Hey guys, was just hoping for a bit of clarification. Are the OEM COA keys printed on store bought machines able to be used on any machine? Or are they such that when they are used, you have to phone MS, regardless of what machine it's used on? Given that the second option seems most likely, surely if you were so inclined, you could just jot down all the COA keys you come across in day to day life, and there you have it... infinite keys. (with the very slim chance that the key could be used on the original machine) This is all hypothetical... purely academic I assure you.
Some of the keys don't work even on the machine they came on, it's just a license to use the software. But the ones that work can be used on other machines even self built PCs, that said it is illegal to use it. The only time I think they can legaly be used is when using the key for a downgrade license.
COA keys are phone activated - what's this crap about not working on it's own machines? Even if you reformat you can still activate by telling them (ie. M$'s phoneazoid) it's the same machine...it's only after multiple activations... like a lot) that the key is blocked...
Yes but it isn't 'legal', and the COA key isn't associated with any system until it's been activated. According to MS activation doesn't identify make and model of a computer nor do OEMs associate it either when they build the system and tell MS; all the builders do is take one COA label off a roll of 1000s and slap it on the chassis. That said I'm a cheap and am using a OEM key from a defunct laptop I bought (even before it was defunct) on my desktop and wouldn't take them systems not my own, I might not get a visit from a TLA but you might get in trouble.. This website isn't exactly shy about talking about things like this.. when they have a BIOS mod section for SLIC and loaders.
coa keys can be used to activate any desktop/laptop irrespective of the brand it came with albeit 3 times with online activation and next onwards with phone activation, its just like any non-oem/retail key with some differnt constraints that we need not bother.
All I'm saying is some keys that are on the stickers do not work and was confirmed by calling MS help desk. Some Toshiba notebook keys from the sticker don't work (A300 Satellites In Australia). Called MS help desk and was told the sticker is a license.