Microsoft is quite strict when it comes to Windows licenses that give you the legal right to use the software. Not all are portable. Officially, the license can only be transferred if you purchased it through a reseller, in the retail version. Licenses distributed through the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) channel and licenses sold in bundles for multiple enterprise, educational or government devices known as multi-licensees are non-transferable.

The vast majority of new PCs come with Windows pre-installed, thanks to Microsoft’s enormous control over the OEM channel and the fact that it is the primary vehicle for its massive desktop dominance. But there are manufacturers who sell new computers without this type of installation, either because they come without an operating system, because they use a GNU/Linux distribution or a lighter solution such as FreeDOS.

In these cases, or when we build our own desktops by customizing components, we will have to obtain the corresponding software license, either free (if we choose systems like GNU/Linux) or paid as in the case of Windows. Can we use the license of an old computer that we will not use? As we said above, it will depend on its type.

In Windows 10 and Windows 11, the license is linked to the main hardware of the computer or, what is the same thing, to the motherboard. Therefore, if you try to use a non-transferable Product Key, the Windows Activation Server will not validate the license on the new hardware. If Windows came pre-installed on your new computer, it will almost certainly have an OEM license that you won’t be able to transfer. Microsoft offers a support page where it explains all the options for activating Windows.

Windows license What type do I have?

If you are not sure what type of license your computer has, it is very easy to get the information by running the internal application from the command line:

• Right-click the Start button and start a command prompt session in administrator mode.
• Type “slmgr -dli” to get information.
• As you will see in the example, Windows Script Host indicates that we have a retail license, which is one of those that we can transfer to another computer.

Product Key – Digital license

A Product Key is a 25-character code that was used to activate Windows until Windows 7. Starting with Windows 8 and later, a digital license (called a “digital entitlement” in Windows 10) is used as a way to activate Windows 10 that does not require entering a product key. You can transfer your license either way, as Microsoft still allows a free upgrade from Windows to Windows 10.

If you have saved the Product Key (format XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX), you can proceed to the next step. If you don’t have it written down, there are several ways to get it because it’s in the operating system registry, in the UEFI firmware, in the confirmation email you received after purchasing Windows, or in the box it came in, printed on a label that it was as it was done in Windows 7 and was later removed for security and piracy reasons.

There are several ways to find it, but a very simple one is to use a third-party application such as ProduKey, which is used to obtain a product key for Windows or other products such as Microsoft Office. Just download the tool (32 or 64 bit) and run it. It is not unlikely that your antivirus detects it as a potential threat. If this happens to you, temporarily disable it. After launch, you will get a Product ID and Product Key, which we will use on the new computer:

How to transfer Windows 10 or Windows 11 license?

In order to perform the conversion, we must first deactivate the license on the source PC. Later we can reactivate it on a new PC using the same key.

• Right-click the Start button and start a command prompt session in administrator mode.
• Enter the command “slmgr.vbs /upk” to deactivate the license. Run this command ONLY if you are actually transferring a license because the system becomes unlicensed.

Once you’re on your new computer, you can use your product key in several ways:

• During the installation of Windows 10 or Windows 11, you will be asked if you have a Product Key.
• Or after installation, you can do it the same way from the general Settings> Update and security> Activation> tools in Windows 10 or Settings> System> Activation> Change Product Key.

• After installation and if you are using a Windows console, you can also activate the license from there with a single command and the Product Key: “slmgr.vbs /ipk xxxxx- xxxxx- xxxxx- xxxxx- xxxxx”.

More options

As we said above, Microsoft replaced the activation method in Windows 10 with servers that linked the license to specific hardware, the motherboard. In the same way, a Microsoft ID account can be linked to a specific computer, and this link also allows convert Windows 10 retail license without using product key.

Whether you have it or if you activate this method on an old PC, you will get a license type called: «Windows is activated using a digital license linked to your Microsoft account«. In these cases, simply sign in with your Microsoft account on the new computer and Windows 10 will automatically activate the license through that account. You can’t have it active on both PCs, so the older PC will be unlicensed like if we use a product key.

Neither method allows you to jump between different editions of Windows. This means that if your license is for Windows 10 Home, it will be the one that will be activated on the new computer. If you want to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro, you will need to purchase a new license.

Finally, keep in mind that in case of problems with the above options or hardware changes (changing the motherboard on the desktop), Windows can be activated by contacting microsoft support. There are three ways to activate your product: Online over the Internet, by phone with our automated systems, and through a live technical support representative.

In conclusion. If you want to save money on upgrading computers, it is possible to transfer Windows licenses in different ways, in terms of retail licenses, not OEM (pre-installed) licenses or so-called business volume licenses, which are non-transferable. And if you don’t want to “spend” the previous license, you can take advantage of the offers we regularly offer you and get a legal lifetime license for just 12 euros. In all cases, you can upgrade to Windows 11 for free with new or transferred licenses.