Are PID checkers realiable? It says all keys are valid

Discussion in 'Windows 10' started by VirtualBlack, Jul 29, 2020.

  1. VirtualBlack

    VirtualBlack MDL Novice

    Jul 29, 2020
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    Well, I have a bunch of Windows 10 keys that I want to validate, I want to know if they will work or not on a real instalation

    So I downloaded a PID checker from a coder called BlackRouter
    And it said all the keys were valid, but I wasn't sure because were keys I founded on various websites so I decided to set a virtual machine to see if that's true

    Once on the virtual machine I entered many keys that the PID checker said were valid and the result was none of those keys worked, I kept trying until one worked, but here is where things get weird, after this point ANY key I entered worked, even the ones that didn't worked before.

    So I have no idea why is this happening, Am I using the PID checker wrong?
    Maybe Microsoft detects if you are trying to validate multiple keys after a certain number of attemps and let you activate Windows with any key. Which may explain why the PID checker said all the keys were valid.
     
  2. Enthousiast

    Enthousiast MDL Tester

    Oct 30, 2009
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    The illusion of keys found online could be really legit:rolleyes:
     
  3. VirtualBlack

    VirtualBlack MDL Novice

    Jul 29, 2020
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    I know, I was planning to give them away to some friends.
    Do you think Microsoft has some system to defeat PID cheker tools?
     
  4. awuctl

    awuctl MDL Member

    Jun 6, 2020
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    There is a difference between a valid key and a working key. There are many keys you can find that are valid but will not activate a system (like generic keys from product.ini, among other things).
    Most likely those keys you have have been blocked on Microsoft servers because of abuse (such as being sold thirty billion times over by a "legitimate" ebay seller or just distributed freely) or are volume keys which require activation by a KMS server (and do not contact Microsoft activation servers).
     
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  5. xinso

    xinso MDL Guru

    Mar 5, 2009
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    #5 xinso, Jul 29, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2020
    Normally, only when the legit key that worked and, together with the device, being registered at MSFT activation server, any others of the same type (valid or not) may be treated as valid (not blocked).
     
  6. VirtualBlack

    VirtualBlack MDL Novice

    Jul 29, 2020
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    I forgot to mention in every attemp I uninstalled the key with the CMD commands
    slmgr.vbs /upk
    slmgr.vbs /cpky

    How is that possible? It has something to do that I'm using a VM?
     
  7. xinso

    xinso MDL Guru

    Mar 5, 2009
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    #7 xinso, Jul 30, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2020
    Sorry I forgot to mention the device that used the activated key.

    It recognizes the device that has been registered, physical device or VM.
     
  8. Carlos Detweiller

    Carlos Detweiller Emperor of Ice-Cream

    Dec 21, 2012
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    There is just a general misunderstanding of the matter, that's all.

    Keys have two stages where validity is checked:
    1. Offline validity check. Preliminary check if the key passes the rules of a valid product key, using algorithms provided by system DLLs and components (pidgenx.dll etc.). THIS is the only check the PID checkers can do* (hence the name). Keys that pass this check can be used at least for installing the OS.
    Note that keys passing the offline check can be generated fairly easily. This was also the only check performed up to and including Windows 2000.

    2. Genuine check (XP and higher). At activation time, MS servers verify that the key was indeed provided by them with a license. If yes, that key works for online activation. If no, it is rejected and no activation. Hard blocked keys are always rejected here.

    2-A. Windows 10 only: Once you entered a Genuine key (one passing both checks), your system gets assigned an HwID (hardware ID) aka Digital License (aka Digital Entitlement). From that time, keys of the Retail type are no longer online checked (check 2. is skipped), only the key licensing channel is still important. The system is always activated using the HwID.
    Example, enter a Genuine Retail key once and get the HwID. Then, you can enter each and any Retail key you want, the system will stay activated because of the HwID.


    *Some PID checkers can test remaining activations, but only for Volume MAKs
     
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  9. VirtualBlack

    VirtualBlack MDL Novice

    Jul 29, 2020
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    Thank you, I think everything makes sense now.