Hardware ID change after OS upgrade
Answered
Should the hardware ID change if upgrading a Windows Server 2016 system to Windows 10?
The physical hardware has not changed, but the drive was wiped and Windows 10 installed fresh.
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If you are using a valid Windows license for the new installation of Windows 10, you should be able to activate it without any issues, even if the hardware ID has changed.
Are you saying Nx Witness can re-activate without having to deregister the license numbers even if the Hardware ID has changed?
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Hi Jeff Jones,
Don't you love AI text engines? Even fake users use it. ;-)
I deleted the post, since it was an unauthorized bot posting a link to some shady website.
But the text that was supplied is true, and therefore I'll post it below as a quote:Yes, the hardware ID is likely to change when upgrading from Windows Server 2016 to Windows 10, even if the physical hardware remains the same. The hardware ID is generated based on various hardware components in a system, including the motherboard, processor, and network adapter.
When you install a fresh copy of Windows 10 on a system that previously had Windows Server 2016 installed, the new installation will create a new hardware ID based on the current hardware configuration. This means that the hardware ID generated by the new installation will likely be different from the hardware ID generated by the previous installation of Windows Server 2016.
It's worth noting that the hardware ID is used by Microsoft to uniquely identify a particular installation of Windows, which is used for activation and other licensing purposes. If you are using a valid Windows license for the new installation of Windows 10, you should be able to activate it without any issues, even if the hardware ID has changed.
Additional note; once a Windows license key was installed on the systems, it is kept in the on-board ROM memory and typically there is no need to remind it, once you do a fresh installation of the new OS.
Now regarding our licenses. These are bound to the HWID and as the fake user mentioned, it will change when you change the OS. Therefore, it is mandatory to deactivate the license keys before installing a new OS. Once the new installation is ready, you can activate the license keys again on the system, and they will be tied to the new HWID.
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Therefore, it is mandatory to deactivate the license keys before installing a new OS. Once the new installation is ready, you can activate the license keys again on the system, and they will be tied to the new HWID.
That is what I thought was needed based on what we saw happen when our user tried to upgrade their system. I just didn't realize the hardware ID would change with the software if the hardware didn't physically change.
Thank you for your clarification.
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The software generates a hardware ID by gathering information about the computer, including the first network adapter found. Switching network adapters on/off may cause a new and different hardware ID to be generated, causing a mismatch ExpressHR Kroger
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