No license key required to turn on Windows 10 during a reinstall.
No license key required to turn on Windows 10 during a reinstall.
For those seeking ways to find Windows 10 activation keys, Microsoft has updated its process. Now instead of a license key, you can use your computer’s hardware identifier—your HWID—to activate Windows 10. After upgrading via the free upgrade offer or Media Creation Tool on an activated Windows 7 or 8.1 PC, you can reinstall cleanly without needing a product key again. Any significant hardware changes might require reaching out to customer support for assistance. You’ll also gain the ability to generate your own installation media, such as USB drives or DVDs, for future upgrades or reinstalls. Note that the free upgrade does not provide a product key; activation is tied to your device’s specific hardware details.
I like it since my room is disorganized, making it easy to misplace the license key paper that came with the disc.
Product keys are now finalized for a single activation of Windows. The advantage of Retail discs or USBs is they allow easy installation on new devices, making the process similar to OEM.
This means I'll need to set up 8.1 and then upgrade every other machine. If I plan a major upgrade, I'll have to either do it myself or reach out to customer support, which I don't want to do.