MSDM key wont activate? Embedded key..

radzer0

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So this is a first for me. Ive had to deal with warranty motherboards before. But this one actually spits out a embedded key. When you try to activate with the key it says that this key cannot be used. Windows even picks this key up for one reason or another on its own during the install.

Any ideas? Its a HP Cheapo laptop im working on.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 64bit
The windows PID checker site shows this key that the motherboard is giving as invalid.

It ends in 8FF28 incase anybody coming along wants to try to say im trying to activate the generic key to load 8.1 on a 8 machine to change the key later.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 64bit
ProductKey Finder

the embedded key is being read, if you are not asked to provide one..

Disconnect from the internet and activate by phone - if asked it is a HP repaired your mobo and only activated once on same PC
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
Microsoft says the key was never a legal key. It is pulling it as an embedded key from the motherboard tho and product key finders also say its the MSDM key. Customer has to call and fight with HP on the issue now but atleast its still under warranty. Ive just never seen a key get read by the setup but it wont activate inside windows.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 64bit
the key was flashed into the firmware somehow..
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
I didnt know that flashing of a key into the firmware was something that there was software publicly available to do? The OEM's cant even seem to do this on warranty boards and thats why they do those paper codes or whatever they call them.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 64bit
kinda my point too..
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
You have two things -

One is the 25 digit product key - xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
the other is a 20 digit Product ID - 00000-00000-00000-ABCDE
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
This vbs script will show your OEM & Installed keys---

View attachment ShowKey v1.3.vbs

screenshot_243.jpg
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Gateway
    CPU
    AMD K140 Cores 2 Threads 2 Name AMD K140 Package Socket FT1 BGA Technology 40nm
    Motherboard
    Manufacturer Gateway Model SX2110G (P0)
    Memory
    Type DDR3 Size 8192 MBytes DRAM Frequency 532.3 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics
    Sound Card
    AMD High Definition Audio Device Realtek High Definition Audio USB Audio Device
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Name 1950W on AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x76
    Screen Resolution
    Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x768 pixels
    Hard Drives
    AMD K140
    Cores 2
    Threads 2
    Name AMD K140
    Package Socket FT1 BGA
    Technology 40nm
    Specification AMD E1-1200 APU with Radeon HD Graphics
    Family F
    Extended Family 14
    Model 2
    Extended Model 2
    Stepping 0
    Revision ON-C0
    Instruction
    Browser
    Opera 24.0
    Antivirus
    Avast Internet Security
I didnt know that flashing of a key into the firmware was something that there was software publicly available to do? The OEM's cant even seem to do this on warranty boards and thats why they do those paper codes or whatever they call them.

As far as I know flashing your BIOS does not change the embedded key. The product code is stored in a section of the BIOS that is not altered when you flash it. By flash it I mean update it with a newer version. Something you or I could do. I've done it on my laptop and my Embedded key was not altered. It's made hard to change or add by design. If it was easy to change or add a key it would make it easy for someone to attempt to pirate windows. Each Windows 8 PC that has an embedded key has it's own unique key, That means Microsoft has to keep track of what keys each OEM uses. Your new key must not be on that list. I would think its the OEM you call on that one. You can override the OEM key and make Windows use a different key if you want. It can be done during the install with a PID.txt file or an autoanswer file. After the install you can enter a different key though the "Change product key" option on the system page or with a script.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
The firmware is just an eeprom chip - and yes, it is flashed (written to).. When flashing a bios upgrade - it does not flash or re-write the whole chip - just certain blocks of it..

C/P
What is an EEPROM?

An EEPROM, or electrically erasable programmable read only memory, like a regular ROM chip, uses a grid and electrical impulses in order to create binary data. However, the difference between ROM chips and EEPROM chips is that EEPROM chips can be reprogrammed without removing them from the computer, contrary to basic ROM chips which can only be programmed one time. A localized charge from an electrical field is all that is needed in order to erase the EEPROM chip. Also, the entire EEPROM chip does not need to be erased at one time, which therefore allows specific changes to be made. Other erasable programmable ROM (EPROM) chips must be entirely erased if any data is to be erased. EEPROMs are constructed as arrays of floating-gate transistors.

End C/P

So yes that key was flashed into the eeprom chip - but it could of also been flashed into 1000's of chips - and thus now being rejected by MS
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 3.1 > Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    I7
    Memory
    24 GB
I know, but how would a non valid windows 8 key end up embedded? Thats what I dont understand.
HP ended up sending a flash drive PN 785699-003 after calling them. They logged in remotely and pulled up the key with another tool, same key I had that was invalid and tried multiple times to activate it. They were apparently also stumped. Loading off the flash drive right now so we will see if it activates or not. I always thought even the offical media would still pull an embedded key.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 64bit
As far as I know in order for the embedded key to activate, Microsoft has to have a record of it being issued. Maybe HP didn't do the proper paper work. Or, HP had to embed that key but maybe they embedded an invalid key. It could have just been a glitch when they programed it in. It's likely not an easy thing to change either.

Official media will read and use the key. My MSDN/TechNet ISO's will read the key and install the version matching the key automatically. My laptops key is for 8.0 Core, 8.1 Core gets installed automatically. Same deal with media from here, Create installation media for Windows 8.1 - Windows Help assuming you install the correct version. If I install 8.1 Core my key gets used, if I install 8.1 Pro I get prompted to enter one.
There is an algorithm used to verify the key, if it fails the algorithm you get prompted to enter a key regardless. If the embedded key is an invalid key and fails the algorithm check you'll get prompted to enter one. Entering that same key manually will also fail for the same reason.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
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