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System Locked Pre-installation (SLP), also referred to as OEM Activation, is a product activation procedure for Microsoft Windows used by major OEMs of laptops and pre-built PCs wherein a Windows product key is added and locked to the machine's firmware before mass distribution. SLP product keys cannot be moved to other machines.
On Windows 10 and Windows 11, the activation process can also generate a "digital entitlement", which allows the operating system's hardware and license status to be saved to the activation servers, so that the operating system's license can automatically be restored after a clean installation without the need to enter a product key.
The previous Windows key (center) shipping with Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 The Windows key (center) with an orb surrounding the center-anchored Windows logo used for Windows Vista and Windows 7. For Windows XP, the logo had no orb surrounding it and was off-center to the left. The first Windows key (center) used by Windows 95
This build treated Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 product keys as Windows 10 product keys, meaning they could be entered during installation to activate the free license, without the need to upgrade first to "activate" the hardware with Microsoft's activation servers. [99]
Product key on a Proof of License Certificate of Authenticity for Windows Vista Home Premium. A product key, also known as a software key, serial key or activation key, is a specific software-based key for a computer program. It certifies that the copy of the program is original. Product keys consist of a series of numbers and/or letters.
Windows 8 is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft.It was released to manufacturing on August 1, 2012, made available for download via MSDN and TechNet on August 15, 2012, [6] and generally released for retail on October 26, 2012.
Windows 8.1 was made available for download via MSDN and Technet and available as a free upgrade for retail copies of Windows 8 and Windows RT users via the Windows Store. A server version, Windows Server 2012 R2, was released on October 18, 2013. Windows 8.1 aimed to address complaints of Windows 8 users and reviewers on launch.
These two lines were reunited into a single line with the NT-based Windows XP; this Windows release succeeded both Windows Me and Windows 2000 and had separate editions for consumer and professional use. Since Windows XP, multiple further versions of Windows have been released, the most recent of which is Windows 11.