My wife's computer and mine were running W7 OEM before we did the free conversion to W10. I have had several OEMs but never a retail... I have run the script that identifies our installations and in both cases it describes them as "RETAIL"... Does that mean that next time I build a computer I can install the W10s as retail ? If I simply move the system with macrium images and fix the drivers, will they fire up as authorized ?
Mystery retail descriptor appears !
- Thread starter allserene
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The underlying license will be the same as before the upgrade - if it was OEM then you’ll not be able to use the key on another PC. The partial key shown is the Pro generic key which all Windows 10 Pro users have. Same with Home users.
Should you enter this key on a new PC which doesn’t have a Pro key it may unlock Pro but you’d eventually have to enter a genuine key.
Should you enter this key on a new PC which doesn’t have a Pro key it may unlock Pro but you’d eventually have to enter a genuine key.
Thanks for that... How confusing of Microsoft.... If I look at properties on 'My PC' it gives me all the Device and product numbers but does not show OEM or Retail etc.... Is there a screen or script that shows that ?
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There are scripts which will show what keys are installed, whether this will show if they are retail or OEM I don’t know.
Run this cmd within powershell with admin powershell “(Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey”
Or wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey if using cmd prompt.
Or: Check this program to reveal if there’s a key embedded in the BIOS:
neosmart.net
Or: Download and run this: https://www.microsoft.com/p/showkeyplus/9pkvzcprx9nv to find all keys used on the PC.
If it doesn’t show any key then don’t worry as this is normal if the PC came with Windows 10.
Run this cmd within powershell with admin powershell “(Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey”
Or wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey if using cmd prompt.
Or: Check this program to reveal if there’s a key embedded in the BIOS:
Windows 10 OEM Product Key Tool
If it doesn’t show any key then don’t worry as this is normal if the PC came with Windows 10.
Can't find the OEM/Retail descriptor with these but yes I have the key...... I always assemble my own PCs and buy an OEM license for $10 or so.... So its no big deal....... So I was just being curious about how to tell the underlying privileges of a system and how it workedThere are scripts which will show what keys are installed, whether this will show if they are retail or OEM I don’t know.
Run this cmd within powershell with admin powershell “(Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey”
Or wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey if using cmd prompt.
Or: Check this program to reveal if there’s a key embedded in the BIOS:
Or: Download and run this: https://www.microsoft.com/p/showkeyplus/9pkvzcprx9nv to find all keys used on the PC.Windows 10 OEM Product Key Tool
If it doesn’t show any key then don’t worry as this is normal if the PC came with Windows 10.
It's moot anyway. If you convert an OEM license to a digital license tied to your Microsoft ID you can activate that license on a new PC by signing in with that Microsoft ID (the old PC will then not have a valid license of course). Although this feature is designed to allow motherboard and/or CPU swaps in the original OEM PC, it will work perfectly well even if the entire PC is changed.
See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/activate-windows-c39005d4-95ee-b91e-b399-2820fda32227
See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/activate-windows-c39005d4-95ee-b91e-b399-2820fda32227
It's true that an OEM license cannot be transferred. However changing to a digital license, which was created to allow motherboard and CPU changes to an OEM licensed PC, do allow the activation of OEM Windows on a completely new PC - I've done it. This may not be to the spirit of Microsoft's intentions in creating the digital license but detailed reading of the 'Windows Activation' link I posted above does not specifically preclude it. Bottom line, it works.