Installed Retail USB Windows 10 Home on new SSD and it's activated. I didn't activate it though?

[TimeOmnivore]

I recently got a new SSD (yesterday) and went through the process of uninstalling everything from my HDD (former boot drive) and backing up my personal files. Then unplugged that, plugged in the SSD, installed Windows/various programs, skipping the steps that required activation. I finished formatting the old HDD overnight and installed the rest of my programs on it this morning. I just remembered that I should probably activate Windows, but when I went to do so, it said it was already activated with a Digital License. I don't recall ever doing anything to activate it - such as signing in with my Microsoft account (which this copy of Windows was connected to before on the HDD) or inputting the product key that came with the USB. Anyone know why it activated? Should I change anything?

[Enderman]

Because you already had windows 10 on that PC.

Unless you change your motherboard it stays activated.

It does not save the license on your hard drive.

[Lurick]

Is it a laptop or desktop?

Did you enter your Microsoft credentials during setup?

[TimeOmnivore]

Just now, Enderman said:

Because you already had windows 10 on that PC.

Unless you change your motherboard it stays activated.

It does not save the license on your hard drive.

But... how did it know that it wasn't just a similarly put together PC? I can't think of anything I did that would make Windows assume it was the same one.

1 minute ago, Lurick said:

Is it a laptop or desktop?

Did you enter your Microsoft credentials during setup?

Desktop, I built it back in 2015. I didn't enter any Microsoft credentials during setup, nor did I input a product key. I installed it using a physical copy of Windows 10, not via upgrading as well.

[TheGlenlivet]

2 minutes ago, TimeOmnivore said:

But... how did it know that it wasn't just a similarly put together PC? I can't think of anything I did that would make Windows assume it was the same one.

Desktop, I built it back in 2015. I didn't enter any Microsoft credentials during setup, nor did I input a product key. I installed it using a physical copy of Windows 10, not via upgrading as well.

Because you are using the same Motherboard.  It ties the license to that piece of hardware.

[Not_Sean]

2 minutes ago, TimeOmnivore said:

But... how did it know that it wasn't just a similarly put together PC? I can't think of anything I did that would make Windows assume it was the same one.

 

Your motherboard has unique identifiers that it checked with the server with. ie. your motherboard is called Connor,  well windows asked the windows server 9Steve) if Connor does have a license. Steve said yes so windows re-instated his key and activated it for him

[TimeOmnivore]

Just now, TheGlenlivet said:

Because you are using the same Motherboard.  It ties the license to that piece of hardware.

I thought when I linked my Microsoft account with the digital license it overrode that. Am I incorrect?

[Enderman]

4 hours ago, TimeOmnivore said:

But... how did it know that it wasn't just a similarly put together PC? I can't think of anything I did that would make Windows assume it was the same one.

The motherboard has a special code or something that microsoft keeps track of when it's connected to the internet.

Since you didn't change motherboard it sees it as the same PC.