MBR or GPT Options

[nopejo]

Hi and thanks for your reply. It's very helpful.

My understanding is that a retail licence key is usually valid for only one PC at a time but that it can be transferred to another PC if the PC dies. This may require a call to MS.  That was the case for me with XP several years ago. Did they stop that or did you mean an OEM Licence Key?

I checked Event 1003. It shows "The Software Protection service has completed licensing status check", shows Application iD numbers and letters  and Licensing status 1. numbers and letters. It doesn't explain what those numbers and letters are or what they signify. Are they Keys, Do they signify the type of license or what? If the key is shown can it be checked with the OEM key that HP put on the BIOS during factory setup? That may show if the Windows 10 was upgraded from the Factory installed Windows 8.1 or if the previous owner missed the free upgrade deadline and fresh installed Windows 10.

"Purchasers of that Volume License Key are *NOT* allowed to resell the key.  Period."

I have heard It does happen and it takes MS a while to know its happening. So until they know and then act, you will see "The Software Protection service has completed licensing status check".

Kind Regards

Nopejo

[mdklassen]

>  My understanding is that a retail licence key is usually valid for only one PC at a time but that it can be transferred to another PC if the PC dies.

My understanding is that a "retail" key can ONCE be transferred to another PC.

> That was the case for me with XP several years ago. Did they stop that or did you mean an OEM Licence Key?

My understanding is that an OEM key expires when the original hardware expires.

> I checked Event 1003. It shows "The Software Protection service has completed licensing status check", shows Application iD numbers and letters  and Licensing status 1. numbers and letters. It doesn't explain what those numbers and letters are or what they signify. Are they Keys, Do they signify the type of license or what?

I am not an employee of Microsoft.  So, I do not have, and cannot obtain, any information about those values.

> If the key is shown can it be checked with the OEM key that HP put on the BIOS during factory setup?

Computers originally shipped with Windows 8 or Windows 10 have the product-key embedded in the BIOS, and there exists free software that can extract and display that key.  You cannot change that value in the BIOS.

There exists free software that can extract the currently-active product-key from the 'C:\WINDOWS' folder.

So, you could compare the output from those two programs.

>>  "Purchasers of that Volume License Key are *NOT* allowed to resell the key.  Period."

> I have heard It does happen.

Not legally, of course, because it is a violation of the terms of the license.

> it takes MS a while to know it's happening.

Probably. The "activation" process sends the IP-address of the computer that is activating.

When Microsoft notices that there are "too-many" activations - in excess of the terms of the license -- or there are "rogue" IP-addresses (outside of the network owned by the licensee), they will react.

> So until they know and then act, you will see "The Software Protection service has completed licensing status check".

Correct.

[nopejo]

The Windows key in the BIOS I understand is the Factory Shipped SLP Key. I used Neosmart to read it. It is diferent to the key shown in the registry using Belarc Advisor. I wonder why they are different. Does the upgrade from 8.1 to 10 change it or are there always 2 different keys. So I can't be 100% sure about my current key except to know it currently works.  Since I also want to convert my Hard Disc from MBR to GPT I found out that Windows 10 since Build 1703 can do it using MBR2GPT without losing any data. No need to pay for software to do it or to do a fresh install. I may still do the Windows 10 fresh install in any event for security reasons. 

[mdklassen · Accepted solution]

> It is diferent from the key shown in the registry using Belarc Advisor. I wonder why they are different.

Each computer requires a unique key.

I presume that the choice is either:

* customize the disk-image for each computer during the "factory-install" of Windows to insert a unique key, and use the same key in every motherboard;

* customize each motherboard with the unique key, and use a "factory-only" key in a "standard" disk-image.

In the latter case, a much-later purchase of a "System Recovery Set" from HP allows HP to keep a "standard" set on the shelf in the warehouse, and to replicate it, bit-for-bit, for each purchase.