Windows Activation - New query

[prophet01]

Didn't want to hijack the previous thread so started this for my query.

On the previous thread @userabcd suggested the following

 

 

 

Some time ago the "Activate Windows go to settingsto activate windows" message appeared on this laptop and remains in the bottom right hand corner.

 

The below, shown next to the "Activate Windows" message is the message I get when I run as suggested by @userabcd above.

 

Can anyone inform me as to what it's saying?

 

[KannikaP]

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/is-activating-windows-10-throw-a-kms-legal/21d687d1-1077-44e1-b970-89b77954b4d4

 

Yours is a KMS activation.   Illegal.

 

PS Even Microsoft get their English incorrect, THROW instead of THROUGH.

And just read the English in answers given by Microsoft Advisors. Pathetic. 

 

Buy a key through ebay or Lazada for a couple of quid.

Edited August 29, 2021 by KannikaP

[prophet01]

@KannikaP Nice one. I'll do just that.

Cheers.

[userabcd]

Is your PC licensed, this can be see in windows: all settings, update, activation. It should report there "windows is activated with a digital license" What does it report there?

 

KMS licenses can be/are genuine but for enterprise use (not the cracked KMS activator one which one sees on the internet which blocks license check to Microsoft servers and falsely reports the pc is licensed)

 

Where did you buy the PC and who installed the windows 10 and its license, was it from an OEM?

 

Try these commands in a terminal cmd and see what shows up:

1. slmgr /dli
2. slmgr /dlv
3. wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey

This should give you all the info about your pc license and license status.

 

The window you posted above is asking you to activate and update client info (slmgr /ato)

 

If you pc Windows is genuine and windows is reporting it is activated with a digital license the do nothing.

 

If the Windows is not licensed then did you try running slmgr /ato and follow Microsoft instructions rearm/activate the pc.

 

Reference Microsoft doc for KMS: Activate using Key Management Service (Windows 10) - Windows Deployment | Microsoft Docs

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by userabcd

[prophet01]

@userabcd

See the below image.

Laptop's one I retained from a work contract a few years ago.

A mate wiped eveything and installed all software from scratch so not sure from where he got Windows 10

 

I've since bought a Surface Pro 6 but use this older Thinkpad as my office PC.

 

 

[userabcd]

OK, it looks like you have to buy a new retail or OEM license and install it to activate windows.

Edited August 29, 2021 by userabcd

[prophet01]

No worries.

Appreciate the input.

[worgeordie]

7 hours ago, userabcd said:

OK, it looks like you have to buy a new retail or OEM license and install it to activate windows.

There is a guy on Baht Sold website selling key for 350 Baht,

looking at Ebay UK, the prices on keys have risen a lot. no longer

a couple of quid.

regards worgeordie

[petermik]

7 hours ago, prophet01 said:

No worries.

Appreciate the input.

 

6 hours ago, worgeordie said:

There is a guy on Baht Sold website selling key for 350 Baht,

looking at Ebay UK, the prices on keys have risen a lot. no longer

a couple of quid.

regards worgeordie

As geordie says above...I used this chap (English living here in Pattaya) yesterday 350 baht and problem sorted (I had a similar issue) if in the event it does not work he will offer instant refund.

[Bruno123]

8 hours ago, userabcd said:

OK, it looks like you have to buy a new retail or OEM license and install it to activate windows.

 

How did you arrive to that conclusion with the information provided? 

[Bruno123]

9 hours ago, prophet01 said:

@userabcd

See the below image.

Laptop's one I retained from a work contract a few years ago.

A mate wiped eveything and installed all software from scratch so not sure from where he got Windows 10

 

I've since bought a Surface Pro 6 but use this older Thinkpad as my office PC.

 

 

 

Does it have a COE attached to the underside? We are trying to discover the original OS installed.

 

You can use ShowKeyPlus:

 

Get ShowKeyPlus - Microsoft Store

 

or

 

https://github.com/Superfly-Inc/ShowKeyPlus/releases/download/ShowKeyPlus1.1.16.0/ShowKeyPlus1.1.16.0_x64.zip

 

or

 

https://github.com/Superfly-Inc/ShowKeyPlus/releases/download/ShowKeyPlus7060/ShowKeyPlus1.0.7060.zip

 

 

[userabcd]

1 hour ago, Bruno123 said:

 

How did you arrive to that conclusion with the information provided? 

Partial product key ending in T83GX (This is a generic KMS client set up key for windows 10 pro for genuine KMS clients - W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX)

 

The windows 10 activation showing the device is not licensed and is asking to update/reactivate the corporate KMS license and follow the procedure  ''slmgr /ato'' and the fact that a friend of his wiped the original windows installation (A mate wiped eveything and installed all software from scratch so not sure from where he got Windows 10)

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/volume-activation/activate-using-key-management-service-vamt

Edited August 30, 2021 by userabcd

[Bruno123]

1 hour ago, userabcd said:

Partial product key ending in T83GX (This is a generic KMS client set up key for windows 10 pro for genuine KMS clients - W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX)

 

The windows 10 activation showing the device is not licensed and is asking to update/reactivate the corporate KMS license and follow the procedure  ''slmgr /ato'' and the fact that a friend of his wiped the original windows installation (A mate wiped eveything and installed all software from scratch so not sure from where he got Windows 10)

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/volume-activation/activate-using-key-management-service-vamt

 

That only refers to the GVLK key that has been utilised for the KMS activation and not to whether the device had a prior active licence for another OS, such as Windows 8.

The likelihood is that someone just used the method of KMS activation that they found via the Internet. You can find it easily, so I won't bother to post it here. That doesn't mean that the device is not licenced.

 

A simple example: If the device was supplied with Windows 10 Home and you try to install Windows 10 Pro without a key, you will get a message that it cannot be activated. That doesn't mean that the device is not licenced; it just means that the device is not licenced for that edition.

Similarly here; the device is not set up for a Volume Licence, but that does not mean that it does not have a Windows 8 Professional OEM licence which can be utilised to activate Windows 10 Pro.

 

So we need to check to see if there is an underlying licence. Hence ShowKeyPlus. Easy for the OP.

 

@KannikaP Oh ye of so little faith...

 

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by Bruno123

[KannikaP]

13 minutes ago, Bruno123 said:

@KannikaP Oh ye of so little faith...

What are you on about please?

[Bruno123]

10 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

What are you on about please?

 

Your 'confused' icon on my query. 

[prophet01]

@Bruno123

See the below ShowKeyPlus window.

As my friend installed Windows 10 Pro I presume the OEM key, even if I had it, wouldn't work as that key appears to have been for Windows 7.

 

[Bruno123]

Just now, prophet01 said:

@Bruno123

See the below ShowKeyPlus window.

As my friend installed Windows 10 Pro I presume the OEM key, even if I had it, wouldn't work as that key appears to have been for Windows 7.

 

 

As suspected, you have a valid Windows 7 licence which you can use to install Windows 10 Pro. But it's a two step process as you would have to first install Windows 7 and then Windows 10.

First create Windows 10 installation media on a USB Flash drive. Then install Windows 7 Pro using ThinkPad reinstallation media(I have that). It will auto-activate. No need to install Drivers etc and we won't actually be using Windows 7. You can then either install Windows 10 Pro over the top or use the Genuine Ticket method to run a completely clean install to a newly purchased SSD.

This is the proper way to do it. No need to buy a product key via eBay. You buy only for convenience. For instance if your current OS setup is customised and it would take a long time to set it up again from a clean install. In that case you might just prefer to use a bought key to change the edition but to leave you stuff intact.

But if you are happy with a clean install or, even better, a clean install to a fast solid state drive, then it's worth doing it the way it would have been done had the friend not run a hooky install.

 

 

[Bruno123]

If it's a ThinkPad and a work ThinkPad, then it almost certainly has a licence for the Professional version of Windows 7, though to be honest, the IBM/Lenovo licence is valid for all editions apart from Enterprise. In fact, if there is a Windows 7 COA on the underside, that key should work to activate Windows 10 Pro.

[prophet01]

@Bruno123 Bloody hooky friends, more trouble than they're worth ????

 

Unfortunately there's no COA.

Is it only the clean install that would mess my set-up or does that also apply to the two-step process you mention?

 

 

[Bruno123]

I guess it's only fair that I include the easy option, as I know the users of this forum generally prefer the easiest way:

First change the key from the current, to VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

 

This should initiate the change from a volume edition. It should not interfere with your files. If that has worked after a reboot....

 

 

 

Buy a cheap key:

 

 

https://shopee.co.th/Windows-10-Pro-Key-ของแท้-อ่านรายละเอียดก่อนสั่งซื้อ-i.205824336.7152955977

 

Enter that. All done.

 

 

 

 

[Bruno123]

10 minutes ago, prophet01 said:

@Bruno123 Bloody hooky friends, more trouble than they're worth ????

 

Unfortunately there's no COA.

Is it only the clean install that would mess my set-up or does that also apply to the two-step process you mention?

 

 

 

Both would remove your current set-up, as there is no downgrade path from 10 to 7.

 

So if you are not ready to begin backing up and starting from a much faster and newer, clean slate; then just follow the 'easy' guide above.

Edited August 30, 2021 by Bruno123

[prophet01]

@Bruno123 As much as I'd like to "start from a much faster and newer, clean slate" the thought of having to re-install everything, such as the "hooky" AutoCad install which took me forever as I recollect, fills me with dread.

 

Though this old workhorse is a little slow it does what I need it to do, at least for now. For anything more intensive I use the Surface Pro.

[Bruno123]

47 minutes ago, prophet01 said:

@Bruno123 As much as I'd like to "start from a much faster and newer, clean slate" the thought of having to re-install everything, such as the "hooky" AutoCad install which took me forever as I recollect, fills me with dread.

 

Though this old workhorse is a little slow it does what I need it to do, at least for now. For anything more intensive I use the Surface Pro.

 

It won't take forever with an SSD installed and you might ever get a later version of AutoCAD with a new install...

[prophet01]

@Bruno123

 

When I have some time on my hands I'd like to attempt a full clean install with an SSD but for now it has to be the "easy route".

However your input has been very much appreciated.

Cheers.