Windows 10: Win10 License after Mobo Upgrade ?

I recently upgraded my mobo and in preparation got a digital Win10 license connected to my MS account as suggested here: How to Reactivate Windows 10 After Changing Hardware

I simply hooked my old SSD to the new mobo and Win10 took a little extra time to boot and was up and running -- not like the bad old days *Smile However, when I tried to activate Win10 using the digital license per the above it didn't work - there was no license for this type of device, which I assumed meant a PC. So I chatted with a MS tech and he kindly connected to my machine and activated it for me. I also went to my MS account and got a digital license for the new mobo.

However, a couple days later I noticed that I now have a product ID that ends in -AAOEM I assume this means it is an OEM license which cannot be transferred if I replace the mobo again.

I originally purchased XP in 2005 when I assembled my first computer. I took advantage of the inexpensive Win8 Upgrade to purchase Win8 Pro which became Win8.1 and then Win10 Pro, all without further payment to MS.

I assumed that because I started by purchasing XP that I had a retail license and that this retail license would propagate through all of these upgrades, allowing me to change mobo's whenever I chose. In thinking more about it, I'm wondering whether the cheap upgrade to Win8 converted my license to OEM and this tech did me a favor by allowing the mobo change. Or, should he have made the license retail?

Bottom line is I think I now have an OEM license and don't understand whether it should be a retail license or I'm a cheapskate and should just buy a new Win10 Retail license when I next change mobo's.

:)

 

I purchased a windows 7 upgrade for my vista pc

That is a really tricky question.

If what you bought was really an "upgrade" license from Vista, then it would continue to be considered an OEM license based on the original Vista license. But in that case it would not allow you to transfer to a new motherboard.

So, I suspect what you actually bought was a "whole" new Win 7 license. Since it installed on the new motherboard that suggests it is a "Retail" license that does allow transfers to new computers.

On the basis that the Win 7 was a retail license, your Win 10 will have the same transfer rights.

Which product key? Good question, try them one at a time... As I understand it, you will have to install and activate Win 7 on the new MOBO, then upgrade to Win10. I could be wrong about this point.

Regardless, after Win 10 has been activated on the new MOBO, re-installs will activate automatically without the Win7 being needed.

 

HOW do I transfer windows (retail license) after upgrading to Windows 10?

Prior comment (quoted below) to which you are asking about is not accurate.

"That is why on the store page on your profile section you will see your devices where you can remove your existing PC from the list allowing you to install the retail copy onto the new system resulting in a new device being added to the list."

- The Device section 'store' in the above reference is found at
https://account.microsoft.com. It is solely unique to the use of a MSFT account logon to Windows 8x/10 on a given device. The Windows 10 free upgrade and it's entitled Win10 license and the upgraded device footprint [hardware and qualifying prior o/s
use to upgrade] is saved on MSFT' servers in an entirely different location in the MSFT Store (and not accessible by end-users).

....thus removing the 'device' at account.microsoft.com for a MSFT account is of no value.

Likewise, if your Win7 license was retail the license is not as important as the Win7 product key for that license.

If retail and you have the product key then MSFT makes
Windows 7 edition media available for free.

- Also if retail and product key in hand you can take advantage of the Win7 retail transfer rights to reinstall (i.e. move/transfer) Win7 on the retrofitted (new mobo, GPU, CPU) - your retail license and product key to do so did **not** die with the old
mobo.

If you do not have the product key or your Win7 was OEM (license not transferable after mobo change) then a new Win7 product key and media (at your expense) would be necessary to install Win7 on the retrofitted device (new mobo, GPU, CPU etc). Once Win7
is reinstalled and activated, you can then again upgrade to Win10 (anytime prior to July 29, 2016).