Re: [gentoo-user] Guidance on using Gentoo to clone a Win 10 system drive

[Mick]

On Wednesday, 8 January 2020 07:43:16 GMT Michael Jones wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 8, 2020 at 1:01 AM Wols Lists <antlists@××××××××××××.uk> wrote:
> > On 06/01/20 19:55, Michael Jones wrote:
> > > As for windows 10 licensing, don't trust me on this blindly, but your
> > > license should be tied to the hardware fingerprint of the laptop. So
> > > even installing windows fresh on your new SSD should result in Windows
> > > activating automatically. In fact, you might want to take this
> > > opportunity to try that out, to get a completely fresh installation
> > > without the decade of old cruft built up by window's lack of a package
> > > manager.
> >
> > Two points with this - firstly if (like me) you DON'T have an MS
> > account, this fingerprint is not stored anywhere so that won't work.
> > Secondly, the fingerprint is likely stored on the hard drive somewhere
> > so if you clone the hard drive you are hopefully good, and thirdly it's
> > possible that the new hard drive will break the fingerprint so you're
> > SOL whatever you do. However, in that last case, if you ring the
> > licencing help line they MAY give you a new code because it is, still,
> > technically the same laptop.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Wol
>
> I don't mean to continue the windows discussion on the gentoo list, but I
> wanted to point out that this is incorrect

I think a few things mentioned in this thread run the risk of being incorrect, 
after all as you hint this is not a MSWindows Activation Mailing List and our 
experiences tend to accumulate on Gentoo problems.  :-)


> I don't have a microsoft account at all, and regularly reactivate Windows
> 10 Home / Pro using the hardware fingerprint method using completely clean
> installations on factory-new harddrives with existing hardware.

I expect this is because your original installation utilised a Digital License 
AND you kept the same MoBo.  The UUID of the MoBo is stored on the WAP servers 
and when your PC goes online it matches the Digital License ID stored on the 
server. 

If you did have a MS Account and linked it to your installation with its 
Digital License, you would be able to install MSWindows to other hardware, 
after running the Activation Troubleshooter tool and clicking on "This is the 
device I’m using right now".  The only problem I am aware of is on PCs where 
the Digital License was stored by the OEM within the UEFI firmware and you 
want to perform an upgrade to a different MSWindows edition.  In this case, 
the process is slightly different - but I am not familiar with the specifics.  
All I recall is MSWindows users screaming late at night all over the 
interwebs.


> The
> fingerprint is stored on Microsoft's activation servers somewhere. I don't
> know how it works beyond that it's not required that you have a Microsoft
> account to use it.

True, as long as you stay on the same hardware (MoBo).

-- 
Regards,
Mick