4 ms·
The key is in the bios now so you should be able to load any OS that's the same version i.e. pro or home. I've never tried though. I don't know if there is sti
by Already__Taken 11y ago
The key is in the bios now so you should be able to load any OS that's the same version i.e. pro or home.
I've never tried though. I don't know if there is still a different version for OEM or VL windows like XP had different key types.
- lashkari 11y agoI just went through this with a new Dell XPS for my dad. I performed a wipe/reinstall (with media created directly from a Microsoft download) and Windows 10 never asked me for a key after reinstalling it, and it reports as being activated. Seems like they've moved away from requiring an OEM key in addition to the SLIC BIOS signature.
- sfilipov 11y agoThey went a step further. Once a Windows 10 machine is activated, a "hash" of its hardware is taken and associated with the product key. When you reinstall Windows 10, the activation service matches your hardware information with the product key. You need to enter a product key only the first time you install Windows 10 on a particular machine.
- Already__Taken 11y agoWhen I was building machines and asked about the OEM licence, this hardware hash is related to the motherboard. MS consider a new motherboard a new PC, everything else you should get away with changing.