Windows 10: Windows 10 on a new computer

Hey guys. Quick question: Is it recommended to uninstall Windows 10 before installing it on a new computer? My license isn't OEM but I was wondering if Microsoft would frown if there were two copies of the same W10 license on two separate computers

Thanks *Smile

:)

 

Windows 10 on a new computer

Hi,

Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community.

I suggest you to refer the Article created by Andre Da Costa on Jan 26,2015 for more information.

Link: How to troubleshoot Product Activation in Windows 10

I hope this information helps.

Please do let us know if you need any further assistance.

Thank you.

 

Windows 10 on a new computer

Hello:

Apologies if this has already been covered. My question is fairly straightforward. I just got a new Mac and intend to install Windows on it. However, on my old Mac with Windows, I upgraded to Windows 10, not realizing that there may be some issues with putting
it on a new computer.

I previously had Windows 8 (with a product key) before upgrading to 10 (where no product key exists). What would be the best way to install Windows 10 on the new machine? I imagine there are two possible paths: putting Windows 8 on the new machine and using
the same upgrade path as before (if that is even possible), or contacting support and trying to explain the situation and arrange for a Windows 10 product key.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated! I only got a taste of Windows 10 and would love to try it on my new machine without paying an arm and a leg for the privilege after already getting it for free.

Thanks.

 

Legally if you put Windows on a new PC you will need to buy a new copy

 

AFAIK it happens only on OEM systems. My license is connected to my MS account since it was an upgrade from a bought Windows 8

 

You can't activate with the same retail key on two computers at the same time. It's not allowed. You can move your retail license to another PC though. You need two separate licenses to run Windows on two separate devices. The only exception is volume licensing. Or if it's a MAK key.

 

No. Your license is linked to your Microsoft account. But it's actually tied to the hardware it was activated on. The Digital License for that PC is tied to the hardware ID of that PC. Being linked to your Microsoft account has nothing to do with activation. I can activate my PC with it's DL with a local account. Or another account. Who logs in has nothing to do with it. It's the hardware that is checked. Plus, that license is only valid for the one device.

 

Understood. What if I remove Windows 10 from the previous computer (by doing a format for example) before installing it on the new computer?

 

Won't matter, the DL is already stored on the activation server. You need to do that anyway, but it won't stop the activation server from refusing to activate on the new PC with the other license. Once you install and it refuses to activate, you'll get an option to troubleshoot activation. There you can transfer the license. Use Activation Troubleshooter in Windows 10

 

Not if it is a retail license for Windows.

 

The slmgr /dlv command shows RETAIL channel so I guess I'm safe.

 

That does not tell you which type of license you have. That only tells you Microsoft channel it got activated through. OEM licenses will still activate through the retail channel because when the OEM license is sold with the computer to the end user, it is sold at retail. Showkey Plus from this forum will tell you what type of license you have:
ShowKeyPlus - Windows 10 Forums

Also, to clarify @alphanumeric's post a bit, retail licenses (and their product keys) have a number of uses per specific timeframe during which they will reactivate automatically online on different computers - because, legally, they are transferrable. Rough guess from my past experience is 6 times in 6 months. So as long as you stay within that number of transfers within that time period, new Windows installs on new computers will activate as always. Once you reach that limit, then you have to use an alternate activation method such as calling Microsoft or using the Microsoft Activation Troubleshooter to transfer the license via a Microsoft Account (and that is limited, we discovered by experience, to three transfers).

Also, an interesting note about the Digital License stored on Microsoft Activation servers - there is no way for an end user to delete it from their servers. So let's say you install full retail Windows 10 Home on computer A. You reformat the hard drive on Computer A and leave the hard drive with no partition on it, thus removing Windows 10 from computer A. You install the same Windows 10 Home retail license with the same product key on computer B, and you sell computer A to Joe Smith. Joe Smith installs Windows 10 Home on the computer you sold him and skips entering the product key because he doesn't have a product key for it. That Windows 10 Home will activate on computer A with just the generic Windows 10 Home product key by retrieving the digital license that was previously stored on Microsoft Activation servers, and it will have no affect on your activated Windows 10 Home on computer B.