This is getting a tad O/T, since we're talking about activation of a non- Gentoo OS, but here it goes:
On Tuesday, 7 January 2020 00:39:19 GMT Mark Knecht wrote: > I'm going to let the machine sit overnight and see if it activates > automatically. It should activate as long as it is connected to the Internet, but there are two different ways of activating Windows 10 manually, should you not do so during the installation procedure. 1. Using a product key and entering this when you try to activate it. This is the conventional way of activating the installation when you buy a Windows 10 from a retailer. To check the activation status go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Activation. NOTE: A Windows 10 installation is linked to the UUID of the MoBo, which is stored on the Windows Activation Servers and mapped against your Product key. If you change the hardware you will need to re-enter the Product key to activate the upgraded hardware. 2. Using your Microsoft account credentials, which must be linked to the Windows 10 installation's "Digital License". This is a relatively new way and allows you to install Windows 10 on different PCs (one at a time), change the MoBo, etc., but each time you (re)install it you must use the same edition of Windows 10 and sign in to your Microsoft account linked to the original digital license. Since your existing installation is already activated, you may be able to link its Digital License to your Microsoft account - but this depends how it was activate (Product Key or Digital License). If the activation status shows: "Windows is activated with a digital license", then your Microsoft account is not yet linked to this installation. In this case, follow instructions to "Add an account". "Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account", then you are good to install afresh on a different disk/PC and add your Microsoft account credentials when asked. > If it doesn't I'll go back to the old drive and if needed > will do a new reinstall with the right version. If I can get away with this > path I will. If not I'll go with something like Mick suggested. > > thanks, > Mark Partition UUIDs are important if you are restoring Windows from an old installation, but for a different reason. The Windows boot loader uses the partition UUIDs to boot the OS. If you have created a new C:\ partition and transferred all the OS files in there, the boot loader will fail to boot it because the new partition's UUID will be different. PS. The above is just a summary of my understanding. I am not an experienced MSWindows user, so I may well have got some details wrong. You should search the https://support.microsoft.com/ website for reinstallation steps. PPS. As far as I know you can use Windows 10 without activating it, but there is no guarantee Microsoft won't stop Windows Updates for installations which have not been activated some day in the future and future upgrades to later OS releases may be blocked. As far as I know a non-activated installation is not crippleware. Perhaps some 3rd party proprietary applications will refuse to install on a non-activated MSWindows installation, but I haven't come across any in my very limited experience with this OS. -- Regards, Mick
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