Windows 7/8 Product Key to install Windows 10 workaround - possibly no longer

I cpu swapped a i7 12700k to a i7 12900k and lost activation. The pc would not reactivate and I could not get it reactivated without going through an online ms account. (I only do local account). So that has absolutely changed in the last month. I had to use massgrave to reactivate.

I pissed around with a few other local (no ms account) activations.

Offline/local z270 build
Windows 7 Pro oem and Windows 7 Home oem to Windows 10 Pro/Home 22h2 : Activation did not work
Windows 8 Home oem and Windows 8 Pro oem to Windows 10 Pro/Home 22h2: Activation did not work
Windows 8 Pro Retail to Windows 10 Pro : Activation did not work


Offline/local Z690 build
Windows 7 Pro oem and Windows 7 Home oem to Windows 11 Pro/Home 22h2 : Activation did not work
Windows 8 Home oem and Windows 8 Pro oem to Windows 11 Pro/Home 22h2: Activation did not work
Windows 8 Pro Retail to Windows 10 Pro : Activation did not work
Windows 8 Pro oem to Windows 10 Pro : Activation did not work

So yes, 7/8 to 10/11 activation is bricked.
 
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Wow just for changing a CPU? I have in the FS forum a WTB thread for a i7 CPU to replace my old i5 CPU. So if this is true, that probably means that mine will also deactivate. I to have a local account.
 
Executioner said:
Wow just for changing a CPU? I have in the FS forum a WTB thread for a i7 CPU to replace my old i5 CPU. So if this is true, that probably means that mine will also deactivate. I to have a local account.
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chips and board are the most common tigger but it is random if it happens.


but trying to reactivate with an oem key has never worked. what we have been talking about is using them for a fresh install.
 
Normally when I swap parts around there is no problem. Rarely, windows deactivates and then reactivates itself via ms servers as long as the motherboard/cpu is the same. I can't think of too many times when that hasn't worked and I have built hundreds of custom pcs in the last 5 years. The few times it didn't reactivate, I would just throw another key at it and off we go. That no longer works as far as I can tell. Inserting the original key or a new key did nothing. Wiping and starting over with a new key did nothing.

Massgrave hwid option 1 did work. Don't quote me, but as far as I can tell, it uses a temp key to generate a legit hwid activation code on your pc and then feeds it to the ms servers. The ms servers seem to use your pc/os as the only check point for os activation. The ms servers just assume everything is fine if they get fed a hwid activation notice from a pc. This worked as an in place reactivation and a clean install activation. Out of curiosity I did wipe a hd after activating with massgrave and reinstalled the os, it activated like normal as soon as it went online. So it isn't just a temporary activation bypass that stays on the hd/os. The hwid/activation id is actually stored on ms servers. The real question is, will ms ever audit their servers and deactivate stuff in the future? I doubt it. I would bet 2/3rds of their activation hwids are w7/w8/keygen/etc stuff.

MS updates runs fine with no issues after using massgrave activation.

I will try a bios update next and see if that messes anything up.
 
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I can state that a Win7 key no longer works. I just tried it on an old Dell E6440 laptop. I guess the person that had the laptop never upgraded to 10, so the sticker under the battery where the win7 pro key is did not work. I even tried some keys that I had saved when I decommissioned a laptop by using the "slmgr.vbs /upk" command. These keys had worked before and now they don't.
 
Ya it seems the fun is over. But the alternative I posted above works well.
https://hardforum.com/threads/windo...nd-possibly-no-longer.2030748/post-1045745438
Executioner said:
I can state that a Win7 key no longer works. I just tried it on an old Dell E6440 laptop. I guess the person that had the laptop never upgraded to 10, so the sticker under the battery where the win7 pro key is did not work. I even tried some keys that I had saved when I decommissioned a laptop by using the "slmgr.vbs /upk" command. These keys had worked before and now they don't.
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The massgrave option works for me as well, this AM.
Last night I installed win10 on a 2012 iMac, did the massgrave process, activated fine.
This AM I pulled out the 5400rpm drive, installed a 7200rpm drive and reinstalled Win10 ,low and behold, the W10 siad it was activated with a digital license...I didnt have to redo the massgrave process
 
i just used a HP oem 7pro key on a Dell, seems to have activated fine. i am feeding them during setup not from within windows, thats never worked....
using "setup for work/domain join" also still allows a local account to be created.
not sure why this is still all working for me...
 
I'm curious if this will be an issue on a laptop that I'm currently working on. I had to replace the mobo on this Dell E6540 laptop. While doing my testing on the DVD drive, I simply hit the eject button and the laptop shut off. Would not power back on even with the power brick removed and running only on battery. I bought a used one on Ebay, but I'm curious if it will reactivate with the replacement mobo.
 
Executioner said:
I'm curious if this will be an issue on a laptop that I'm currently working on. I had to replace the mobo on this Dell E6540 laptop. While doing my testing on the DVD drive, I simply hit the eject button and the laptop shut off. Would not power back on even with the power brick removed and running only on battery. I bought a used one on Ebay, but I'm curious if it will reactivate with the replacement mobo.
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Typically Widows will need reactivation with a new MB as that is a major change.
 
narsbars said:
Typically Widows will need reactivation with a new MB as that is a major change.
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That is what I found. I have an ASUS TUF Gaming (2022) laptop. It came with Windows 11 Home. I upgraded it to Windows 11 Pro. I had to send it in for repairs. They replaced the motherboard. When I got it back it said it needed to be activated. After I reentered the Windows 11 Pro key it received a new digital license.
 
Some people mentioned KMS volume license keys which require a corporate activation server. There are also MAK volume license keys that are activated with Microsoft activation servers. Years ago I bought a volume license copy of Windows 8 Pro. I activated it with a MAK key. When Windows 8.1 Pro came out I did the free upgrade to it. I was surprised I was able to do a free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. BTW, this was a legitimate purchase of Windows 8 Pro VL because it was for a non-profit.
 
OtherMisterEd said:
That is what I found. I have an ASUS TUF Gaming (2022) laptop. It came with Windows 11 Home. I upgraded it to Windows 11 Pro. I had to send it in for repairs. They replaced the motherboard. When I got it back it said it needed to be activated. After I reentered the Windows 11 Pro key it received a new digital license.
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That was the same as buying the laptop from ASUS in the first place. The MB had been registered with MS as legit. Good customer service!
 
I installed the replacement mobo with the same CPU and I did not have to re-activate. The mobo replacement is the same model number as the one I removed. The only difference was the service tag number.
 
did another one this morning, HP 7 pro key on a Dell, fed the key during setup and its activated.
also, i found that 11 edu completely ignores the tpm requirements. I was able to install it on the HP that the oem key came from but using our volume 10/11 key. didnt bat an eye, its active and updating right now, its got an i5-3427U.
 
the trick is...
Install windows 7, crack it with KMS, 'upgrade' to 10, let Microsoft take your hardware info, then hard wipe and reinstall 10 fresh...
 
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