Dr. Sbaitso on Nostr: Microsoft is no longer activating Windows 11 digital licenses that were upgrades from ...
Microsoft is no longer activating Windows 11 digital licenses that were upgrades from Windows 7/8.
An update from my post last week: https://infosec.exchange/@drsbaitso/111235976045322643
What isn't clear from Microsoft's barebones update or This Update from The Verge or This article from Paul Thurrott is that this applies to digital licenses as well.
Quick recap: Last week I updated the BIOS on my desktop. It's hand-built, not from a major OEM. This disabled the Windows Activation, which was fine from when I installed it in March of this year.
This license started as a Windows 7 license, upgraded to Win8.1, then Win10, then converted to a Digital License tied to my Microsoft/Live/XBox account whenever that became an option.
I tried the activation troubleshooter multiple times. I tried using the Windows Reset path. I formatted my entire machine (with no hardware changes whatsoever), and the same digital license failed.
The license shows up as valid for reactivation when I try the Activation Troubleshooter.
And that's the frustrating part: The only way to know this license is apparently not good enough is to CALL MICROSOFT SUPPORT asking why something is suddenly broken.
I finally got clarity on that from an account rep and their supervisor. I've seen NO explicit information that licenses that have been converted to digital licenses (and thus require no actual product keys) are no longer valid.
This lack of communication and entire situation is utterly ridiculous. I'm furious at the time I wasted trying to fix something Microsoft broke, and barely told anyone about.
Also frustrating: The support supervisor lied to my face about why these licenses were no longer working. The main reason he gave was that "Windows 7 & 8 license keys will no longer accept important security updates, so you have to buy a new Windows 11 license."
npub1a5zyapgn57j8d9ddyugfa6rdh98gc7vxsazduuy4arsyxt5q7r4sq8hcww (npub1a5z…hcww) npub1qrqntuvlj4fv79yef6xjtrgwlqv0uwgutkkdnsljfw40esxm3thqjdjrm3 (npub1qrq…jrm3) npub1mmmfuw2qhejy7s24jg6922r6n7h08j9g6u2630tstz8x4tt4pg6ss7wdu0 (npub1mmm…wdu0) npub13zvdty49frguzj805lqrkt6wakge2mkjzfxcg6gpva4kee3k8jgs4krgun (npub13zv…rgun) npub19uedkcuf2746llpaykd7pj4sxr8307rtverg2a4lth4dqmqzfanqzeuley (npub19ue…uley)
An update from my post last week: https://infosec.exchange/@drsbaitso/111235976045322643
What isn't clear from Microsoft's barebones update or This Update from The Verge or This article from Paul Thurrott is that this applies to digital licenses as well.
Quick recap: Last week I updated the BIOS on my desktop. It's hand-built, not from a major OEM. This disabled the Windows Activation, which was fine from when I installed it in March of this year.
This license started as a Windows 7 license, upgraded to Win8.1, then Win10, then converted to a Digital License tied to my Microsoft/Live/XBox account whenever that became an option.
I tried the activation troubleshooter multiple times. I tried using the Windows Reset path. I formatted my entire machine (with no hardware changes whatsoever), and the same digital license failed.
The license shows up as valid for reactivation when I try the Activation Troubleshooter.
And that's the frustrating part: The only way to know this license is apparently not good enough is to CALL MICROSOFT SUPPORT asking why something is suddenly broken.
I finally got clarity on that from an account rep and their supervisor. I've seen NO explicit information that licenses that have been converted to digital licenses (and thus require no actual product keys) are no longer valid.
This lack of communication and entire situation is utterly ridiculous. I'm furious at the time I wasted trying to fix something Microsoft broke, and barely told anyone about.
Also frustrating: The support supervisor lied to my face about why these licenses were no longer working. The main reason he gave was that "Windows 7 & 8 license keys will no longer accept important security updates, so you have to buy a new Windows 11 license."
npub1a5zyapgn57j8d9ddyugfa6rdh98gc7vxsazduuy4arsyxt5q7r4sq8hcww (npub1a5z…hcww) npub1qrqntuvlj4fv79yef6xjtrgwlqv0uwgutkkdnsljfw40esxm3thqjdjrm3 (npub1qrq…jrm3) npub1mmmfuw2qhejy7s24jg6922r6n7h08j9g6u2630tstz8x4tt4pg6ss7wdu0 (npub1mmm…wdu0) npub13zvdty49frguzj805lqrkt6wakge2mkjzfxcg6gpva4kee3k8jgs4krgun (npub13zv…rgun) npub19uedkcuf2746llpaykd7pj4sxr8307rtverg2a4lth4dqmqzfanqzeuley (npub19ue…uley)