New Cloned Hard Drive - Windows 11 Pro Now Not Activated

All2kool said:

I activated Windows 11 Pro

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Best of luck keeping up with the workarounds when needed.

All2kool said:

I don't see why the price would be a red flag.

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That low of a price on Win 11 supported hardware.

I'm out of this topic.

Porthos said:

I do not recommend doing the workarounds for general users.

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Authorized refurbishes are required to give you documentation showing which version of Windows they installed and a Product Key in case you need to reinstall Windows. That is what Microsoft requires of them.

Don't use ShowKeyPlus to find your Product Key. It will only show a generic key after it was digitally activated. You need to find the written documentation you received when you bought your computer. If you don't have that you are out of luck unless you want to buy another Product Key.

If you want to start over and install Windows 10 Home on it then it should automatically activate with the Product Key in the BIOS.

Since I maintain a computer for a non-profit I am familiar with MAK keys. I purchased copies of Windows and Office from an official volume license software seller. Both came with MAK keys. I have reinstalled both several times. The MAK keys always worked.

Windows MAK key are different than retail in that the same key can activate Windows on multiple computers. How many depends upon how many activations the purchaser paid for. There is a limitation on how many times the same key can be used but if the limit is reached then an authorized purchaser can ask Microsoft to increase the limit. Note the Windows and Office MAK keys I have came with 100 activations each. Since I only had to reactivate a few times I have 90+ left.

Porthos said:

Best of luck keeping up with the workarounds when needed.

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What workarounds? Describe what may have been manipulated to make Windows 11 Pro work on this PC. The CPU is fast enough. It has TPM 2.0.



I have two Windows 10 Desktops and 4 laptops in the closet and none of them met the TPM 2.0 requirement which is why I bought this one that did.

MisterEd said:

If you want to start over and install Windows 10 Home on it then it should automatically activate with the Product Key in the BIOS.

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No need - I activated using a Windows 10 Home key off a dead unit I had in the closet.

All2kool said:

Describe what may have been manipulated to make Windows 11 Pro work on this PC.

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The check for a supported processor. There are many topics in this forum regarding that subject.

All2kool said:

I activated using a Windows 10 Home key off a dead unit I had in the closet.

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How did you activate Pro with a HOME key?

All2kool said:

I don't see why the price would be a red flag. As I mentioned earlier, I doubt this PC was ever actually used. It was MINT when I opened the box. Not a spec of dust on the inside. It looks to have been an unused surplus unit.

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It doesn't matter. It is considered a refurbished computer. Companies by pallets of these usually without HDDs or SSDs. The buyers install drives and supposedly OEM copies of Windows. I suspect some put Windows 11 on them only to make them seem better even if it not officially supported on them. Like I said the computer refurbisher should have given you documentation which included the Windows 11 Product Key. If they didn't then maybe they aren't officially approved by Microsoft.

FYI but I test loaded an Optiplex 3040 about a week ago with Win11 23H2. I5-6500 cpu. Win11 didn't balk at all about the cpu requirement. It was running Win10 Pro(activated) and Win11 simply picked up the digital license and showed activated. There was another topic here in the forum discussing the very issue.

Porthos said:

The check for a supported processor. There are many topics in this forum regarding that subject.

How did you activate Pro with a HOME key?

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You'll need to ask Microsoft why that worked but I'm guessing it's because this PC originally came with Windows 10 and was upgraded to Windows 11 Pro and the Windows 10 Home Product Key that I used was never used to upgrade to any version of Windows 11.

BamaInArk said:

but I test loaded an Optiplex 3040 about a week ago with Win11 23H2. I5-6500 cpu. Win11 didn't balk at all about the cpu

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How was the install disk created?
Was it connected to the internet during the install?

I think the DM means it is from the firmware MSDM table.

In the days of slp activation there used to be
retail
oem:slp
oem:nonslp

they have dm now instead of slp.

SIW2 said:

I think the DM means it is from the firmware MSDM table.

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Correct. Superfly, the author of ShowKeyPlus, documents this over on Ten Forums.

Key types:

1. OEM: DM = PC specific keys found embedded in the Microsoft Data Management (MSDM) table of the firmware of Windows 8 and Windows 10 factory installed PC's.
2. OEM: SLP = System Locked Pre-installation key - Win Vista/7 manufacturer specific keys used to mass activate those installations. Activation is off-line with a SLIC table in the firmware and matching Certificate installed together with the key.
3. OEM: COA = Certficate of Authenticity key found as a sticker attached to PC's factory installed with the above
4. OEM:SLP method as a backup for on-line re-activation.
5. OEM: NONSLP = Non-System Locked Pre-installation key a.k.a System Builder keys - available from re-sellers and acts as retail on-line activation keys but with an OEM EULA.
6. Retail = Full Packaged Product (FPP) keys, available from a retail merchant or Microsoft on-line (NB: Windows 10 purchases from Microsoft Store are digital entitlement licences and use a generic key for installation.)
7. Volume: MAK = Multiple Activation Key is a single key used to on-line activate a pre-determined number of Windows installations.
8. Volume: GVLK = Group Volume License Key, is a generic key for editions of volume licence versions that activate off-line via a KMS server.
9. WAU = Windows Anytime Upgrade - Retail key that comes at a reduced price to be used to upgrade an activated previous version of Windows.

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Bree said:

Correct. Superfly, the author of ShowKeyPlus, documents this over on Ten Forums.

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This was me but why didn't that Product Key activate for me? Is it because that key was used once already to activate Windows 11 and the older Windows 10 key that did work never had?

1. OEM: DM = PC specific keys found embedded in the Microsoft Data Management (MSDM) table of the firmware of Windows 8 and Windows 10 factory installed PC's.