Solved Windows automatically activated with a digital licence - But How


IownAmoneyPit

Canadian Loonie X 2
Power User
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370
Location
Alberta, Canada
OS
Windows 11 Pro x 2 + Insider Dev
Recently I retired my Sandybridge system and replaced all parts but the case and power supply.

My new system is going to be a Dual boot system and I have already installed the first system using an OEM system builders key from the Computer store where I bought the major parts and key at full retail.

When I installed the 1st system I chose "I dont have a key" during setup and also a Local account using a rufus USB. When this installation was finished and arrived at the Desktop windows was Not Activated so I entered 1 of 2 keys I purchased and Windows is activated on the 1st system with an OEM Licence which is perfectly normal and expected.

However when I went to install the 2nd system and used the Exact same steps above Windows activated itself with a digital licence and the generic Windows key for Windows 11 Pro as soon as I connected to the Internet and was not even asked to enter a key although I now have one OEM Key available it seems.

This 2nd system is not currently linked to any Microsoft Account and have logged in to all of my MS accounts to see if the device name was linked to any existing account but isnt.

My question is how Windows activated automatically with the digital licence and did it just use the OEM Key from the 1st system since it is linked to the Motherboard. Also can I leave the activation as is since it activated automatically (Then I have a spare unused licence) or do I need to change the key.

Retail or OEM.pngShowKeyPlus.png

System Specs

Windows 11 Pro 22621.525
ASUS ROG Strix Z690-F GAMING WIFI Motherboard
Intel Core i9 12900 K Processor
Corsair Vengence RGB DDR 5 (16 GB X 4)
ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 3070 TI V2 OC
 
Windows Build/Version
Windows 11 Pro 22621.525

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x 2 + Insider Dev
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    My first abomination, I call it the Money Pit One
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 12900K @ 5.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO
    Memory
    2 x Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB (4x16GB Total) DDR5-6200 CL36 Dual Channel Kit
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 XC3 ULTRA GAMING 10GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 with ESS® ES9018Q2C DAC for pinpoint positioning and dynamics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung 43" HDR Neo QLED Mini-LED Tizen Smart TV (QN43QN90DAFXZC) 2024
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @ 150 DPI & 120Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 Series - 250GB PCIe Gen3. X4 NVMe 1.4 - M.2 Internal SSD (Windows 11 Pro Dual boot)
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i 80+ Platinum Modular Power Supply 1000W
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Tempered Glass Full Tower Case - Black
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H150i RGB Elite 360mm Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Perixx PERIBOARD-732B Wireless Mini Backlit USB Keyboard with Low Profile Keys - US Layout
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps
    Browser
    Latest Version Of Firefox & Microsoft Edge Chromium Stable
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
    Other Info
    LG Electronics 14x Sata Blu-ray Disk Rewriter - WH14NS4O
    2 x OREI 4K 4x2 HDMI Matrix Switch With ARC Audio Extraction, HDR & Downscaling (UHD-402D) so I can send the output of my Cable Box, Roku, or any of my 4 computers to either of my TV's separately or simultaneously.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro x 2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    My second abomination, I call it the Money Pit Two
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 12900K @ 5.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-F GAMING WIFI
    Memory
    2 x Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5 6400MHz CL32 Dual Channel Kit (4x16GB Total) Black
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Ti OC Edition 8 GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 with ESS® ES9018Q2C DAC for pinpoint positioning and dynamics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung 43" HDR Neo QLED Mini-LED Tizen Smart TV (QN43QN90DAFXZC) 2024
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @ 150 DPI & 120Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 Series - 250GB PCIe Gen3. X4 NVMe 1.4 - M.2 Internal SSD (Windows 11 Pro Dual boot)
    PSU
    Corsair AX860 - 860W Modular Power Supply
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Pro Tempered Glass Full Tower Case - Black
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H150i RGB Elite 360mm Liquid CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Wireless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Perixx PERIBOARD-326 Wired Mini Backlit USB Keyboard with Low Profile Keys - US Layout
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps
    Browser
    Latest Version Of Firefox & EDGE Chromium Stable
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
    Other Info
    LG Electronics 14x Sata Blu-ray Disk Rewriter - WH14NS4O
    2 x OREI 4K 4x2 HDMI Matrix Switch With ARC Audio Extraction, HDR & Downscaling (UHD-402D) so I can send the output of my Cable Box, Roku, or any of my 4 computers to either of my TV's separately or simultaneously.
Question: On the system in question, was Windows ever installed and activated on that system previously or is this a brand new installation of Windows with no previous installation ever having been made on this system?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-built
    CPU
    Intel i7 11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A MB
    Memory
    64GB (Waiting for warranty replacement of another 64GB for 128GB total)
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 4TB NVMe SSD
    3 x 512GB 2.5" SSD
    1 x 4TB 2.5" SSD
    5 x 8TB Seagate Barracuda HDD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case
    Cooling
    Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Home Computer Specifications, Configuration, and Usage Notes General Specifications ASUS Prime Z590-A motherboard, serial number M1M0KC222467ARP Intel Core i7-11700K CPU (11th Gen Rocket Lake / LGA 1200 Socket) 128GB Crucial Ballistix RGB DDR4 3200 MHz DRAM (4 x 32GB) Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black CPU cooler Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Corsair LL-120 RGB Fans (Qty. 3)
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    The five 8TB drives and three 512GB SSDs are part of a DrivePool using StableBit DrivePool software. The three SSDs are devoted purely to caching for the 8TB drives. All of the important data is stored in triplicate so that I can withstand simultaneous failure of 2 disks.

    Networking: 2.5Gbps Ethernet and WiFi 6e
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
@James
Per OP:
This 2nd system is not currently linked to any Microsoft Account and have logged in to all of my MS accounts ...
Thanks. Misread it. Deleted the post now.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 21H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Chillblast
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 3 3100
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Strix b450-f
    Memory
    Corsair 8GB x 2 (16GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 Super
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 27" 1440p
    Screen Resolution
    1440p
    Hard Drives
    Seagate Barracuda 1TB
    256GB NVME Seagate Barracuda
    Browser
    Firefox / Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Amd E2
    Memory
    4GB
    Hard Drives
    128GB SSD
  • Like
Reactions: OAT
Recently I retired my Sandybridge system and replaced all parts but the case and power supply.

My new system is going to be a Dual boot system and I have already installed the first system using an OEM system builders key from the Computer store where I bought the major parts and key at full retail.
Practically a brand new system, @hsehestedt
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 21H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Chillblast
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 3 3100
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Strix b450-f
    Memory
    Corsair 8GB x 2 (16GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 Super
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 27" 1440p
    Screen Resolution
    1440p
    Hard Drives
    Seagate Barracuda 1TB
    256GB NVME Seagate Barracuda
    Browser
    Firefox / Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Amd E2
    Memory
    4GB
    Hard Drives
    128GB SSD
Question: On the system in question, was Windows ever installed and activated on that system previously or is this a brand new installation of Windows with no previous installation ever having been made on this system?

@hsehestedt I am building a Dual Boot system and yes Windows is installed and activated on system one then when I went to follow the same install procedure on as outlined in my original post on system two with a unformatted NVME drive the computer was then configured as a Dual Boot and activated with a digital licence as soon as I turned on the internet. (See original post).
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x 2 + Insider Dev
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    My first abomination, I call it the Money Pit One
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 12900K @ 5.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO
    Memory
    2 x Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB (4x16GB Total) DDR5-6200 CL36 Dual Channel Kit
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 XC3 ULTRA GAMING 10GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 with ESS® ES9018Q2C DAC for pinpoint positioning and dynamics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung 43" HDR Neo QLED Mini-LED Tizen Smart TV (QN43QN90DAFXZC) 2024
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @ 150 DPI & 120Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 Series - 250GB PCIe Gen3. X4 NVMe 1.4 - M.2 Internal SSD (Windows 11 Pro Dual boot)
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i 80+ Platinum Modular Power Supply 1000W
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Tempered Glass Full Tower Case - Black
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H150i RGB Elite 360mm Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Perixx PERIBOARD-732B Wireless Mini Backlit USB Keyboard with Low Profile Keys - US Layout
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps
    Browser
    Latest Version Of Firefox & Microsoft Edge Chromium Stable
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
    Other Info
    LG Electronics 14x Sata Blu-ray Disk Rewriter - WH14NS4O
    2 x OREI 4K 4x2 HDMI Matrix Switch With ARC Audio Extraction, HDR & Downscaling (UHD-402D) so I can send the output of my Cable Box, Roku, or any of my 4 computers to either of my TV's separately or simultaneously.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro x 2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    My second abomination, I call it the Money Pit Two
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 12900K @ 5.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-F GAMING WIFI
    Memory
    2 x Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5 6400MHz CL32 Dual Channel Kit (4x16GB Total) Black
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Ti OC Edition 8 GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 with ESS® ES9018Q2C DAC for pinpoint positioning and dynamics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung 43" HDR Neo QLED Mini-LED Tizen Smart TV (QN43QN90DAFXZC) 2024
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @ 150 DPI & 120Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 Series - 250GB PCIe Gen3. X4 NVMe 1.4 - M.2 Internal SSD (Windows 11 Pro Dual boot)
    PSU
    Corsair AX860 - 860W Modular Power Supply
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Pro Tempered Glass Full Tower Case - Black
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H150i RGB Elite 360mm Liquid CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Wireless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Perixx PERIBOARD-326 Wired Mini Backlit USB Keyboard with Low Profile Keys - US Layout
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps
    Browser
    Latest Version Of Firefox & EDGE Chromium Stable
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
    Other Info
    LG Electronics 14x Sata Blu-ray Disk Rewriter - WH14NS4O
    2 x OREI 4K 4x2 HDMI Matrix Switch With ARC Audio Extraction, HDR & Downscaling (UHD-402D) so I can send the output of my Cable Box, Roku, or any of my 4 computers to either of my TV's separately or simultaneously.
I am building a Dual Boot system and yes Windows is installed and activated on system one then when I went to follow the same install procedure on as outlined in my original post on system two with a unformatted NVME drive the computer was then configured as a Dual Boot and activated with a digital licence as soon as I turned on the internet.
These two systems are dual booting on the one PC? If so, then what you need to know about a digital licence is that it linked to the hardware ID of the PC, not the installed Windows, and that the hard drive plays no part in this hardware ID.

Your PC got a digital licence for Pro stored on Microsoft's activation servers when you installed and activated the first system. This existing digital licence was what activated your second install as soon as it could contact the activation servers. Once a PC's hardware has a digital licence it will activate any install of Windows 10 or 11 that you put on the PC, there is no difference between W10 and Win11 as far as keys of digital licences are concerned. All installs of 10/11 of the same edition (Pro in your case) will activate from the PC's existing digital licence.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
The hardware hash that was performed on your components is the same, thus your dual boot will provide the same hash and Microsoft will just activate that one as well. It's effectively the same as formatting and reinstalling Windows. You will mark you don't have a key and once the OS comes up, it just magically activates.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink SEI8
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8279u
    Motherboard
    AZW SEI
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 2666Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Plus 655
    Sound Card
    Intel SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus ProArt PA278QV
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe
    PSU
    NA
    Case
    NA
    Cooling
    NA
    Keyboard
    NA
    Mouse
    NA
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Mini PC used for testing Windows 11.
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5900x
    Motherboard
    Asus Rog Strix X570-E Gaming
    Memory
    64GB DDR4-3600
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce 3080 FT3 Ultra
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ. ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV 27” WQHD
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2TB WD SN850 PCI-E Gen 4 NVMe
    2TB Sandisk Ultra 2.5" SATA SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus 850
    Case
    Fractal Meshify S2 in White
    Cooling
    Dark Rock Pro CPU cooler, 3 x 140mm case fans
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Keyboard
    Corsiar K65 RGB Lux
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender.
Kari explains digital licences in detail here:
Note that all HWIDs exclude storage media entirely. Thus, on a PC with Windows 10 or 11 activated, you can replace its storage (HDD / SSD) devices with one or more new ones and clean install Windows 10 or 11 on a new disk. Even so, the PC will activate automatically based on that machine’s existing digital license.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
@Bree an @pparks1 thanks for your informative replies so basically what both of you are saying is that windows being activated one system drive will activate another installation of windows on a second seperate drive or more because the activation is linked to the same Mobo, CPU , RAM I thought I would need a key for each install.

Had I'd known this info earlier (And I probably already read Kari's tut but your replies were more concise) when I built my ROG MAXIMUS system around Christmas when just I entered 2 retail keys for the dual boot during setup I could have saved myself a key however that problem can still be remedied as the keys are transferable.

One bonus is now I know I can also run insider builds on the same mobo without needing a key and will mark this thread as Solved.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x 2 + Insider Dev
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    My first abomination, I call it the Money Pit One
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 12900K @ 5.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO
    Memory
    2 x Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB (4x16GB Total) DDR5-6200 CL36 Dual Channel Kit
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 XC3 ULTRA GAMING 10GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 with ESS® ES9018Q2C DAC for pinpoint positioning and dynamics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung 43" HDR Neo QLED Mini-LED Tizen Smart TV (QN43QN90DAFXZC) 2024
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @ 150 DPI & 120Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 Series - 250GB PCIe Gen3. X4 NVMe 1.4 - M.2 Internal SSD (Windows 11 Pro Dual boot)
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i 80+ Platinum Modular Power Supply 1000W
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Tempered Glass Full Tower Case - Black
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H150i RGB Elite 360mm Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Perixx PERIBOARD-732B Wireless Mini Backlit USB Keyboard with Low Profile Keys - US Layout
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps
    Browser
    Latest Version Of Firefox & Microsoft Edge Chromium Stable
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
    Other Info
    LG Electronics 14x Sata Blu-ray Disk Rewriter - WH14NS4O
    2 x OREI 4K 4x2 HDMI Matrix Switch With ARC Audio Extraction, HDR & Downscaling (UHD-402D) so I can send the output of my Cable Box, Roku, or any of my 4 computers to either of my TV's separately or simultaneously.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro x 2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    My second abomination, I call it the Money Pit Two
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 12900K @ 5.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-F GAMING WIFI
    Memory
    2 x Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5 6400MHz CL32 Dual Channel Kit (4x16GB Total) Black
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Ti OC Edition 8 GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 with ESS® ES9018Q2C DAC for pinpoint positioning and dynamics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung 43" HDR Neo QLED Mini-LED Tizen Smart TV (QN43QN90DAFXZC) 2024
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @ 150 DPI & 120Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 Series - 250GB PCIe Gen3. X4 NVMe 1.4 - M.2 Internal SSD (Windows 11 Pro Dual boot)
    PSU
    Corsair AX860 - 860W Modular Power Supply
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Pro Tempered Glass Full Tower Case - Black
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H150i RGB Elite 360mm Liquid CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Wireless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Perixx PERIBOARD-326 Wired Mini Backlit USB Keyboard with Low Profile Keys - US Layout
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps
    Browser
    Latest Version Of Firefox & EDGE Chromium Stable
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
    Other Info
    LG Electronics 14x Sata Blu-ray Disk Rewriter - WH14NS4O
    2 x OREI 4K 4x2 HDMI Matrix Switch With ARC Audio Extraction, HDR & Downscaling (UHD-402D) so I can send the output of my Cable Box, Roku, or any of my 4 computers to either of my TV's separately or simultaneously.
@Bree an @pparks1 thanks for your informative replies so basically what both of you are saying is that windows being activated one system drive will activate another installation of windows on a second seperate drive or more because the activation is linked to the same Mobo, CPU , RAM I thought I would need a key for each install.

Had I'd known this info earlier (And I probably already read Kari's tut but your replies were more concise) when I built my ROG MAXIMUS system around Christmas when just I entered 2 retail keys for the dual boot during setup I could have saved myself a key however that problem can still be remedied as the keys are transferable.

One bonus is now I know I can also run insider builds on the same mobo without needing a key and will mark this thread as Solved.
Your summary is correct.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink SEI8
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8279u
    Motherboard
    AZW SEI
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 2666Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Plus 655
    Sound Card
    Intel SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus ProArt PA278QV
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe
    PSU
    NA
    Case
    NA
    Cooling
    NA
    Keyboard
    NA
    Mouse
    NA
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Mini PC used for testing Windows 11.
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5900x
    Motherboard
    Asus Rog Strix X570-E Gaming
    Memory
    64GB DDR4-3600
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce 3080 FT3 Ultra
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ. ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV 27” WQHD
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2TB WD SN850 PCI-E Gen 4 NVMe
    2TB Sandisk Ultra 2.5" SATA SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus 850
    Case
    Fractal Meshify S2 in White
    Cooling
    Dark Rock Pro CPU cooler, 3 x 140mm case fans
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Keyboard
    Corsiar K65 RGB Lux
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender.
One bonus is now I know I can also run insider builds on the same mobo without needing a key and will mark this thread as Solved.
Yes, I triple boot one of my laptops, all activate from its digital licence. It is technically an unsupported device for W11, but along side its installed W10 Pro I run two W11 Pro Insider builds, Beta and Dev, both as native boot .vhdx.

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
Solved? OH I hope so, because I've not heard so much gibberish, and mumbo jumbo in a very long time. Insider this, outsider that, etc., etc., etc. Keys? I've not used a key since 98 days!

Different strokes for different folks! I guess I'm just different.

Here's wishing y'all a Happy 4th of July.
 

My Computer

Solved? OH I hope so, because I've not heard so much gibberish, and mumbo jumbo in a very long time. Insider this, outsider that, etc., etc., etc. Keys? I've not used a key since 98 days!

Different strokes for different folks! I guess I'm just different.

Here's wishing y'all a Happy 4th of July.

@Tecnomage2021 the original post discussion was a non insider disscussion (Please read 1st post), I myself havent bought any keys since Windows 7 days and only one $15 upgrade for window 8 and was able to upgrade all of my PC's to windows 10 for Free and so consider myself lucky as legit keys are expensive in CAD dollars.

However since I had to build 2 BRAND new systems recently as the old hardware didnt meet Windows 11 specs (although which can be bypassed for NOW) and were 12+ years old I figured I would need a key for each new windows 11 installation and the replies by other members were not jibberish to me as I would rather know beforehand an answer to my original activation question first before I install all of my other programs that takes days or the risk to have to possibly reinstall everything again.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x 2 + Insider Dev
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    My first abomination, I call it the Money Pit One
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 12900K @ 5.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO
    Memory
    2 x Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB (4x16GB Total) DDR5-6200 CL36 Dual Channel Kit
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 XC3 ULTRA GAMING 10GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 with ESS® ES9018Q2C DAC for pinpoint positioning and dynamics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung 43" HDR Neo QLED Mini-LED Tizen Smart TV (QN43QN90DAFXZC) 2024
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @ 150 DPI & 120Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 Series - 250GB PCIe Gen3. X4 NVMe 1.4 - M.2 Internal SSD (Windows 11 Pro Dual boot)
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i 80+ Platinum Modular Power Supply 1000W
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Tempered Glass Full Tower Case - Black
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H150i RGB Elite 360mm Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Perixx PERIBOARD-732B Wireless Mini Backlit USB Keyboard with Low Profile Keys - US Layout
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps
    Browser
    Latest Version Of Firefox & Microsoft Edge Chromium Stable
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
    Other Info
    LG Electronics 14x Sata Blu-ray Disk Rewriter - WH14NS4O
    2 x OREI 4K 4x2 HDMI Matrix Switch With ARC Audio Extraction, HDR & Downscaling (UHD-402D) so I can send the output of my Cable Box, Roku, or any of my 4 computers to either of my TV's separately or simultaneously.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro x 2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    My second abomination, I call it the Money Pit Two
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 12900K @ 5.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-F GAMING WIFI
    Memory
    2 x Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5 6400MHz CL32 Dual Channel Kit (4x16GB Total) Black
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Ti OC Edition 8 GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 with ESS® ES9018Q2C DAC for pinpoint positioning and dynamics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung 43" HDR Neo QLED Mini-LED Tizen Smart TV (QN43QN90DAFXZC) 2024
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @ 150 DPI & 120Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 Series - 250GB PCIe Gen3. X4 NVMe 1.4 - M.2 Internal SSD (Windows 11 Pro Dual boot)
    PSU
    Corsair AX860 - 860W Modular Power Supply
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Pro Tempered Glass Full Tower Case - Black
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H150i RGB Elite 360mm Liquid CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Wireless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Perixx PERIBOARD-326 Wired Mini Backlit USB Keyboard with Low Profile Keys - US Layout
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps
    Browser
    Latest Version Of Firefox & EDGE Chromium Stable
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
    Other Info
    LG Electronics 14x Sata Blu-ray Disk Rewriter - WH14NS4O
    2 x OREI 4K 4x2 HDMI Matrix Switch With ARC Audio Extraction, HDR & Downscaling (UHD-402D) so I can send the output of my Cable Box, Roku, or any of my 4 computers to either of my TV's separately or simultaneously.
@IownAmoneyPit,

Just for clarification - when a digital license is created, it is tied to a specific machine. Windows setup generates a hash based upon various unique system features. That is how it can identify the same computer again in the future for re-activation on the same system.

Bear in mind that the disk drive(s) are specifically one marker that Windows activation does NOT look at. This why if you install another copy of Windows on the same machine but on a different physical drive or in a virtual disk, Windows will simply activate. It comes up with the same hardware signature regardless of what drive you install onto and as a result, it activates.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-built
    CPU
    Intel i7 11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A MB
    Memory
    64GB (Waiting for warranty replacement of another 64GB for 128GB total)
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 4TB NVMe SSD
    3 x 512GB 2.5" SSD
    1 x 4TB 2.5" SSD
    5 x 8TB Seagate Barracuda HDD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case
    Cooling
    Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Home Computer Specifications, Configuration, and Usage Notes General Specifications ASUS Prime Z590-A motherboard, serial number M1M0KC222467ARP Intel Core i7-11700K CPU (11th Gen Rocket Lake / LGA 1200 Socket) 128GB Crucial Ballistix RGB DDR4 3200 MHz DRAM (4 x 32GB) Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black CPU cooler Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Corsair LL-120 RGB Fans (Qty. 3)
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    The five 8TB drives and three 512GB SSDs are part of a DrivePool using StableBit DrivePool software. The three SSDs are devoted purely to caching for the 8TB drives. All of the important data is stored in triplicate so that I can withstand simultaneous failure of 2 disks.

    Networking: 2.5Gbps Ethernet and WiFi 6e
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
The word that seems to elude you is facts.

Denis

These days it seems as if facts are becoming more and more irrelevant. Just like common sense is becoming more and more scarce.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!

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