Presumably you have to do an in-place upgrade if you use these? I can't see any mention of what key I am supposed to use (from the reservation tool) if I want to do a fresh install.
From what I understand you have to first do an in-place upgrade, which then gives you access to your license key (via Windows system info or something similar).
If you upgraded to Windows 10 on this PC by taking advantage of the free upgrade offer and successfully activated Windows 10 on this PC in the past, you won't have a Windows 10 product key, and you can skip the product key page by selecting the Skip button. Your PC will activate online automatically so long as the same edition of Windows 10 was successfully activated on this PC by using the free Windows 10 upgrade offer.
Which makes it sound like the version of Windows 10 you received as a free upgrade from Windows 7/8 will not work on any other machine than the one you first install on.
This ruling legitimized trading OEM Windows keys. You could go to your recycling center and get $5 fully legit Win 7/8 license. It will take another court case to overrule license tied to particular hardware gimmick.
> Which makes it sound like the version of Windows 10 you received as a free upgrade from Windows 7/8 will not work on any other machine than the one you first install on.
Any idea what defines a 'machine'? I gradually upgrade my PC. New video card here, new SSD there, sometimes new CPU (and possibly motherboard)
Somewhere else in the thread it was mentioned it used the bios to determine if it had been activated on the computer. So I would think a mobo replacement would mess with the activation
And what about when your machine started with a retail motherboard that doesn't have OEM Windows keys embedded in the firmware? What kind of signature does it use for the initial registration?
