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diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2c04a91 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,129 @@ +# Windows 10 Activation + +Welcome to the `activation` repo. This will have some info on Windows 10 +activation methods and related stuff. Start below. + +Preliminary info: + * **TBV** means "To Be Verified" and is a placeholder for when I don't have time to + verify something at the time of writing. + * In some places the words "licensing" and "activation" might be used + interchangeably. This is incorrect but try your best to ignore it if you + really care or actually know the difference. + +# Scope + +Most of the things I will be writing about here are about Windows 10 activators. +All of the work I've been involved with had to do with Windows 10 activators. +Nothing about Office, 8, 8.1, 7, Vista, XP or anything else so don't expect me +to write anything correctly about those things. + +This is not a guide for purchasing Windows either. Licensing is described mainly +in terms of product keys (more on them in due time) associated with its types +and not meant as an article on "the nuances of volume licensing". That would be +boring. + +# Windows 10 Activation and Activators + +Windows has seen a lot of activators in its time. Instead of fixing the problem +once and for all Microsoft went for reinventing the wheel with Windows 10 and +made fraudulent activation as easy as possible. (As to why they did it, the +reason is likely very simple - they want you to keep using Windows. That's it.) + +Windows 10 was, for a time, offered to everyone as a free upgrade from Windows +7, 8 and 8.1. This meant everyone who had an activated copy of those could (and +still technically can) get it free of charge forever. + +But first, it might be useful to get a vague understanding of what Windows +licensing even looks like in the first place. + +## Windows Licensing + +Windows has different types of licensing for different types of customers. +The most familiar names might be: + + * **Retail** + * **OEM** + * **Volume** + +### Retail Licensing +Microsoft's Retail customers are treated as royalty, they chose to pay Microsoft +for their product directly after all. + +The retail license entitles a single user to use Windows on whatever machine +they like for as long as they like. If the user so desires, they can move their +activation onto a different machine but the limit of simultaneously activated +machines is always (in theory) just one. + +### OEM Licensing +**Original Equipment Manufacturers**, through an agreement with Microsoft are able +to sell Windows with their hardware. Customers who buy computers with Windows +preinstalled will be licensed to use it **only** on the hardware they bought it +with and are **not** entitled to official Microsoft support. + +There are multiple types of keys that will accompany OEM licenses. Those are: + + * **OEM:SLP** (System Locked Pre-installation) + * **OEM:NSLP** (Non-System Locked Pre-installation) + * **OEM:DM** (Digital Marker) + +The differences between them are pretty extreme but ultimately do not matter +that much. In short, **SLP** keys do not require Microsoft's activation servers +to activate - the OEM marks a machine as activated during manufacturing, +**DM** are the "BIOS keys" you might have seen/heard about and **NSLP**s are the +**SLP** equivalent for when the OEM doesn't want to bother with activation +during manufacturing. In terms more people might understand, NSLP is analogous +to COA. + +### Volume Licensing +Microsoft's bigger customers that "need" more licenses for more computer can opt +in for an easier way to manage and pay their Microsoft overlords for their OS +needs. +Volume licensing offers two ways to activate Microsoft products: via the +internet (or by phone if you're weird) and using KMS servers. + +There are three types of keys that will matter for volume licensing. Those are: + + * **Volume:GVLK** (Generic Volume Licensing Key) + * **Volume:MAK** (Multiple Activation Key) + * **Volume:CSVLK** (Customer-Specific Volume Licensing Key) + +Generic keys are installed on all machines that are to be activated by a KMS +server. Those keys are not specific to customers and are not special in any way; +in fact, every volume licensing cusomer on the planet uses [the same GVLK +keys](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/kms-client-activation-keys). +Because Generic keys are generic, they do not activate the system by themselves; +they need a KMS server to do that. The KMS server is "created" by installing a +**CSVLK** key on a machine. This KMS server will grant activation to all its +configured Generic-key subordinates that ask for it for a period of 180 days and +report your activations to Microsoft so you can pay for them. Basically, very +flexible and manageable license management with some setup required. + +MAK keys are an alternative to this when you don't need or don't want a KMS +server. When paying for a MAK key you are buying a specific amount of +activations it can be used for. You can "spend" the key's activations wherever +and whenever you like. Very easy to use, requires no setup but could be hard to +keep track of. + +## Regular Users +All this licensing crap surely doesn't mean anything to the regular user, does +it? Well.. yeah.. + +When activating Windows as all normal people do - using an activator - you don't +really pay attention to the tricks behind the scenes. You end up with an +activated system and that's it. Some more attentive users might notice that +during activation there are specific words and incantations thrown around, +including (but not limited to) spells like "installing product key", +"patching gatherosstate", "generating ticket", "activating Windows", +"setting KMS server". + +In this repository I will be trying to describe all the activation methods and +answer all questions that might arise from hearing those weird incantations +above. But first, we need to know what activation methods there even are. + +### Types of Windows 10 Activation +For Windows 10 there are four main types of activation. Those are: + + * **Online KMS activation** + * **KMS38** + * **HWID / Digital License** + * Buying it legally (lmao) |