Windows 10 licence

[swill453]

Sorry, this subject has been covered before but I can't find the specific answer I'm looking for.

I have a desktop PC with Windows 10 Professional installed. Can I use the licence from this to use the same operating system in an entirely different, new, desktop PC? (Assuming I'm going to stop using the original one).

If the answer to this is "maybe", what further information is required?

And if the answer is (ultimately) "yes", how do I enact the transfer (assuming I'm installing Windows 10 from scratch on the new PC)?

Thanks
Scott.

[Midsmartin]

The answer is a clear No, unless you have purchased Windows as a full retail licence, as these are transferable to a new pc. But it's vanishingly unlikely that you have done this. A normal OEM licence is tied to the hardware you bought it with.

[Breelander]

I have a desktop PC with Windows 10 Professional installed. Can I use the licence from this to use the same operating system in an entirely different, new, desktop PC? (Assuming I'm going to stop using the original one).

That depends, who installed W10 Pro and what type of licence key is it? Depending on the answer to that question one of several different EULA would apply.

If the Windows Pro was pre-installed by the OEM (whether that was W10 Pro, or was W7/8 Pro and subsequently upgraded to W10) then the relevant EULA says that the licence is not transferable, it is tied to the original machine. The same applies if the licence key was that of a clean install from a System Builder disk (the sort that says 'Only to be supplied with a new PC').

System Builder/OEM licenses of Windows are used by computer manufacturers — “Original Equipment Manufacturers.” Not only are they used by large computer manufacturers like Lenovo, Asus, Dell, and HP, they’re used by the local computer shop you might buy a custom-built computer from. Microsoft has swung back and forth on whether “enthusiasts” can use System Builder licenses of Windows when building their own PCs. This type of license is designed to stay tied to a single PC forever.

https://www.howtogeek.com/198358/whats- ... f-windows/

The only EULA that permits re-installation on another machine (after removing from the original) is the EULA for a Full Retail licence key. You can check the type of key you have with the 'Check product key' option in ShowKeyPlus.

When you use your previously used key to clean install W10 on a new machine it is checked by the activation servers. An OEM System Locked Pre-installation key will only activate on the system it was supplied with. Only a Full Retail key will be allowed to activate on another machine, and even then there may be restrictions. If it is used too often, or on too many different machines it may default to requiring phone activation. This may occur after three or more uses.


Having said that, Microsoft have rather blurred the distinction between these licence types with the introduction of the Digital Licence for Windows 10, stored on the activation servers and linked to the hardware ID of the PC. Regardless of the original licence key type, all digital licences appear to be equal.

You can link you Digital Licence to your Microsoft Account in addition to its link to the Hardware ID of the PC:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/553 ... cense.html

Windows 10 Pro includes the Activation Troubleshooter that, if the Digital Licence is linked to your MS account, helps you activate W10 Pro after a substantial hardware change, such as replacing the motherboard. You can't get a more 'substantial hardware change' than scrapping the old PC and replacing it with a completely new machine.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/553 ... -10-a.html

[swill453]

The answer is a clear No, unless you have purchased Windows as a full retail licence, as these are transferable to a new pc. But it's vanishingly unlikely that you have done this. A normal OEM licence is tied to the hardware you bought it with.

So I may or may not have bought it full retail in the past, it was so long ago I can't remember. It wasn't Windows 10, it was probably Windows 7, subsequently upgraded.

Is there a way I can tell?

Scott.

[swill453]

Having said that, Microsoft have rather blurred the distinction between these licence types with the introduction of the Digital Licence for Windows 10, stored on the activation servers and linked to the hardware ID of the PC. Regardless of the original licence key type, all digital licences appear to be equal.

You can link you Digital Licence to your Microsoft Account in addition to its link to the Hardware ID of the PC:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/553 ... cense.html

Windows 10 Pro includes the Activation Troubleshooter that, if the Digital Licence is linked to your MS account, helps you activate W10 Pro after a substantial hardware change, such as replacing the motherboard. You can't get a more 'substantial hardware change' than scrapping the old PC and replacing it with a completely new machine.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/553 ... -10-a.html

Thanks. Looks like I'll have to create a Microsoft account then, after resisting doing so all these years. Grr..

Scott.

[Midsmartin]

The instructions linked above say an OEM licence is not transferable. It d be interesting to find out what works. In the 'old' days Microsoft would happily activate windows after a new motherboard using telephone activation.

You maybe can persuade them to reactivate an OEM licence on an entirely new PC if you claim it is a replacement for a failed motherboard but it is certainly against the terms of the licence.

[Breelander]

Is there a way I can tell?

ShowKeyPlus can tell you your currently installed key and its type. If you upgraded from W7/8 Pro to W10 Pro it is likely to be the generic default W10 Pro key ending in -3V66T. This key will only activate if the machine has an existing Digital Licence for W10 Pro.

The Microsoft Store app version of ShowKeyPlus can (if it still exists in the registry) tell you any previous key(s) you upgraded from. The 'Check Edition' function will tell you the type of any key you give it, so if you have an old key written down anywhere, just type it in to check.