When did computer manufacturers start imbedding windows product key in bios hardware

When did computer manufacturers start imbedding windows product key in bios hardware One of the enhancements Microsoft is making to Activation 3. zero for newly constructed machines that come preloaded with Windows eight, you may not have a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) decal connected to the system anymore.

Instead, this may be embedded withinside the BIOS. This will keep away from product keys from being compromised and OEMs will purchase what they want.

So in case you want to reset or reinstall Windows eight, you do not want to seek the product key. It’s mechanically implemented and activated. That’s absolutely a plus, particularly whilst the numbers on the ones product key stickers put on out or are simply too small to effortlessly read.

How to improve Windows eight When did computer manufacturers start imbedding windows product key in bios hardware

My hunt for the ideal Windows eight convertible laptop Windows eight shopping for guide Microsoft blessings from this new activation system considering a Windows eight product key embedded on one PC reputedly cannot be used on some other.

But therein lies the hassle for the person.

Let’s say you very own a brand new PC strolling the same old model of Windows eight. And you very own a standalone (aka a System Builder) version of Windows eight Pro with its very own product key.

You then deployation Windows eight Pro to your PC. Will Windows insist on the use of the embedded product key, or is there a workaround so that you can manually input the important thing that got here together along

with your Windows eight Pro System Builder software?

Or, shall we say your present-day Windows eight PC dies, and also you want to update the motherboard or deployation the OS on a completely extraordinary operating pc

How are you able to try this if the product key’s locked to the lifeless PC’s unique BIOS?

A couple of human beings posed the ones equal questions about the Microsoft Answers web page, however, have not begun to acquire answers.

Further, the product key itself is embedded and encrypted withinside the BIOS. So even in case you boot into the BIOS, you may not discover the important thing as an access that you may sincerely write down.

As the Microsoft rep at the Answers web page noted, you may view the overall Windows product key with the use of a third-celebration utility, consisting of Belarc Advisor, Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder, or ProduKey. But that key’s nonetheless tied to its unique system.

I attempted the system myself, grabbing the product key from a Windows eight PC with the use of Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder and making use of it to an extraordinary pc. And Windows might now no longer receive it.

Microsoft lays out your alternatives When did computer manufacturers start imbedding windows product key in bios hardware

In an electronic mail to CNET, a Microsoft spokesperson mentioned a few alternatives for individuals who discover themselves in one of the situations defined above.

First, in case you purchase a PC with the same old model of Windows eight, you may improve it to Windows eight Pro. But for now, Microsoft and different stores are the handiest promoting the bodily media for the Windows eight Pro Pack, which might run you $69.ninety-nine.

So you may use your Windows 7, Vista, or XP pc to shop for the Windows eight Pro improve key and practice that for your popular Windows eight PC, a choice that could cowl the primary scenario.

It’s additionally essential to be aware that Microsoft does now no longer presently provide a complete retail version of Windows eight withinside the equal manner that previous variations of Windows have been to be had as complete retail packages.

The handiest standalone (non-improve) version of Windows eight to be had is the System Builder version. This version is designed extra for unique device producers and hobbyists constructing their very own PCs from scratch. So it is now no longer a product the common person might probably buy withinside the first place.

What approximately is the second scenario?

Your Windows eight PC dies, and also you want to reinstall Windows or switch the license to some other PC. The Microsoft rep defined the system as follows:

The OEM license is honestly non-transferable to some other PC. When you purchase a PC preinstalled with Windows, that model of Windows is handiest certified for that PC and can not be transferred to a brand new PC.

The switch of the license has to accompany the PC it became certified for. If the consumer has been capable of getting that system fixed, they might sincerely want to name customer service to re-set off if there have been adjustments massive sufficient to benefit PC reset or device restoration unusable.

So that choice might cowl a motherboard replacement. But what if the lifeless PC could not be revived and also you desired to put in Windows eight on some other PC? You’d be out of luck.

The model of Windows eight that comes pre-mounted on an OEM system isn’t transferrable among PCs, in keeping with the Microsoft rep.

“So in case your PC became genuinely positioned out to pasture, below the phrases of the license agreement, you couldn’t use backup discs whendidreleasedate to reinstall that license on some other PC,” she defined. When did computer manufacturers start imbedding windows product key in bios hardware