5 hours ago, elektrified said:

When I asked the technician if I should go and get the license key that I had previously purchased, he looked at me with a confused look on his face and said "Why?" Then......"Didn't you know that any name motherboard (or name-brand desktop set/notebook) purchased within the last 6 years (Windows 8) has a chip on it that automatically generates a license key? The manufacturer has already made this arrangement with Microsoft."

Totally arse backwards... 

 

No this isnt how windows activation works. 

1 hour ago, Mark1066 said:

There is no chip in motherboards that 'generates a licence'. When a PC is first activated, the hardware signature is recorded on the activation servers and used to confirm the validity of an install if you need to reinstall Windows at a later date.

The Technicians wording was wrong but when you install Win 10 on a modern EUFI  rather than the older BIOS based system (even tho the system still says BIOS) it remembers the "legal" WIN10 activation code you entered during installation if it has been verified and accepted by the Win servers after that first installation.  When you then go back and reinstall win10 for what ever reason on that SAME computer the activation code is remembered and you do not need to input it.  During reinstallation you just click the  activate later option and hey presto it all works Legally.

4 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

The Technicians wording was wrong but when you install Win 10 on a modern EUFI  rather than the older BIOS based system (even tho the system still says BIOS) it remembers the "legal" WIN10 activation code you entered during installation if it has been verified and accepted by the Win servers after that first installation.  When you then go back and reinstall win10 for what ever reason on that SAME computer the activation code is remembered and you do not need to input it.  During reinstallation you just click the  activate later option and hey presto it all works Legally.

Yes, that's what I thought I said (in a more abbreviated form obviously!), with the qualification that the hardware signature will be checked on subsequent installs.

Sorry "Mark1066"

I was intending to quote "LininLOS"

 

Here is the screenshot of what you see when you get to the input activation on WIN10;