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Activation of Windows 10 and transfer of license after hardware changes

Hello!

I'm sure this question has been asked several times. But browsing through all the threads I get confused because all cases have different suggestions and none of them seem to apply to my specific situation.

I have a product key for Windows 8 Pro. I am currently running Windows 10 Pro, upgraded freely from this Windows 8 Pro installation.

I'm about to upgrade my computer with a new motherboard, CPU and memory. I built the computer myself. The old and the new. It's not branded, or OEM.

What is the best practice for upgrading my motherboard, CPU and memory in regard to windows activation?

1. Just pop my old SSD with Windows 10 in to the new hardware and activate using my Windows 8 pro product key. (this might not work?)

2. Do a fresh install of Windows 8 Pro using my old product key, and then an upgrade to Windows 10 and my Windows 10 Pro license will be transfered to new hardware.

3. Do a fresh install of Windows 10 Pro and possibly need to call Microsoft for sorting the license, or just log in with my Microsoft account and I will get the opportunity to transfer my license? (Is this an option? Is the license bound to my Microsoft account? Because that would be awesome!)

4. Buy a new Windows 10 Pro license. Not really an option, it costs as much as 16GB of memory! =:O

5. Just use the old Windows 8 and forget about Windows 10, and get that 16GB of memory instead! =:)  

6. Linux? ..sorry I had to ;-)


EDIT: I might have found an answer here: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_install/moving-windows-10-to-a-new-computer/70aeae9a-0a7c-4e8a-adf6-35b6ec178f46?auth=1

A few questions remains though.

1. How do I know if my previous licence for Windows 8 was retail or OEM? From what I can learn from the thread I linked a retail version is entitled for a transfer to new hardware.

2. How is the transfer done? Do I make a call or is it done automatically when using my W8 product key in W8? Do I get to upgrade after?

Thanks in advance!

Original title: PC Upgrade and Windows Activation

Hi,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community, we appreciate your interest in Windows 10.

I understand your concern about activation of the operating system with hardware changes on your device.

We appreciate your effort and time in resolving the issue.

I would like to inform that if your laptop / PC came with Windows 8 pre-installed, then it’s OEM, if you’ve bought the license yourself (either online or at your local computer shop), then that license is Retail.

Note: You can also find out what type of Windows license you have by opening a Command Prompt

  1. Press Windows + X, click on Control Panel (Admin)
  2. Type: slmgr /dlv and hit Enter.
  3. Read the “Description” row.

In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems, the product key is pre-injected on your Motherboard. When you upgrade, the license will be automatically accepted by the new operating system from motherboard.

You may also activate your operating system using phone activation method:

Activation using Phone.

  1. Type Settings in the search box on the desktop.

  2. Click on Settings, and on Change PC Settings.

  3. Select Activate Windows and click on Activate by phone.

  4. Here, select the country/region from drop down menu, and click Next.

  5. Call the toll free number provided.

  6. Follow the instructions from the telephone system and write down the confirmation ID.

  7. Enter the Confirmation ID numbers into fields A through H, in the same sequence as the telephone system provided them. Later, click on Activate.

If product activation was successful, a success screen is shown and you are done.

For more information refer: Frequently Asked Questions: Windows 10

Hope it helps. Feel free to contact us for any further queries on Windows Operating System.

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Hi,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community, we appreciate your interest in Windows 10.

I understand your concern about activation of the operating system with hardware changes on your device.

We appreciate your effort and time in resolving the issue.

I would like to inform that if your laptop / PC came with Windows 8 pre-installed, then it’s OEM, if you’ve bought the license yourself (either online or at your local computer shop), then that license is Retail.

Note: You can also find out what type of Windows license you have by opening a Command Prompt

  1. Press Windows + X, click on Control Panel (Admin)
  2. Type: slmgr /dlv and hit Enter.
  3. Read the “Description” row.

In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems, the product key is pre-injected on your Motherboard. When you upgrade, the license will be automatically accepted by the new operating system from motherboard.

You may also activate your operating system using phone activation method:

Activation using Phone.

  1. Type Settings in the search box on the desktop.

  2. Click on Settings, and on Change PC Settings.

  3. Select Activate Windows and click on Activate by phone.

  4. Here, select the country/region from drop down menu, and click Next.

  5. Call the toll free number provided.

  6. Follow the instructions from the telephone system and write down the confirmation ID.

  7. Enter the Confirmation ID numbers into fields A through H, in the same sequence as the telephone system provided them. Later, click on Activate.

If product activation was successful, a success screen is shown and you are done.

For more information refer: Frequently Asked Questions: Windows 10

Hope it helps. Feel free to contact us for any further queries on Windows Operating System.

Alright! Clear as a summer day! .. I think.. :-)

The license seem to be RETAIL, from what that command you gave me tells me.

So correct me if I'm wrong, because this licensing is a jungle to me: This (RETAIL) means I can just reinstall Windows 8 on my computer, which will be using my new motherboard and CPU? And after doing so, the Windows 8 RETAIL license will be injected into the new motherboard, and I can then upgrade to Windows 10?

My old Windows 8 license being RETAIL, means that Windows 10 will automatically activate after the OS upgrade, using my old Windows 8 RETAIL license that has already been injected into the new motherboard during the Windows 8 installation?

This is complicated, but I guess I can always keep using Windows 8 even if I don't get to make another upgrade, since I have RETAIL! :-)

Thanks for the quick reply!

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"I would like to inform that if your laptop / PC came with Windows 8 pre-installed, then it’s OEM, if you’ve bought the license yourself (either online or at your local computer shop), then that license is Retail."

This is not the case. I build my own PCs and buy an OEM licence to install on the new PC.

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Question Info

Last updated October 16, 2019 Views 5,065 Applies to: