The low-down on Windows 10 licensing.

[andrewbedia]

Some of this may be controversial, so cover your eyes if that bothers you. Or just don't read the blue text.

What I have observed, and confirmed around the Internet:

Upgrading from 7 SP1, 8.1 w/ update
OEM/SLIC and Retail licenses: Get converted to retail channel Windows 10/10 Pro.
MAK/VL/KMS: Get converted to VL channel Windows 10.

What about product keys?
Sorry to disappoint, but you do not get a key just for you on a Windows 10 upgrade. You will get one of two keys, at least for pro:
Retail: ends in 3V66T
VL: ends in 6MT6Y

It seems that when you do an upgrade, your HWID gets stored in a whitelist with Microsoft. After you've done an upgrade, you can use the appropriate product key and it should activate for clean reinstalls.

First, a point:
I'm not going to go into detail, but suffice it to say that SLIC and KMS cracked copies of 7 and 8.1 update (SLIC not applicable to win8 and newer) get converted to legitimate Windows 10 copies. Microsoft said this wasn't going to happen, but I've confirmed that it does indeed happen. I won't tell you how to do this. You're a big boy (perhaps a girl) and can use the Internet.

This poses a very important question, however. Pirates of course, shouldn't really have any room to complain, but legitimate owners of 7 and 8.1 update should be concerned. Suppose you upgrade to Win 10. What happens after the free upgrade time period is done and over with AND your motherboard goes up in smoke, and you get a warranty claim on your board? The HWID will change, and will no longer show as valid. Since everyone has the same key with this white list system, how in the fcuk will you get Microsoft convinced that you have legitimacy to use the product and manually add you to the list or something? I personally have done warranty claims on boards that I own, and I know this usually involves a phone call to Microsoft.

Is there such a thing as a non-generic key, FMA1394?
Such thing does exist. I have a key that is not on google that came from dreamspark.

Do I have to wait for the tray notifications?
NO! This is not necessary. Grab the ISO and do the install from WITHIN the installed copy of 7 sp1 or 8.1 update. After you've done the upgrade once, you should be able to clean install as discussed earlier

GET THE ISO HERE (LEGALLY): Windows 10

 

[PigLover]

Confirmed last night that old Technet licenses get converted to the Retail key too.

 

[T_Minus]

So you're saying my win7 SSD I've used for 20+ system tests would no longer work if it were win10? Or only if you plan to "use" the OS, but the "NOT VALID" crap popups is still fine in 10 for such usage?

 

[andrewbedia]

Hwid calculation has nothing to do with the storage devices, but has everything to do with the motherboard serial number and I believe the Mac address of the primary network card. Further googling will answer this question more thoroughly, but I can assure you that it has nothing to do with your ssd.

 

[T_Minus]

Huh? I think you misunderstood the question, I asked it weird I guess

I'm wondering if I'm able to "TEST" various systems with the IDENTICAL Win10 SSD... just like I do now with Win7

IE: Plug in test, pull out, plug in test, pull out, various systems, same OS, same install... works fine with win7

 

[andrewbedia]

It will probably say not activated in the lower right corner when you do that. I'm not sure how tolerant it will be of you logging in. It may force you into a situation where it will not let you do anything without addressing the licensing issue. I'm not 100% sure on what it will let you do. Worse comes to worse, there's always the enterprise edition eval or windows to go.

 

[PigLover]

@T_Minus, it looks like Microsoft was reading your posts. Or at least understands what you are trying to do. Put this on your "test it" SSD and life should be good:

Microsoft launches free, 90-day trial of Windows 10 - CNET

Still not as handy as the old TechNet "multiple activations" license, but at least it should get the job done for you.

 

[herby]

I still don't understand what this means for me and my VMs built with Windows 7 Pro Upgrade licenses. I guess I have a year to find out, and to decide if I want to upgrade in the first place.

 

[andrewbedia]

@T_Minus, it looks like Microsoft was reading your posts. Or at least understands what you are trying to do. Put this on your "test it" SSD and life should be good:

Microsoft launches free, 90-day trial of Windows 10 - CNET

Still not as handy as the old TechNet "multiple activations" license, but at least it should get the job done for you.

Microsoft has had enterprise evals for enterprise OSes (not just server since... at least 7)

I still don't understand what this means for me and my VMs built with Windows 7 Pro Upgrade licenses. I guess I have a year to find out, and to decide if I want to upgrade in the first place.

When you do the upgrade, the HWID of the VMX (or equivalent for your flavor of hypervisor) will be added to their database. From what I've read, you don't even need to put a key in if you reinstall 10 after doing an initial upgrade. Just skip putting in a key and hit the activate button a few times.