Can you explain what happened during my Windows 10 Enterprise MAK key activation experience?

[Delicieuxz]

I have a Windows 10 Enterprise MAK key good for 20 installs that I purchased off of eBay a couple of years ago. I've contacted Microsoft support, and they've verified the authenticity of my Windows 10 Enterprise MAK key for me.

 

The seller I bought the key from provided an ISO download for Windows 10 1607, which I installed from and used the bought key with.

 

When Windows 10 1703 came out, I downloaded an Enterprise 1703 MSDN image from somewhere and tried to activate it with my key, but the installation didn't accept my key. After that, I contacted the seller I got my key from and they gave me link to their Enterprise 1703 image, which I made another installation from, and my MAK key worked with it.

 

So, my Win 10 Enterprise MAK key worked with the ISOs I got from the seller, but didn't work with an MSDN image I downloaded from somewhere else.

 

 

Now, what I've been told by multiple people is that all MSDN and VLSC KMS and MAK keys work with the same images, and that any Enterprise or LTSB / LTSC KMS or MAK key from any MSDN or VLSC account will work with any Enterprise or LTSB / LTSC KMS or MAK key from any MSDN or VLSC account. But, my personal experience suggested something different.

 

 

What likely was the cause of this?

[Droidbot]

Possibly the key was an EnterpriseN or EnterpriseKN key, which only work with Enterprise N or KN ISOs.

 

Download the VAMT 3.1 tool and verify the key. 

[Delicieuxz]

I contacted Microsoft support about it and was told that they no longer do product verification via support.

 

VAMT 3.1 looks like a bigger download than I want to do for the info, but here the information about my Windows 10 key from ShowKeyPlus:

 

 

 

Does this tell anybody anything about the type of ISO I should be installing from?

 

Also, I think that the seller of the key is from Italy.

[Droidbot]

Weird. No, it doesn't. If it was an N or KN key, it would show like this

[Delicieuxz]

Maybe the most-likely explanation is that the MSDN ISO I downloaded from another source was an incompatible version, like maybe the N version. I'll find out when 1809 Enterprise is re-released and I give a fresh installation another try.