this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2024
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I haven't used windows in quite a while, but while I did, on laptops sold with windows there was a recovery partition on them you could reinstall windows from. If you removed that partition you had no legal way of reinstalling, because no key was made available to you at any point.
This is not true. OEM serial key is usually tied to the motherboard. I once had to replace my HDD, but granted i downloaded the Windows recovery file from the laptop manufacturer's website. That way it will recreate the recovery partition for you.
It is no longer true, but it was at one time (the key thing, it was never illegal to reinstall). It also wasn’t too uncommon for systems to have a sticker with the OEM key listed on it (then verified during activation), because without it you were SOL. Manufacturer recovery discs had their own way around it.
Nowadays the key is embedded in the firmware and applied automagically, even if you use a normal iso.
This must have been xp or earlier. Since vista there was a shared key and certificate for each OEM that paired with a code on the motherboard. And since 8 or 10 there is now a key in the motherboard that has been pre-registered with the activation servers. Now when you activate a retail key, it registers the motherboard not the install, so a reinstall gets activated automatically.
Do you know off the top if it's intact if I "fully wiped" it during the installation of a different OS?
The key is stored in the BIOS (UEFI flash chip) - you can install 10 or 11 from the downloaded installers MS offers; as long as the Home or Pro is correct it'll activate just fine.
You can verify the key exists by running
hexdump -C /sys/firmware/acpi/tables/MSDM
Microsoft just lets you create install media now.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11
Like mentioned, if the machine was registered before you should be able to click that in a radio button during install and it should just work^TM^.
Edit: I see you mentioned 10 but I think same applies and the media tool is also available.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
Microsoft "fingerprints" your machine when you activate windows on it. You can completely replace the hard drive and reinstall windows from scratch, and they'll figure out your activation on their end.
It depends on how you do the installation. Some OS allows you to modify the partition where the OS will be installed into. Some will just wipe up the whole disk.
It's probably gone. But maybe you could have some luck looking for it in your BIOS like others suggested.