I'm currently managing around 70 Windows laptops for a software development company and I've been tasked with ensuring that all the Windows installations are legitimate. Over the last 18 months, we've purchased several licenses from Microsoft, but I have some challenges in tracking which license belongs to which device since some were originally OEM installations and we did a mix of upgrades as well. I've got a system in place to log devices and licenses, but there are some licenses without a mapped device, and I can't find out which keys are active because Windows doesn't display this info clearly. I'm looking for advice on two points: 1) Is there a way to track which licenses are on which devices without having to deactivate and reactivate them all? 2) I'm also trying to understand how volume licensing works and how I can obtain those licenses, since I'm new to this position and it's part of my learning.
2 Answers
Honestly, assigning licenses to specific devices can be a hassle. From my experience with audits, as long as the number of licenses you purchased meets or exceeds the number of computers being used, they're typically okay with that approach. Keep in mind that if you use a retail key to activate Windows, it often reverts to a generic key after significant updates, which might explain your activation status showing as 'activated with a digital license.'
It might be helpful to reach out to a solutions provider or vendor that works with Microsoft for volume licensing. They're usually experienced in setting things up properly and can help avoid the headaches that come from managing OEM and retail licenses.
Oh, that clears up a lot! I noticed some changes and couldn't figure out why my activation status kept changing. Thanks for the insight!