Users, please note that, if you upgraded from a retail Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 license, even with the Anniversary Update, you have transfer rights to new hardware. After July 29th, the license will be attached to the machine permanently. Can I install multiple Windows 7 Pro on the same PC or on the VM and upgrade them to Windows 10. Step 2. Any idea if there is a LIMIT to how many times a purchased Retail Win10 Home can be re-trensferred (provided it is used on only 1 PC at a time)? Hi, I recently purchased a new desktop PC with Windows 10 home that has an OEM license key. Thank you. If you are unable to find it using Show Key Plus, then you likely will need to purchase a new license unfortunately. Up through at least Win XP, an OEM version of Windows could be reinstalled and activated on ANY machine from the same vendor (Dell, HP, etc) regardless of what OS was originally installed on that machine. He now wants to build a machine from scratch and put Windows 10 on it. In summary, are you implying one can transfer a license via a clean W10 install to a new computer “without” having to do a reinstall of the original retail OS? They become more advanced as time moves on. My laptop came new with an OEM Windows 7. That is the deal. Hi Andre, Then, right-click on the “Command Prompt” and click on the “Run as administrator“. Does it mean that the digital license got transferrred to the new owner of my desktop? Required fields are marked *. I recently bought a new disk and want to transfer my OEM Windows 10 to new hard drive. For the installation ID do we use the one in the screenshot if not how do I access the installation id? According to MS, if you were to try and extract the key in Windows 10, you will not get the actual key, but a dummy key. You may transfer the license to use the software directly to another user, only with the licensed device. How to Deactivate Your Old PC. Beginning with at least Win 7 (I never worked with Vista, so can’t speak to that OS), an OEM version could still be installed and activated on any machine from the same vendor ONLY IF said machine came with Win 7 in the first place. In Windows 10 (version 1607 or later), it is essential that you link your Microsoft account with the Windows 10 digital license on your device. Check for the type of Windows OS License Key on your machine. Hi Andre, any updates on this query? Perhaps – Read this article to review the details: https://www.groovypost.com/howto/download-windows-10-free/. There are two ways you can transfer your Windows 10 license to a new computer: entering a product key or using your Microsoft account. The OS is stored on a partition of a raid 0 array (two ssd’s of 446GB total) I also had a mechanical drive – that started to fail so I replaced it with another SSD – 120GB – with the intention ov placing a purchased version of Windows 10 onto it and having it become my MBR. i was hoping to save abit by just moving it to a new pc. Read: How to check type of Windows 10 license installed on your system. It got on my nerves and I reset my laptop and mistakenly formatted the recovery too. How to Transfer a Windows 10 License to another Computer. my question is why is it installing any updates if its not activated. From what i heard from the roadshow, window 10 education can be transfer 1 time to a new pc/laptop but is not stated anywhere. Now, it is showing that he has digital license linked to his microsft ID. Transfer Windows 10 license/product key to another computer. I had upgrade it with Windows 8.0 pro 32-bit (legitimate upgrade license key purchased from Microsoft) and later automatically upgraded to windows 8.1 pro (32-bit). If memory serves, you can load Windows 10 and it will ask if you want to put your product key in during installation or wait and do it later. This way, you get to save the money that would have gone towards the purchase of a new product key. After upgrading, proceed to enter the Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate or Windows 8 Pro product key. My real question is, would the fact that the Pro license was delivered digitally help me avoid a call to tech support, or am I going to have to call in any case? To make things easier, I divided the guide into two sections. Hi, I have the following scenario: When Command Prompt opens, enter slmgr /dlv and press Enter to run it. Microsoft was even asked about this apparent “hack” and validated that it was true, and legal based on their own verbiage in the agreement. Thank you for this article, it has made things much clearer. Gamma is a custom built PC that originally had Win7 then did the free upgrade to Win10. This is a very simple process to completely remove any traces of the Windows 10 license key from your system. Browse the Windows 10 install media, open the Sources folder then double Setup.exe. There can be numerous explanations for this. I’m assuming that they are using an OEM version of Win10 Home. So paying for another license when you want to decommission an old computer in favor of a new one isn’t a great option. The November Update now describes all licenses upgraded, whether full package or OEM as retail. 40 minutes later they entered and activated a new OEM key. Your old hard drive got corrupted. If it’s retail, you can continue to make hardware modifications to your system such as changing the motherboard or move it to a different computer. Cannot be moved and always grants a license to THAT HW.. As an IT support person who does this for a living, I can say Mr Krause’s statement is totally wrong. When Windows 10 is activated for the first time, that device gets a valid digital license for the activated edition, for the lifetime of that device. How to transfer a product key to a new PC on Windows 10 Deactivate Windows 10 from old setup. Actually it worked. You need to check if your Windows 10 had a retail key. I used ur method to upgrade my OEM win 10 to win 10 pro online without any calls in Oct 2017. thx. You’ll see your Validation Status, Product Key, and importantly, Product ID Type. what can i do now? If yes please lemme know the exact steps, right from deactivating the key on air to getting it activated on pro. But, I believe that I have two problems. can I switch it for my next self-built desktop as windows 10 by any means? I know all the instillation stuff and know how and where to buy a new Pro key. Software License Manager opens a prompt telling about your license. Microsoft describes the Windows 10 free upgrade as a full version, not a trial. I turned my product key into a digital license at some point which was linked to my MS account. Everyone who has ever been paid to perform some task on a computer calls himself a professional. 2. Actually no, OEM licenses are tied to the computer they preinstalled on or installed on first. … My old laptop is a win 7 Pro upgraded to Win 10 Pro via the free upgrade. I had a old windows 7 pro key. The best thing to do in those cases is to open settings, click on the “Activate Windows” option, and then enter your key manually. There can be numerous explanations for this. Essentially one could obtain a Windows 10 license only through two channels, comprising a Retail and an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). I wanted to sell my desktop alone, not my WIN10 digital license also. The transfer must include the software and, if provided with the device, an authentic Windows label including the product key. I think you have effectively answered all of my concerns. In 2015, Microsoft launched its latest version, Windows 10, offering the operating system to qualifying PCs and devices running Windows 7 or Windows 8 for free, for a limited time. Actually, the installation itself works, but it will never activate. I have a slightly different issue – not sure how to resolve. If you have problems activating, contact support: Or will it be limited to my account or to me personally, when contacting the support for “reactivation” on the other person’s PC would I need to be involved or would Microsoft “understand”and allow the other person to then use the key? Check it out here: Press Windows key + X Again, this will only work if the key exactly matches to the OS you’re using. Hi… I just got my motherboard busted for my laptop, which was with Win 10 (free time). I have a 10-year-old computer that came with Win7 Pro, then got the free upgrade to Win10 Home. Instead of $300 for a license to the OS, the OEM version can be had by various levels of builders for a wide range of prices which should be reflected in the total cost of the computer. Hi Andre The answer is yes. Would I be able to upgrade my Windows 7 to 10 on this current machine (to reserve my license), then, install Windows 10 on the new PC and use my Windows 7 serial key and transfer the Windows 10 license over to this new PC? Otherwise, you’ll have to take some extra steps. OEM licenses upgraded to the free version appear as retail, but they still maintain their OEM status and restrictions. I have a Dell 570 PC with OEM Windows 7 Home Premium on it. Most likely, you will fall under one of the following scenarios. Note: If the slui.exe 4 command does not work, type slui instead, then hit Enter. I would guess that if you opt to do it later you can do as I described above. Depending on the type of Windows 10 license you have installed, you might be able to transfer it to a new computer if needed. It’s nowhere below the laptop or written anywhere on the box. Your email address will not be published. If you have a Windows 10 Pro key, but Windows 10 Home installed, you’ll just run into an error about non-core Windows. I have a Toshiba laptop with Windows 7 Professional OS; which CD was lost. Linking your Microsoft account with your digital license allows you to reactivate Windows using the Activation troubleshooter whenever you make a significant hardware change. Then I tried to add the product key to my new pc, but it said the key is activated or tied to my old pc. Can you please, lemme know is it possible for me to use the windows 8.1 pro key that i received from microsoft store via email to activate windows 10 pro clean install on the macbook pro. Gamma has better specs than Alpha or Beta. Click Start. Excellent description, just read carefully and slow. You can not transfer your Digital Entitlement to a new system. It was time for an upgrade anyway. How to Transfer a Windows 10 License to Another Computer, transferring them to new devices won’t work, How to Search for YouTube Videos by Hashtag, How to Use the TRIM Function in Microsoft Excel, How to Transfer LastPass Passwords to 1Password, How to Use Two HomePods as a Stereo Pair With the Apple TV, How to Automatically Delete Old Text Messages on iPhone or iPad, © 2021 LifeSavvy Media. Part 1. on a new computer in a few simple steps.. By purchasing a new PC in the store, the product is usually … When you have a computer with a retail license of Windows 10, you can transfer the product key to a new device. Look under Windows Activation, the Product Key will have OEM in it. You can only transfer a Windows 10 license if you have a Retail key– either purchased from a store or online portal (a digital copy). I think what you are looking for is the Recovery Drive method. Transfer/Convert OEM Windows 10 License to New PC or Laptop if your Motherboard fails or Buying a New Laptop With DOS Before the Windows 10, Microsoft's licensing was different. For an OEM version, if you change the motherboard, automatically, your free upgrade will be invalidated; meaning, you will have to purchase a new full retail Windows 10 license. on a new computer in a few simple steps.. By purchasing a new PC in the store, the product is usually … Gordon, here is how you upgrade your new PC to Windows 10 Home. 2. I want to ask that if I want to transfer the license key to d new machine all I need to do is to uninstall the product key and write down d key whenever they demand during installation in the new laptop. And this is a doubt of many users who want to transfer OEM Windows 10 to new hard drive, just like the following case. if so will it mess up windows on his laptop? I`m not quite sure of the right procedure, so could someone explain it to me… Thanks in advance. I want to make Gamma my new main PC, hand down Alpha to my son and get rid of Beta altogether. Once you have it created, stick the USB stick into the computer you want to install with Windows 10 and boot from the USB stick, the rest just follow the prompts…its pretty easy. Microsoft has left a way for users with accessibility issues to upgrade. If you fulfill these criteria, you can go ahead and move to a new PC with your license intact. Hi, ive upgraded my retail cd version of win 8.1 pro to win 10 pro and is fully activated and functional. It’s a nice choice to move Windows 10 to a USB flash drive to it bootable, if you want to use the same Windows 10 environment when you are in different places or keep work and home use of PC separate if you use the same computer for work and home. Wish to deactivate 1 and reactive on another machine. https://www.groovypost.com/howto/activate-windows-10-license-microsoft-support/. So you cannot a spare key to perform a new installation. I kept ignoring but message kept appearing. Deactivate Windows 10 from old setup. I would like to upgrade my PC to Windows 10 Pro without having to reinstall Windows. What I was gonna do was, Take the toolkit on the Microsoft site and load it on a USB. Do I follow the above instructions as my retail key is already associated with a Windows 10 upgrade? On your old computer, press the Windows key and X, then choose Command Prompt (Admin) from the list that pops up. This is how I understood the licensing of Windows Software but I have always wondered how this would relate to upgrading an OEM PC and what is defined as a ‘new PC’. The same applies to Windows 7 keys. I installed win 10 pro 64-bit on my new pc, but left it unactivated so that I can transfer my old license to the new pc. As I noted, Windows under volume license is not a full license. How can he transfer the license to this new machine since he is unable to “deactivate” it on his old machine? Press Windows key + R then type: slui.exe 4 then hit Enter on your keyboard. Or does my license transfer only apply before the offer ends? Transfer/Convert OEM Windows 10 License to New PC or Laptop if your Motherboard fails or Buying a New Laptop With DOS Before the Windows 10, Microsoft's licensing was different. Hi Andre, If you fail to activate Windows within 30 days of installing it, you will only be able to use it with severely reduced functionality. Close the command prompt then proceed to reactivate by telephone or Contact Support. 1. https://www.groovypost.com/howto/find-windows-product-key-after-upgrading-windows-10/. If you have a full version Windows 10 license bought at a store, you can enter the product key. Going into the deal, the buyer should be aware of the fact that ONE REASON THE PRICE IS LOWER is that the buyer has decided not to pay a premium for the license that allows installation onto a different computer. Select Command Prompt (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin) from the list. It is perfectly legal to install Microsoft software onto any computer at any time. Please help. I had 20 PC with Windows 7 PRO VL, during free upgrade offer I upgraded them to Windows 10 Pro. However, that free Windows 10 license you get as part of the upgrade process is tied to an individual PC. What about an Education key ? No, an OEM license is not and has never been “tattooed” to a specific machine. Later, Windows 10 will automatically activate itself after connecting to Microsoft servers. Windows 10 is currently activated by digital license via free upgrade on my current system. I have a slightly different problem. I have purchased a laptop with Windows 10 Home, and I’d like to upgrade to 10 Pro. This is one option users should look into first when transferring a license, check out our article for details about how it works. The person who bought it switched it on, and logged into the reset OS with his microsoft ID. You are authorized to pass the permit into a new computer/ PC if you have a device with a retail copy of Windows 10, so the method develops by removing licenses from the older machine and applied the same license/ product key on the new computer/ PC.