clean install, skip past the product key entry point, and some how MS identifies your install/hardware and activates it, I'm not game to try at present though, maybe someone like Nathan on here could shed some light on this?

It works as long as you have done the upgrade first so that you machine is 'logged' with MS.

crazed

484 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1356382 31-Jul-2015 22:42

Brumfondl:
crazed: What I've read so far on several forums, is you install your version of Win 10 clean install, skip past the product key entry point, and some how MS identifies your install/hardware and activates it, I'm not game to try at present though, maybe someone like Nathan on here could shed some light on this?

It works as long as you have done the upgrade first so that you machine is 'logged' with MS.

Yea did the upgrade yesterday without problem, other than a couple drivers that crashed in a heap, namely AMD Catalyst and Alienware mouse drivers, but will wait a week or so before I do a clean install.

CraZeD,
Your friendly Southern Geeky Fellow :P

SCUBADOO

192 posts

Master Geek

#1356384 31-Jul-2015 22:49

ProduKey 1.80 has got it wrong.

xxx~3V66T for all my Windows 10 Pro machines.

Try another program e.g. MSKeyViewer Plus 2.5.0
xxx~HCFC6
xxx~DY4X9

etc.

crazed

484 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1356385 31-Jul-2015 22:58

SCUBADOO: ProduKey 1.80 has got it wrong.

xxx~3V66T for all my Windows 10 Pro machines.

Try another program e.g. MSKeyViewer Plus 2.5.0
xxx~HCFC6
xxx~DY4X9

etc.

Interesting, that gives me a completely different key, so which one is correct? note that both the keys I have here by both applications are different from those keys above.

CraZeD,
Your friendly Southern Geeky Fellow :P

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