this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2024
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Gentle reminder to everyone that support for #windows10 ends in about 90 weeks. Many computers can't upgrade to Win 11 so here are your options:

  1. Continue on Win 10 but with higher security risks.
  2. Buy new and expensive hardware that supports Win11.
  3. Try a beginner friendly #Linux distro like #linuxmint. It only takes about two months to acclimate.

@nixCraft @linux @windowscentralbot

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[–] grum999@masto.ai 1 points 10 months ago (3 children)

@yianiris @ajayiyer @nixCraft @linux @windowscentralbot it seems not (cf. screenshot)

What I use is a digital license: it seems the digital license is not stored in the hardware
I suppose when it's activated, windows send information to a MS Server
They store the information the digital license is used by this user/hardware

If you try to reuse the digital license key, you'll be rejected during activation because it's already flagged as used on MS side

Something like this I think 🙃

[–] yianiris@kafeneio.social 1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

If it was done online alone 1st it would have been cracked globally, then the machine/hw needs to be identified uniquely. How can this be done if you change disk and reinstall?

The way they do this is a chip intel/amd_x86-64 boards provide called MSDM and a unique key is embeded to it.
You plug a new disk, install, reboot is is already activated.

@grum999 @ajayiyer @nixCraft @linux @windowscentralbot

[–] grum999@masto.ai 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

@yianiris @ajayiyer @nixCraft @linux @windowscentralbot I don't know. If they have a database were used keys are checked during activation process, it could be difficult to globally crack this... 🤷

if you change hardware and want to reuse the same digital key, as the key has already been used, activation on MS side will just be rejected: you have to buy a new digital key

digital keys don't work the same way than product keys (that are stored on hardware)

[–] yianiris@kafeneio.social 1 points 10 months ago

Not all MS licenses are the same, some you can reuse 1 time, you just have to call up cus.support if the key was registered in your name.

@grum999 @ajayiyer @nixCraft @linux @windowscentralbot