Windows Activation WITHOUT product Key?

spinstorm · 30 Jan 2007 at 02:42

I was wondering could Vista activate itself even though I did NOT enter the product key when installing it?

I was under the impression that you HAD to enter the Key for it to install - but when I clicked on phone activation to see what it would say it did not ask for the product key - it simply gave me a list of numbers to enter when I call the automated phone line!

So what is going on there?

I plan on unistalling Vista after 30 days as I am just trialing it on my laptop and DO NOT want to activate it until I feel its ready and all the drivers etc are compatible (which could be today as its out or in 6 months time depending on how quick or slow everyone else is with Vista!).

spinstorm · 30 Jan 2007 at 21:29

you misunderstood me - I bought Vista for my Home PC not my laptop - as I have had hardware issues with my PC (I believe a faulty motherboard that may need replacing) that MAY create issues if I was to activate Vista on my PC as it is now.

I just thought I would run it on my laptop and not activate it so I can use it on my normal PC when its fixed! So obviously I do not want it activating on my laptop automatically as I will remove Vista after 30 days and use it and activate it eventually on my PC at a later date!

spinstorm · 31 Jan 2007 at 21:19

I never entered my product key BUT I used keyfinder to check if windows "knew" the product key and it came up with the key I NEVER entered!

How can it know the key when I have not entered it?

Has Vista got some other sneaky security feature built in that none of us knew about?

spinstorm · 1 Feb 2007 at 04:48

The key is different to the one on the Vista CD which is a good thing as if it was the same then we wouldn't need the key!

I don't however see a point in using a key at all for the first 30 days!? Is it so I can download updates from MS? But if thats the case then the key is the same for every copy of vista (as I doubt they are making special 30 day keys for every single CD!) in which case anyone can simply download a DVD image of Vista and get the 30 day "trial".... in which case there seems to be no point in having the key for the first 30 days as everyone will have it anyway!

(its almost 5am so it is possible that didn't make much sense! if it didn't then sorry!)