New Realtek LAN Driver - activation removed

[RogerOver]

Hi,

I have a brand new PC (two month) old and read about the new LAN driver from Gigabyte Realtek: https://www.realtek.com/en/componen...0-1000m-gigabit-ethernet-pci-express-software
Installed it !
After that my Windows activation was gone ! (slui.exe error).
Reinstalled the old driver and activation was back.

This is more for information purposes, but if someone has an explanation, I'd take it !
(Does Microsoft now control which driver you are installing ? Could it be that the driver is unsigned ?)

 

[shell]

Maybe you got a new MAC Address with the new driver. The MAC is part of the Data to build the activation Hash.

 

[Xploit Machine]

Legal method;

1. Press Windows Key + R, and type Slui 4. Press enter.
2. Select your country or region from the list.
3. Call the Toll free number and enter your Installation ID.
4. After the call, you will get confirmation ID.
5. Choose Enter confirmation ID and type the one that you received.
6. Click Activate.

Reference https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...e-change-2c0e962a-f04c-145b-6ead-fb3fc72b6665

 

[RogerOver]

Thanks to both of you !

 

[Grizzly]

Maybe you got a new MAC Address with the new driver. The MAC is part of the Data to build the activation Hash.

Does not make sense IMHO. If I replace the network card in my computer, I also change the MAC address. That would mean, if I change the card, my Windows installation becomes invalid or am I wrong about that?? Am I missing something??

 

[RogerOver]

Just to give you an update on this: I do not know where the problem came from, but I first needed to completely uninstall the old driver and then install the new one (and not as the installer proposed to install it over the old one = repair). Everything is fine now and no more problem with activation.

I still have the following message in my Event Viewer though (which put me on the path to trace the problem by the way):

= translated: " ... has met an invalid network adress"




But Internet works fine; so I'll leave it alone for the time being !

 

[Xploit Machine]

Some licenses for Windows is machine-specific. And only one copy of Windows license can be used at any given time. And certain licenses, viz., the OEM and System Builder, cannot be exchanged with or moved to another computer.

Microsoft uses an algorithm that generates a machine-specific hash number. It consists of the serial numbers from the motherboard, the CPU, hard drive(s), graphics card, etc. generally even drivers, when the hash number is different, such as from swapping hard drives, even between identical computers, Windows asks for a activation.

I have no issue under digital license, somehow I always use Microsoft account in case anything happens. Microsoft should rectify this issue, since minor hardware / driver changes SHOULD NOT trigger an activation invalid. This is very troublesome for end-users. Unless a user changes the whole mainboard / motherboard, then an activation would be acceptable.​