Comment by slyn
3 days ago
Just had a system board replaced on a device in my org, Dell laptop.
As part of setting up a device in our org we enroll our device in Intune (Microsoft's cloud-based device management tool aka UEM / RMM / MDM / etc). To enroll your device you take a "hardware hash" which's basically TPM attestation and some additional spices and upload it to their admin portal.
After the system board replacement we got errors that the device is in another orgs tenant. This is not unusual (you open a ticket with MS and they typically fix it for you), and really isn't to blame on Dell per se. Why ewaste equipment you can refurbish?
Just adding 5c to the anecdata out there re: TPM as an imperfect solution.
When I replaced a motherboard (rest of the hw was OK) Microsoft was of the opinion I had a 'new computer' and would need to buy a new Windows 10 license (of IIRC 150 EUR → scoundrels). I went to G2A and bought one for 20 EUR. Then it hit me. This occurred before when my previous motherboard/CPU was broken, and back then I actually called Microsoft where they insisted on selling me a new license. I did exactly the same back then.
I've handled technical+legal concerns for licensing for a very small org in a different lifetime, and yes, that's exactly how Microsoft used to think of licenses. I don't know how it works these days, it's someone else's problem.
We had to archive invoices+servicing documentation for warrantied mobos from the supplier to keep a legal licensing chain.
I remember the path my license had: it was a free upgrade to Windows 10, from Windows 7 (right before they removed said free upgrade; I tend to be slow with adapter Windows versions). The original Windows 7 license was a pirated one, but that didn't matter (we know why: before GDPR, Microsoft could spy on Windows 10 users, and the pirated Windows 7 was already a lost sale).
Apparently the free upgrade was OEM, bound to the hardware. I did not know. Either way, I'm from Europe (EU), and here a software license cannot be exhausted via second hand market, so it stands to reason I can buy one second hand. That this isn't what Microsoft support is told to discuss, suuure (even when I explicitly asked for it, they insisted I had to buy it via them).
I've had quite the opposite experience with Microsoft.
One time their support just give me a licence for a newer version of Windows - I've replaced the HDD/SSD, cloned/copied it and it was not activated. I contacted their chat support from that laptop and when they asked me for licence on the sticker I mentioned I'll have to come back in 5 minutes since I'll have to turn off laptop, and take out battery to see the MS sticker/hologram.
Support said "No worries, here's a new activation key".
Can't recall if it was from XP to Win 7, or Win 7 to 10.
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And after buying 2 or 3 licences from another website just like G2A (Win 10 was ~€10 on Instant-Gaming) - a bunch of new computers (even brand new assembled desktops) were automatically activated.