Need assistance with your Windows 10 Pro dual boot? One installation failed due to activation loss.
Need assistance with your Windows 10 Pro dual boot? One installation failed due to activation loss.
Hello everyone. My PC hosts two distinct Windows 10 installations, each on a separate SSD—one dedicated to work tasks and the other for gaming. I've maintained this configuration for nearly two years, with only a hardware upgrade in October 2017 when I swapped the gaming SSD. Both now use 500GB Samsung 850 EVOs, and I've reinstalled Windows 10 Pro on each drive for consistency. Initially, everything worked smoothly using the same product key across both systems. Recently, however, the gaming version stopped activating properly. When I attempt to activate it, the system reports an error stating the product key isn't valid. The work version is running Windows 10 Pro, version 1709, build 16299.192. Could this be a recent change in Microsoft's activation rules? Should I purchase an additional Windows 10 Pro key, even though both drives are on the same machine and never share access? Your advice would be appreciated. PC specifications: Intel Core i7 6700K, 32GB RAM, EVGA GeForce GTX 980 MOBO, Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 (rev 1.0), latest firmware. SSDs booted twice, HDD uses Western Digital 3TB. Boot time: 2x Samsung 500GB SATA drives. OS: Windows 10 Pro. Edited February 7, 2018 by Hybrid Divide. Note: Neither installation is linked to a Microsoft account.
You're restricted to just one key per machine. This occurred when trying to dual boot the original Windows 8 and the upgraded Windows 10 from version 8. I managed to set up a dual boot, but one of the keys failed.
You're asking about the "Digital Entitlement" and whether it requires a second key. It seems you're trying to understand if having two keys is necessary for dual booting, and whether it might conflict with the first key's settings. You're also concerned about avoiding additional purchases while still needing the dual boot functionality.
If he resembles me, the "work" OS will come packed with all sorts of programs required for tasks (even a full SQL server) that might affect gaming performance or reliability.
Thanks for the feedback. It feels more natural this way. Also, it helps me stay focused when I have a task to complete.
Your digital rights come from an OEM license for Windows versions 7, 8.x, or 10. This means you can only use one physical Windows copy per license. Unlike a retail license, which allows multiple SIDs at once, an OEM license restricts you to just one SID at a time.
It's mainly because I don't want to let my work suffer when I should be focusing, and performance problems are a big concern. It's always fun to meet another AKIRA supporter, though.
It originated from a Windows 7 OEM key. If I purchased another key, would that also function? Or should I stick with a retail key instead? (If a fresh OEM key would invalidate the existing one, I’d probably face the same issue.) Since OEM keys are usually more affordable, I’d prefer that option if possible. Appreciate the advice!