>installed windows 10 ltsc on a brand new ssd in my old ass laptop>verified the ISO hash, yada yada yada>during the installation it asks me for a product key, i say i dont have one>once it's done installing i don't get the "Activate Windows" watermark>later on i sign into a brand new microsoft account created just for this pc (yes i'm retarded)>check activation settings today>picreli'm genuinely freaked out, how is it activated? i never linked my college account to it or anything either. my PC has a license in the firmware most likely for only 10 Home, not LTSC.
>>106913423If you use a Microsoft account for windows it will without your approval bind that key to your account. I assume this is to ensure you don't get rid of that account.
>>106913423Asking if you got pwned while using Windows is unironically an oxymoron, as you can see. It was already over before it even began. It's not that big of a deal though, just the status quo of using Windows?
>installs malware>guise, did i get h4x0r?
>>106913423I think Home edition is a little more your speed lil bro
>>106913423expect a cease and desist soon
>>106913423Please install Linux.Search for Ubuntu or Linux Mint.
>>106913423>yes i'm retardedThat was obvious from the start, but I do appreciate the honesty.
>>106913423Don't listen to the people calling you retarded. It's WINDOWSEVERYONE USES IT If they are calling you retarded that would mean EVERYONE IS ????
>>106913423Well since nobody has has actually answered your question yet, Windows scans your hardware, and that's what your license is associated with, not your microsoft account.Even if you had a local profile on that computer with no microsoft account it would show as activated. But since you signed in, you essentially backed up your license to the cloud using that microsoft account.>my PC has a license in the firmwareNo it doesn't, that's not a real thingWindows is so incredibly relaxed with activation it either doesn't care you're running LTSC, or someone has activated an enterprise edition on that device before using a piracy method like the hwid method which will persist between installs.
>>106915705this
>>106915705>>my PC has a license in the firmware>No it doesn't, that's not a real thingIt is.https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/hardware/design/dn653305(v=vs.85)
>>106916439Okay well that must be an optional spec or something, since I know as a fact Windows scans your hardware and makes a hash to identify your computer. That's why your windows can get deactivated when you swap out your CPU or hard drive. I doubt op's computer is using that.
>>106916749>That's why your windows can get deactivated when you swap out your CPU or hard driveIt's unlikely though, if you just change one part
>>106915705mas hwid doesnt persist unless you run mas again
>>106916850It doesSource: worked on my machine
>>106913423License is tied to the hardware profile. Your old ass laptop likely came with a genuine Windows license
