Unactivated Windows
Hello I took my mother's computer, a Lenovo G700 that's 12 years old.
I reset the machine hoping to reuse it for my wife (even though the computer runs a bit slow)
The reinstallation goes very well; I set it up with a recognized Microsoft account.
However, it is on Windows 10 (I thought it was 8.1).
However it asked me to activate Windows 10 and I can't!!!! It seems the version isn't original. I should note that I haven't "tinkered" with anything
I did find an activation key via the BIOS but it doesn't work!
What can I do?
I know it's only needed for settings like wallpapers, colors and other things not that important but it bothers me....
I can't upgrade to Windows 11 because it's not compatible (Intel Celeron and TPM2 chip is not installed). I know I went on a bit long but I hope it's clear enough
Thanks for your future responses
Regards
2 answers
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Hello,
Activating a Windows upgrade does not validate the version systematically; however, you can still find licenses for a few cents on the grey market at C Discount.
I don’t see the point of using an old PC with a low-end Celeron from twelve years ago on power-hungry Windows; a good lightweight Linux distribution would be more suitable, especially if you’re the kind to always keep your machine running despite its limited resources and want to maximize its return.
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Hello,
Regarding the licenses, they are digital Windows 10 licenses and they reactivate if Windows 10 was preinstalled (which is not the case) or if they were registered on the Microsoft server as long as you don’t change accounts, and even in this case it’s not a volume license (unlikely) or already Low Cost online like Cdiscount that does not survive reinstall.
The reset will, by definition, bring the PC back to its factory state which in principle is not even Windows 8.1 but Windows 8, which did not migrate to Windows 10 without a prior upgrade to Windows 8.1, but this free upgrade no longer exists and indeed back to square one, you have to buy a Low Cost license.
I don’t think the processor is a Celeron type but it remains underpowered, we add another layer with a similar graphics chip, a slow mechanical hard drive at 5400 rpm and only 4 GB of RAM: it is indeed illusory to expect to run Windows 10 properly and even Linux probably requires a lightweight distribution. -
@brucine
Hello brucine,
Yes, that’s about what I’m saying, a small Linux distribution.
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Contributor
Hello
To activate your Windows 10 on such an old PC, there is no need to buy a license; activate it with this trick: MassGrave: the ultimate solution to generate Windows and Office activation keys
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Contributor@brucineIt’s been a long time since I’ve wrung my hands over the contradictions of CCM...
That said, "we can do it for any license, whether the PC is old or new" — actually, not so much anymore. The KMS activation is no longer functional on Windows 11 and Office 21/24 because Microsoft closed the loophole. Sometime for Windows 10, it would seem Microsoft tolerates it only on older PCs and on early versions of Windows 10; later updates make it normally accessible. This is what I’ve personally been able to verify. (And I would keep hidden the possibility to upgrade from 10 to 11 on compatible PCs without issue, that loophole hasn’t been fixed… shhh… don’t say it) -
@flo88
Yes and no, while we’re in a gray area, HWID and Ohook are supposed to work as long as Microsoft hasn’t patched the flaw, including starting from Windows 11 and Office 2021.
KMS has always been dubious because it relies by definition on an activation server where, by default, it is provisional and must be renewed.
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