Enter the brave new world of Windows 10 license activation

Windows 10 brought a lot of changes to Microsoft's flagship desktop operating system when it debuted on July 29, 2015, and it has changed even more since then. With the release of the Anniversary Update in August (Build 1607 for Current Branch users, at Build 14393.105 as I write this), even license activation has changed. Here's what most users of the business-oriented Windows 10 Enterprise will see if they check their Activation screen:

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Earlier versions of Windows would often require you to enter a 25-character product key during the activation process. Today, this is required only if you wish to change the product key associated with the current installation. In that case, a window like this one will appear, ready to accept a replacement key for validation and possible acceptance.

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Connect Windows 10 to a Microsoft account

Small business users, or those not involved in some kind of volume licensing or subscription arrangement whereby they obtain access to Windows 10, can benefit from associating their Windows 10 license with their Microsoft account. This generally takes the form of an email address used when providing the account name for a Windows PC. This practice started with Windows 8 and has continued on into Windows 10. You can find summary information about up to six such devices on your Microsoft account home page (for which you must, of course, supply your own unique login credentials).

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Connecting your devices to a single Microsoft account offers a more consistent user experience by allowing most settings (background, lock screen, preferences and so forth) to be synchronized across devices. If you’re someone who bounces around among two or more Windows 10 capable devices (including Windows 10 Mobile devices), you’ll appreciate this feature.

The activation threshold

It has long been the case that Windows OS activation is tied to some kind of secret composed value that's calculated when a license gets tied to a specific PC. This composed value takes motherboard, CPU, memory, disk and other system components into account. In the past, if the composed value that Microsoft had stored for the PC in question differed too much from the value calculated after the hardware upgrades took place, the license could not be activated online. Instead, you would have to get on the phone with Microsoft support and talk their way back into the company's good graces, after which they'd be given an activation code to restore their license to "Activated" status.

Having endured several such calls over the past decade and more, I was happy to see that following the Anniversary Release, Microsoft Support updated its information on "Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change." The new method greatly reduces the number of calls that users will have to make in the wake of hardware upgrades and swap-outs. The afore-linked support page describes the use of an Activation troubleshooter, which is further described on another support page entitled "Using the Activation Troubleshooter." (The troubleshooter only appears on systems where Windows is not activated, as a "Troubleshoot" link on the Activation page.)

This automated activation only works for machines that show up in the devices list for some associated Microsoft account. You proceed with this process as follows:

1. Select I changed hardware on this device recently, then click Next.
2. Sign into your Microsoft account. (You may also have to provide the password for a local account if the Microsoft account entered is not a connected account on the target PC.)
3. Select the device you're trying to activate by clicking the checkbox next to This is the device I'm using right now, then click Activate.

Anecdotal evidence, including user traffic at TenForums.com, indicates that this new technique works for more than half of affected PC users. Alas, those who can't benefit from this automated facility will still have to endure a Microsoft Support call to obtain an activation code. You'll know this means you if the Troubleshooter concludes with the following screen. For my own part, my deliberate exchange of one motherboard for another worked perfectly when I followed the three steps outlined above.

Ed Tittel

Activation under the Anniversary Update umbrella

If you’re running Windows 10 version 1607 or higher, activation has gotten easier and more automated. While you may hear occasional complaints about specific activation issues, the amount of traffic on this topic is relatively light compared to earlier versions, including XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. Microsoft has done a good job with Windows activation for its latest release, and that should be good news for Windows users everywhere, and the IT pros who support them.

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This story, "Enter the brave new world of Windows 10 license activation" was originally published by CIO.