3 ms·

Yeah an update destroyed my install. Luckily I have an msdn license and can just download another copy of win 10. I wasted hours trying to fix it.

muro 6y ago
You can download another copy of windows anytime and install it as long as you have a licence so no MSDN necessary.
- sn_master 6y ago
  yup, afaik MS even has (had?) their own torrents for Windows with MS servers acting as seeds to verify its authenticity.
- calvano915 6y ago
  Assuming that the license is linked to MS/live account and not local on machine. Though it may still activate if it was present on a machine before.
  - zamadatix 6y ago
    Even in the case of a local machine you don't need an account/license to download and install the ISO from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 and it will automatically activate once it connects to the internet. Even if it can't connect to the internet after install it acts fully licensed, it's only once it connects and finds your copy isn't activated by any available means that it disables... the theming personalization page as a result! Microsoft decided it was worth more to their brand to ensure people were getting legitimate copies of Windows with updates than the money they could get from trying to squeeze home user pirates.
comprambler 6y ago
The license code is digitally added to your UEFI bios when you activate Windows. There are even tools to retrieve the key. As long as your computer isn’t significantly different (motherboard change) than the last time your pc checked in with the MS licensing servers you do not need to enter in a key ever again on that machine when reinstalling the OS.
- jlgaddis 6y ago
  Since you were being downvoted by folks who think they know better than you, I'll just leave this here: > Most new PCs sold in stores today come with the product key permanently embedded in the firmware. Instead of printing the product key on a sticker where it could be easily stolen or smudged off, manufacturers are now opting to store it in the UEFI or BIOS. The firmware is located in ROM on the motherboard, which means if you upgrade other components like your hard drive, RAM, graphics card, or even your CPU, you should still be able to activate Windows. > If you reinstall Windows, it will communicate with the firmware to install the embedded key. There is no need to retrieve the key yourself. If you want to retrieve it, you can do so by running the following command in cmd or Windows PowerShell: > ... -- https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-win_licensing/how-to-find-your-windows-product-key/f032f08f-f114-46f6-ab81-b28004dd43a0 https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10...

muro 6y ago

You can download another copy of windows anytime and install it as long as you have a licence so no MSDN necessary.

sn_master 6y ago
yup, afaik MS even has (had?) their own torrents for Windows with MS servers acting as seeds to verify its authenticity.
calvano915 6y ago
Assuming that the license is linked to MS/live account and not local on machine. Though it may still activate if it was present on a machine before.
- zamadatix 6y ago
  Even in the case of a local machine you don't need an account/license to download and install the ISO from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 and it will automatically activate once it connects to the internet. Even if it can't connect to the internet after install it acts fully licensed, it's only once it connects and finds your copy isn't activated by any available means that it disables... the theming personalization page as a result! Microsoft decided it was worth more to their brand to ensure people were getting legitimate copies of Windows with updates than the money they could get from trying to squeeze home user pirates.

comprambler 6y ago

The license code is digitally added to your UEFI bios when you activate Windows. There are even tools to retrieve the key. As long as your computer isn’t significantly different (motherboard change) than the last time your pc checked in with the MS licensing servers you do not need to enter in a key ever again on that machine when reinstalling the OS.

jlgaddis 6y ago
Since you were being downvoted by folks who think they know better than you, I'll just leave this here: > Most new PCs sold in stores today come with the product key permanently embedded in the firmware. Instead of printing the product key on a sticker where it could be easily stolen or smudged off, manufacturers are now opting to store it in the UEFI or BIOS. The firmware is located in ROM on the motherboard, which means if you upgrade other components like your hard drive, RAM, graphics card, or even your CPU, you should still be able to activate Windows. > If you reinstall Windows, it will communicate with the firmware to install the embedded key. There is no need to retrieve the key yourself. If you want to retrieve it, you can do so by running the following command in cmd or Windows PowerShell: > ... -- https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-win_licensing/how-to-find-your-windows-product-key/f032f08f-f114-46f6-ab81-b28004dd43a0 https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10...