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Easily Transfer OEM Windows 10 & License to New Hard Drive.Transfer Windows 10 license to a new computer without access to old – Microsoft Community
Upgrading your computer is exciting. Setting up your new computer is the next thing, and transferring your Windows 10 license to your new computer is a vital part of it. Transferring your Windows 10 license to a new computer is a great idea. Windows 10 licenses are tied to the system hardware. Specifically, the motherboard. If you attempt to transfer a Windows OEM or volume license to a new computer e.
Whereas, if you have a Windows 10 retail license, you can switch to a different computer with a different motherboard. Swapping out your hard drive for a larger or faster replacement is absolutely fine under the Windows 10 licensing rules. Furthermore, there are examples of users upgrading their motherboard and continuing to use their OEM license, which makes the situation a little confusing read on for more information on this!
Before attempting to transfer your Windows 10 license to another computer, check if it is possible. Type command prompt in your Start Menu search bar , and open the Command Prompt app. Now, input the following command:. Wait a brief moment for the Windows Script Host window to appear. There are two ways you can transfer your Windows 10 license to a new computer: entering a product key or using your Microsoft account.
You can link your Windows 10 license to your Microsoft account. Instead, you login to your Microsoft account on the fresh Windows 10 installation, and it validates your license automatically.
If you see the same message as in the above picture, your account and license are linked. That means you can login to your Microsoft account on your new computer and validate the license without entering a product key. Under Add a Microsoft account , select Add an account.
Sign into your Microsoft account using your email address and password. After you sign in, Microsoft will link your Windows 10 license and your Microsoft account. After confirming the license and account link, you can sign into your Microsoft account on your new computer. Microsoft will validate the license via your account, and the transfer is complete. While your Windows 10 OEM license links to the motherboard in a single piece of hardware, you can attempt to transfer the Windows license using the above method.
The process is the same, except you may encounter the following error message:. Select Troubleshoot from the bottom of the page, followed by I changed hardware on this device recently. This license transfer appears to work primarily when you move a hard drive or SSD to a new computer with the Windows installation intact, rather than with a fresh Windows 10 installation.
The second option is the tried and tested option. You have a Windows 10 license product key purchased online. There are two points where you can enter your Windows 10 product key, the first of which is during the Windows 10 installation process:. Alternatively, you can wait until the Windows 10 installation finishes, then enter your key in the Settings panel. Input your Windows 10 product key, then press Next and follow the on-screen instructions.
If you opt for a clean Windows 10 installation, make sure to check out how to create a Windows 10 installation USB stick. Gavin is a professional technology writer with a decade of experience covering security, gaming, cryptocurrencies, Windows, and Linux, plus some diversions into copywriting for real estate, sports, and PC hardware businesses. He graduated in with a BA Hons Contemporary Writing with Digital Arts and has been putting those writing skills to work ever since.
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Was this reply helpful? Yes No. Sorry this didn’t help. Thanks for your feedback. An OEM licence is bound to the device it was originally installed on, as it was provided by the manufacturer. It cannot be transferred to a new device, as it seems you have been told. From what you have said it seems you are saying your old PC still has the original OEM licence activated, which is right.
Because you don’t know the serial numbers. When Windows announced free upgrade for Windows 7 and 8 users, Microsoft implemented a new way of licensing. All the Windows license are now connected to users Microsoft account and the activation is done through online.
Reactivate Windows 10 License After Significant hardware change. Newer Post Older Post Home. Anonymous April 11, at AM. After all the steps are complete, the operating system has been reactivated. Windows 10 activation problem has caused the deactivated computer issue, and this issue has been solved by Microsoft now.
Step 3: Call the number provided on the Activation screen. Or you can open Contact Support to describe your situation. And then provide the Installation ID number. In conclusion, you can easily transfer Windows 10 license to new computer as long as you follow the above instructions.
OEM short for original equipment manufacturer is a full version of the operating system, which ends up preinstalling on PCs.
Every OEM version has its own license key. And the license is locked to the hardware on which it was first activated.
So, the OEM license key is not transferable. And this is a doubt of many users who want to transfer OEM Windows 10 to new hard drive, just like the following case. I recently bought a new disk and want to transfer my OEM Windows 10 to new hard drive. Does it work on this computer? Do I need to buy a new license key?
If anyone has any personal experience, that would be great! It is okay to say that the OEM license cannot be transferred, but it is more accurate to say that you cannot transfer the license key to another computer.