Newsletter Archives

• Is a Microsoft account necessary to lock in a Windows 10 digital license?

  Posted on July 26, 2016 at 14:06 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Good question from PKC (similar to one I recently answered in the InfoWorld comments):

  Your article in Infoworld mentions tying the upgrade Win7 or 8.1 to Win10 with a Microsoft ID. Suppose someone did the upgrade using a LOCAL ID and doesn’t want any association with a Microsoft anything. Technically, the upgraded PC is forever eligible for Win10 (for the supported life of the device – whatever that means). How does THAT work? Does NOT associating the upgrade with a Microsoft ID negate the eligibility?

  In fact, you don’t need to use a Microsoft Account at all. It’s just additional insurance. It’s easy to do in the process of upgrading, so I recommend that folks take the extra minute or two to get it going.

  In most cases, the digital license transfers across to the Win10 installation on the machine BUT… I’ve seen a number of cases where the license doesn’t transfer, particularly on a clean install of Win10. In those cases, the MS Account should work to associate the license with the machine.

  It’s much easier to attach the license to an MS Account in advance, before you need it, rather than wishing you’d done it when it was easy.

  Windows News digital license, Microsoft Account, Windows 10

• What’s behind the new “Activation Troubleshooter” technology

  Posted on June 23, 2016 at 07:22 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Windows 10 beta build 14371, released yesterday, has a new technology that centers around a new “Activation Troubleshooter.” Like most kludges, it introduces more problems than it solves.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows

  Windows News Activation Troubleshooter, digital license, Windows 10 build 14371