Moving back to Windows, can't I just install an ISO?

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username00

Limp Gawd
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Nov 5, 2012
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Forgive my ignorance, but I thought I heard somewhere a while back about how Windows keys are now hardcoded onto the bios, and as long as I install the correct version that came with my computer, it should self activate? Is this correct?

I'm coming from Linux and honestly after having used it for over 2 years, it's over complicated nature is starting to piss me off. I could just use an ISO from bittorrent that may have viruses or keyloggers included, but ideally I'd like to download an official ISO and get my Windows back. I never had any key on the bottom of my laptop so that's why I'm asking.
 
Yeah that's what I was going to use, but since my laptop never even came with a key, I need to know if that means it's likely stored on the BIOS, and that the OS will pick it up on it's own during install. I don't want to get halfway through the install and realize I need to sit on the phone with Dell for 2hrs. It's an XPS 13, 9350
 
Hmm based on this thread, I'm inclined to believe it's stored in BIOS - as you said.
 
Prior to Windows 8, Windows Vista and Windows 7 used a method known as SLIC (Software LICensing) which embedded a Product Key (known as the Royalty or OEM key) into the BIOS on OEM machines. The purpose of this was so that, say for example Dell, wanted to sell a half million laptops with Windows 7 Home on them. It would be somewhat of a chore for them to have their workers installing Windows at the factories and having to manually type in the Product Keys on the COA stickers, so a better solution was created:

One Royalty OEM Product Key for each edition (like Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate, etc) embedded in the BIOS of each machine and during the installation of Windows from their 'golden master' used to install the OS on all the machines would be a configuration file (just a text file) that contained the Royalty Product Key as well. During the installation of the OS a routine in the installer would pull the Royalty Key from the configuration file, see it, then read the SLIC table (where the Royalty Key was embedded in the BIOS) and if they were a match that was one part of the OEM activation process - it was NOT the whole thing, just a part of it.

Also included in the SLIC table is a digital signature which is created for and unique to each OEM out there, so Dell has one, HP has one, Gateway has one, Lenovo, and on and on. Once the Royalty Key was verified as accurate the next step became verifying the digital signature - there's a digital certificate file (know as <whatever_oem>.xrm-ms which is included in the 'golden master' used to install the OS on the OEM machines and during that next step of the verification the digital signature is read from that certificate (which can't be duplicated, that would defeat the whole idea) and then the signature of the certificate is checked against the signature stored in the SLIC table in the BIOS and if that too is a match, bam, the installation is activated during the process and that's why when you install Windows on an OEM machine using the OEM installation media it's activated after the installation is complete. You don't have to get online or do anything else, it's just done, that fast and simple.

The Product Key on the COA sticker on laptops is actually not used, nor is it required as long as you're using OEM installation media (a Dell reinstallation disc for a Dell, etc) but that Product Key CAN be used to install the OS on an OEM machine if you don't have the factory provided OEM installation media (not all OEMs distribute them anymore, Dell was the last to do it and I think even they stopped making physical media 2 years ago but you can purchase it if needed). Most OEMs put the installation files on a separate 'recovery' partition on the hard drive or SSD as it leaves the factory and has an application on the installation that you can use to create/burn discs with those installation files after you start using the computer after purchase. Not a lot of people bother to create those discs, however, so it's important to make them just for such eventualities if your machine allows you to do so.

Of course if you repartition your hard drive or SSD after purchase - as you might have done considering you said you installed and used Linux - those installation files on that recovery partition could be lost forever to you. The only option then is either find an untouched ISO for your given OEM (Dell for Dell, HP for HP, etc) and use that to reinstall the OS, or you can find an untouched Windows ISO (whatever version you want) and then add the necessary files to it, known as the OEMINFO files, and each OEM has unique ones as expected. Those files typically contain the configuration file with the Royalty Product Key + the digital certificate + maybe some extra OEM files like sounds, wallpapers, and so on.

Now, when Windows 8 came out things changed a bit and Microsoft stepped up the SLIC table to another version and embedded the digital certificate itself into the BIOS/UEFI - not just the signature of the certificate as done previously with Vista and Windows 7 machines from the factory. This changed things but it still works basically the same way in most all respects.

With Windows 10 what's going on now is that the SLIC table still exists, in yet another newer version, but the actual Product Key for Windows 10 isn't actually necessary except in situations where you buy an actual retail copy. If you buy an OEM machine with Windows 10 on it, an activation hash (a big 50 digit alphanumeric piece of data) will be created and sent to Microsoft when you first use the OS and you're online. That activation hash is pretty much unique (considering the sheer size of 50 digits) and that hash is stored on Microsoft's servers for the future - it's not stored on your local machine. What difference does this make?

Well, after you've "activated" a Windows 10 machine legitimately (meaning it's a valid activation confirmed by Microsoft) you can immediately wipe that very same machine and reinstall Windows 10 right then and there and during the reinstallation you won't be required to input the Product Key - you CAN enter it, but you're not required to do so, just in case it gets lost, the sticker gets removed/damaged/unreadable/etc. When you install the OS you can skip entering any Product Key at all, and after the machine is up and running and you get online the OS will contact Microsoft, say "Ok, here's my activation hash... am I good or what?" and Microsoft's servers will look up the hash, verify the info, know it's the same machine that previously had a successful activation and voila, that second installation is automagically activated as well without any Product Key entry at all.

It's actually pretty cool because if you sell the laptop at some point in time and the new owners want to reinstall the OS, they don't need the key either (technically), even if they log in using their own Microsoft accounts (not a requirement, you can do completely local installs with no online tether to Microsoft accounts), it's just done automagically after the installation of the OS.

Ok, enough babbling on that aspect.

It looks like you're on your way based on the posts made while I was typing out this wall of text I suppose, but that covers the basics for the most part. If you have issues drop another post and it'll work itself out. :D

And yes, based on what Mav451 said above that's the gist of it: the Product Key isn't really relevant anymore, even with OEM hardware, once it's been legitimately activated, from that point on all it takes is installing the OS (Windows 10) and then getting online, the activation hash will be sent to Microsoft, verified in the background (you don't have to manually start this process) and it'll be activated in a few moments.
 
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