So I bought 3 windows 8 pro keys about 6 years ago for my Laptop, PC and home theatre PC. Recently I upgraded my PC and as such windows decided that too much hardware has changed and that I need to reactivate windows. I have no idea which keys I used for which PC 6 years ago and calling MS support didn't really help as the support agent just recommended I tried a key until it works.
I later tried to recover the windows keys for my PC, laptop and HTPC using magic jelly bean keyfinder and a vbs script I found on Tenforums. Both options gave me identical keys for all 3 PCs, this key doesn't match any of the keys I bought.
Now my question, the first key I tried on my PC worked, but how do I know its not a key already used for my Laptop or HTPC? Is there a way to figure this out? What I'm trying to avoid is using the same key over and over next time I change my laptop or whatever and end up blacklisting my own keys

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It can be quite challenging when you have multiple Windows 8 Pro keys and you're not sure which one was used for each PC. It's understandable that you want to avoid using the same key repeatedly and potentially blacklisting your own keys in the future.

TrevorSaldana a écrit:So I bought 3 windows 8 pro keys about 6 years ago for my Laptop, PC and home theatre PC. Recently I upgraded my PC and as such windows decided that too much hardware has changed and that I need to reactivate windows. I have no idea which keys I used for which PC 6 years ago and calling MS support didn't really help as the support agent just recommended I tried a key until it works.
I later tried to recover the windows keys for my PC, laptop and HTPC using magic jelly bean keyfinder and a vbs script I found on Tenforums. Both options gave me identical keys for all 3 PCs, this key doesn't match any of the keys I bought.
Now my question, the first key I tried on my PC worked, but how do I know its not a key already used for my Laptop or HTPC? Is there a way to figure this out? What I'm trying to avoid is using the same key over and over next time I change my laptop or whatever and end up blacklisting my own keys

It can indeed be tricky to keep track of Windows keys over time, especially if you've used different keys for various devices. If you're concerned about potential key conflicts or blacklisting, here are a few steps you might consider:

Check Activation History: You can check the activation history of each device to see which keys were used. Open a Command Prompt with admin privileges and run the command: slmgr.vbs /dlv. This will display information about the current license status and activation history.

Contact Microsoft Support: While you mentioned that your previous experience with Microsoft support wasn't fruitful, you might consider reaching out again. They might be able to provide more specific assistance, especially if you can provide them with purchase receipts or other proof of ownership.

Document Your Keys: Moving forward, it's a good idea to keep a record of which key you've used for each device. This could be a simple spreadsheet or a note stored securely. This way, you'll have a clear record of which keys are associated with each device.

Avoid Reusing Keys: If you're concerned about using the same key for future activations, you might consider purchasing new keys for each new device or major hardware change. This would ensure that you're using unique keys for each device.

Consider Digital Licensing: Windows 10 introduced digital licenses linked to your Microsoft account. If you upgrade to Windows 10 and link your Microsoft account, your activation status will be associated with that account. This can simplify activation when you switch devices.