Windows 10: Is it possible to recover the OEM license key from a machine that is now running Enterprise?

I have a surface 7 that came with the OEM version of Windows 10. I have been using it for work, and it currently has a licensed copy of Windows 10 Enterprise version. I plan to switch back to personal use now, and want to remove the Enterprise license and use the Home edition license it came with. I don't have the product key, however. Is this possible without repurchasing Windows? Is it possible to retrive the OEM license key it came with?


I apologize if this question is already on the forum, I couldn't find it.


Thank you,

-Micah

:)

 

Possible to sysprep an upgraded Windows 10 image, on an OEM machine?

Previously, I have been able to install the OEM build of Windows 8.1 on an OEM system (in this case a Lenovo laptop) and then sysprep and capture the image in order to use it as a base image for deployment on other similarly licensed OEM laptops in my enterprise
environment.

However, if I perform an upgrade to Windows 10, sysprep the machine, and then capture and try to redeploy the image to another machine in a clean zero-state (or even the same machine), the post-deploy process prompts me to enter the license key for Windows
10, rather than reading the system motherboard to identify that the system is a qualifying OEM upgradable to Windows 10 system.

So is it possible to perform a sysprep of an upgraded Windows 10 system, or do I need to have new base install media from the OEM that contains a valid activation key?

 

Can I run virtual windows with my OEM license?

1. Backup your Windows installation.
   
2. Uninstall Windows from your hard drive.
   
3. Install Windows in a VM.
   
4. Ensure the Windows installation has internet access.
   
5. Attempt to activate the installation. You may need to call Microsoft to complete this step over the phone.
   

If they ask you why your are re-activating, tell them you have removed the old installation and changed your system configuration and that you are now reinstalling. (All true.)

Don't volunteer that the Windows 7 key is OEM. Your Windows 10 entitlement may or may not be marked as originating from OEM. If they say that it is OEM and that you cannot use it to activate, then you know. Say thanks and end the call. Restore your backup from step 1 and stick with dual boot, or purchase a copy of Windows 10 and activate yours that way.

Of course, you could always install Hyper-V component of Windows 10 and run your Linux inside. No licensing issues that way. And it may be installed and running by default.

Also, before step 2, you might try to find some sort of P2V solution. This basically takes an 'image' of your physical system and converts it to a virtual machine. VirtualBox wiki article. This may trigger a reactivation due to the significant change in the HAL (hardware abstraction layer).

 

Is it possible to disable windows to reuse the key on a new PC?

The correct answer is that it depends on which version of Win8.1 Pro you used for the Win10 upgrade.

• If your Win8.1 Pro license is a retail version then you can transfer over to a new machine
• If your Win8.1 Pro license is an oem version then you cannot transfer it to another machine. You would be required to purchase a new Win10 license to use on your new device.