Windows has 3 types of licensing
- OEM
- RETAIL
- VOLUME
OEM is original equipment manufacturer which is provided by our machine manufacturer like Dell, HP etc. preinstalled on laptop.
RETAIL is the one which is purchased, from Microsoft via any seller and usually comes within CD with key. Though it can be downloaded officially from Microsoft but the ‘key’ is key here.
VOLUME is for corporate users having licensing agreement for their devices in their network.
You can check the type of license via Windows SOFTWARE LICENSE MANAGER (SLMgr)
How to Check Windows Is Genuine or Cracked
Way 1: Use slmgr.vbs /dli Command
Generally, you will check for products ID and license status of the operating system by right-clicking on This PC and choosing Properties.
In the pop-up window, you will see information about Windows 10 such as Windows edition, RAM, computer name, processor type, etc. Scroll down and then you can see if Windows 10 is activated in the Windows activation section. If so, the product ID is given.
But there is one thing you should note. Whether Windows 10 is genuine or activated, the status looks like the same in the system properties window. So, how to check if Windows 10 is original or not? How to check genuine Windows 10? You can use Command Prompt to validate Windows 10.
Step 1: Click Windows logo and R key on the keyboard in Windows 10 to open the Run dialog.
Step 2: Type slmgr.vbs /dli and press Enter key to display license information. Here slmgr stands for Software License Manager and the .vbs means Visual Basic Script.
In the pop-up window, if you see volume activation expiration, renewal interval and these types of information, you should know your Windows 10 is activated using activator software and it is cracked.
However, if only partial product key and license status are displayed, but there is no expiration time or anything else, you should understand that the Windows operating system is genuine.
Way 2: Check If Windows 10 Is Genuine via Settings
In addition, you can perform Windows genuine validation via Settings. Just go to the Start menu, click Settings, then click Update & security. Then, navigate to the Activation section to see if the OS is activated. If yes, and it shows "Windows is activated with a digital license ", your Windows 10 is genuine.
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OEM does not provide us the product key, instead it is written in the bios by the laptop manufacturer. So if we do a clean install of windows, key will be automatically detected by windows and it won’t ask for the key. But the support isn’t provided by the Microsoft rather you need to contact manufacturer itself. OEM windows are permanently activated. OEM’s are lesser in price than Retail and seller asks us whether we want laptop with genuine windows or just DOS.
RETAIL provide us the product key which will be asked during the installation of windows hence it is easier to move the licensed version of windows in another machine just by entering the product key. Its support is provided by Microsoft. They have a expiration date for 1 year, 3 year etc and are pricier than OEM you can check price at Amazon.
VOLUME licensing has all the machines in a network activated under the Key Management service (KMS). The Key Management Service (KMS) is an activation service that is used by organizations to activate systems within their own network and thus no need for individual computers to connect to Microsoft for product activation. How KMS works is that every computer in the network needs to connect to a Remote KMS Server which assigns it a volume license usually for 6 months.
To check expiration period of windows:
- slmgr/xpr
below is a screen shot of OEM licensed windows using slmgr/xpr
