
Windows 10 Embedded Product Key Tool - olefan
https://neosmart.net/blog/2014/windows-10-embedded-product-key-tool/
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pawadu
> Ever since Windows 8, PCs and laptops no longer ship with the Windows
> Certificate of Authenticity (COA) that we’ve all become accustomed to
> seeing:

And thanks god for that. Nothings kill a premium look more than an cheap ugly
unaligned sticker. Now only if intel and nvidia and whoever made that crappy
sound card in my laptop would follow...

~~~
hiram112
I'm not sure if this is sarcasm.

On most of the laptops I've purchased, the COA is usually placed within the
battery case. At worst, the bottom of the unit. Who even notices a sticker
there?

And actually, I just purchased from Dell Outlet an older (but new) e7440
Latitude. It did not contain a COA sticker - the key is absolutely tied to the
Bios. When I went to downgrade (I had rights, supposedly) to Windows 7, guess
what: no serial number and Windows wouldn't activate off the BIOS key.

So now I'm stuck with either Windows 8 (absolutely not) or 10.

From a few weeks of using Windows 10, I'm pretty sure it is the worst OS I've
ever had to use. No I do not want Cortana, Windows Defender, Candy Crush, etc.
Thanks for reinstalling them Microsoft, with an update I can't even turn off.

Anyway, back to the topic on hand, this seems like it might be exactly what I
need to grab my serial number from the BIOS and try Windows 7 once again. If
that doesn't work, I'll probably sell it and buy a Mac. Won't be buying a
Windows PC again (from Dell, Lenovo, or anyone else) 'till MS learns that MY
PC is not a phone, and my private information is not their product to sell.

~~~
ocdtrekkie
\- If they key is a BIOS key, it means it's a Windows 8 or 10 key. (Based on
the age, 8.) Pretty sure Windows 7 won't install with it. If you had downgrade
rights, you'd likely have a Windows 7 key that worked come with it as well.
(Downgrade rights are not a given.)

\- COA stickers under the battery are terrible when your computer is on and
you want to look at them to type the key. Shutting off the computer to pull
the battery to take a photo of the sticker is a pain in the rear and a waste
of time.

\- A lot of laptops have embedded batteries now, and hence you can't put COA
stickers under them.

~~~
theandrewbailey
Every laptop I've used stays on if I plug it in and take out the battery.

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orbitingpluto
In Linux, get the embedded key as text by using: cat
/sys/firmware/acpi/tables/MSDM

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boznz
Slightly off topic but relevant IMHO

I once tried to buy some windows embedded licences in NZ for some Chinese
industrial touchscreens which came with dodgy licences, we were put off by
having to work with their "certified partners" and the eventual US$149 price
tag we got quoted for each licence (January 2016).

I Really couldn't work out where Microsoft were going with this product, as I
see I can now buy a Latte Panda embedded x86 board with windows 10 embedded
licence for 2/3 this cost!

The client took the hit at the time and purchased full Windows 7 licences for
them but for me it was the kick I needed to make me Learn Linux properly and I
have now re-compiled the touchscreen program for linux and got it running in
Ubuntu guest/Kiosk mode so this wont be a problem for me going forward.

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ocdtrekkie
I strongly recommend ProduKey from NirSoft. It'll pull BIOS keys as well as
keys in your registry like your Office key and such.

