Windows 10: Transfer a licence to new PC

I have a windows licence that I bought for an old pc that I have scrapped. I have another pc and wish to install Windows. Is it possible to deactivate my licence on the old PC that I no longer have so that I can use it again?

:)

 

Transferring a retail Windows 11 Pro licence to a new PC

I have an old PC running Windows 11 Pro, "activated with a digital licence linked to your Microsoft account". This is a retail licence purchased from the Microsoft Store.



This old PC is now suffering from various hardware problems, so I have bought a new one. This has been running Windows 11 Home under an OEM licence, also "activated with a digital licence linked to your Microsoft account".

My question is, how do I deactivate the Windows 11 Pro licence on the old PC and activate it on the new PC? I know this is an obvious question, and after some searching I found one answer I thought addressed my particular issue.

I followed the steps set out in Redirecting but now I'm stuck. The troubleshooter on the new PC says "we found a Windows Home digital licence for this device running Windows 11 Pro. To activate using this digital licence, you need to install Windows 11 Home". At the final step, "See other devices linked to your Microsoft account" only shows the old PC, with the Windows 11 Pro licence. I am signed on to the same Microsoft account on both PCs and can see them both in "Devices".

I'm not worried about the licensing on the old PC, as it's going to be recycled anyway.

 

Transfer Windows 10 Licence from Old/Dead Computer to New Computer

Depends on the licence you have. How did you get your Windows 10 licence, was it via the free upgrade and was the previous system installed by the manufacturer = OEM.

OEM licences cannot be transferred, generally but recent posts suggest MS is allowing some transfers.

Retail boxed licence can be transferred to a new device.

New motherboard = new device.

 

licence transfer

Hi benedict

Is your Windows 10 licence based on an OEM licence (came pre-installed on a PC) or Retail (purchased separately to a PC)

If it is a Retail licence, then it will have transfer rights to a new Motherboard or PC, if it is OEM it will not . ..

Is your Windows 10 licence a retail licence?