IS Win10 ISO image tied to mobo?

Harrzack

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May 3, 2011
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I'm preparing to do a new PC build and it is getting close to the free Win10 deadline. I've burned an Win10 install-iso to a DVD using my current PC. Will this disk be tied to this computer and not work on the new one? Related: Will such an ISO image work at all, after the deadline time passes?
 
Solution
No it is not you can use the same iso for many computers. however you must have valid activated windows 7SP1 or 8.1 for the free upgrade to activate. or you must have a valid windows 10 Key. Once 10 is activated the win 10 key is tied to the computer hardware, if it is a upgrade their is a generic key and the computer hardware configuration is saved on MS servers if you have to reinstall win 10 (and yes that disk will still work after free upgrade period) you do not put a key the install will verify the hardware configuration with MS and activate.
No it is not you can use the same iso for many computers. however you must have valid activated windows 7SP1 or 8.1 for the free upgrade to activate. or you must have a valid windows 10 Key. Once 10 is activated the win 10 key is tied to the computer hardware, if it is a upgrade their is a generic key and the computer hardware configuration is saved on MS servers if you have to reinstall win 10 (and yes that disk will still work after free upgrade period) you do not put a key the install will verify the hardware configuration with MS and activate.
 
Solution

InvalidError

Titan
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OEM activation keys are tied to the motherboard they initially get activated on. The DVD itself can be used on a billion different PCs.

The only thing that changes after the "deadline" is that there won't be any more free upgrades for people/PCs with Win7/8.x on them. Assuming Microsoft does not decide to extend the free upgrade period due to spectacularly failing at reaching the one billion devices it wanted to reach within the first year. (Less than one week to go and only 1/3 of the way there.)
 

Harrzack

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May 3, 2011
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Thanks for the additional confirmation. I was thinking/hoping that was the case - but we ARE talking about MS here... LOL!

=A.




 

orlbuckeye

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The upgrade doesn't use a key for Windows 10. It uses what's called digital entitlement. DE is a unique ID created based on your hardware and is stored on the Microsoft servers. I believe in February MS made is so you didn't have to install Win 7 or 8.1 before doing the upgrade. If you have the new build of the ISO you could enter the authentic key for your Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 DE would match what was on MS 's server and Windows 10 would be activated.
 

orlbuckeye

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The Windows 10 OEM is tied to the motherboard but the retail version isn't. If you upgraded from Windows 7 or 8.1 then Windows 10 inherits the OEM or retail of the upgraded OS.

Clean installs after Aug 2.

But after the Anniversary update Aug 2 MS will link users that use their MS account to login to Windows to link the Hardware ID of Digital Entitlement to the MS account. This will help with activation issues that you won't have to call MS to activate


Cases:
1. If your motherboard went bad and you got it replaced. This new linking to your MS account will make it so it will activate without having to call MS support.
2. If you've upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro after Aug you also will activate without having to call MS.

Although both of these cases should activate manually sometimes they didn't and after a call to MS the activation would take place.