Identify unused product keys

[tns1]

Years ago I update a number of systems from XP to 7P with purchased licenses. Each time I did this I documented which keys were used on which systems. Reviewing this I find that I still have two undocumented keys, one I am sure was used but one may be unused. I no longer have most of these PCs. How do I tell if a key has been used, or better yet identify the HW it was last used on? I don't want to blindly activate a key and end up deactivating some system without knowing which one.

 

[torchwood]

Hi

it depends on multiple factors
Presumably they were
Retail or System builder keys..... like the one in your old post re Slow computer
Both can be transferred to other machines as long as they are not run on concurrent machines,
the hardware details are "info" only field...identifying it to specific componenents, i dont know of a table showing the breakdown
(System builder keys were not meant to be transferred, but not seen MS block them)

Did you sell the comps with a Key,

There is NOT a list of unused keys, the only way to find out is to use it.....

Many users took the offer of the free upgrade to 10 using thier 7 key, and contrary to a lot of miss-information the 7 key is NOT then blocked, so the chances of you deactivating somebody elses machine are quite low

 

[tns1]

Yes, the one machine I checked using slmgr showed the 7P key to be retail, and yes I purchased some of these keys specifically to have a cheaper upgrade path to 10P by using the 'genuine ticket' method and that always worked for me.

I now have another old PC which was licensed on 10H (the activation troubleshooter says so). I mistakenly did a clean install of 10P which of course did not activate. Rather than an hour long reinstall of 10H, I had read I may be able to use a 7P key to activate a 10P clean install without all the extra steps. If so then maybe one of my apparently unused 7P keys would work.

I guess I always thought there would be a way to query the MS activation database and it would give you some clue as to the associated hw.

Just to be clear, if any of these keys work they aren't going to silently de-activate on some other PC?

 

[torchwood]

Hi

re your last comment, the answer is yes >> ONLY IF << its still running 7
W10 activation is via the hardware ID field, on the initial install/upgrade- the W7 key is only used to kick off the new validation process, and then kicked into touch, and the hardware ID field is used from that point onwards, (the Digital Licence)

notes
The W7 and W10 Validation servers are seperate entities
once your machine has been W10 registered, any further clean install does not require a product key

There are multiple tutorials on our sister W10 forum regarding installing W10 using various methods
Upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 for Free | Tutorials

you can also upgrade/downgrade W10, Home/Pro or vice/versa without clean installing

 

[tns1]

This latest PC went from 8H to 10H so it never had 7. I tried the two 7P licenses directly on the 10P install and I also retried them after using the generic upgrade key 'VK7JG...'. I even tried a used 10P key from a PC I still have. Didn't work - no digital rights. Rather than reinstall or restore images I just used a new 10P key which worked fine.

 

[torchwood]

Hi

thats NOT surprising at all
W7 used a SLIC table that entry was NEVER on a W8 comp UNLESS it had downgrade rights

note
it, the W8, would have been a EUFI install not legacy
however the W8 key should have given you W10 access