Windows 10: Windows 11 isn't activating with digital license

Hi there,About 5 or so years ago I bought Windows 10 Home through the Microsoft store for a desktop. I got rid of that machine about 2 years ago, before doing so, I did a fresh Windows install and removed the device from my account. I had a laptop in the interim which came with a license, so it wasn't using the digital license.I can find the license purchase in my account purchase history.I've just built a new PC, and it's not activating with the digital license attached to my account. The only devices associated with my Microsoft account are my XBox and new PC, so the licence isn't being used

:)

 

Windows won't activate a digital license but will with a product key?

Pardon my jumping in...

On the first point: Once you have a digital license on a machine, you don't really need the key again. You could simply reinstall Windows using the generic key. Windows then creates a hash that is unique to your computer. It will look on the Windows activation servers to see if that machine has ever been activated before with the same edition of Windows. If it has, it will auto activate. There is no need to transfer any sort of license or even take any action whatsoever. It's just magic *Smile.

One the final point, regarding usage of license keys for Win 10 and 11. Just to take that point one step further - If you activate a system with Win 10, you can at any time install Windows 11 as well. You can also go the other way around. If you use a license to install Win 11, you could later decide to install Win 10 instead. Even the generic keys are the same for Win 10 and 11. So, those licenses are truly interchangeable because they are one and the same.

Just to illustrate a scenario that is common for me:

Let's say that I have a new computer. I typically like to install by doing a fully automated, unattended install. With an unattended install you use a generic key. For example, I will use the Win 10 / 11 Pro generic key. Because generic keys are NOT activation keys, Windows will not activate automatically after installation. I will have to provide a real Win 10 / 11 Pro key to activate it. At that point a digital license is created and stored on Microsoft servers for my system.

Once activated, I toss that key, knowing that I will never need it again.

Now, assume that I reinstall Windows from scratch again on that same system. If I'm doing an unattended install I provide the generic key (because unattended installation needs some sort of key). If I'm manually stepping through the installation, I simply tell Windows that I don't have a key. I just make sure that I am installing the same edition of Windows (Pro). After installation, Windows checks the Microsoft servers to see if a digital license exists for that machine. If it does, it activates. Note that at no time did I need to reference the original license key or perform any sort of transfer. It just happens automagically.

Hope that helps!

 

Digital license

Thats how licensing works with Windows 10, the digital license is attached to your Microsoft Account and makes it easy to reactivate Windows 10 in the event you reinstall it.

Learn more:

• Use a Digital
  License to Manage and Activate Windows 10

 

How To Activate Windows 11 Signed-into Account (B) Using A Windows 10 Digital License Linked to Account (A) On A Different PC?

I have:

• An old PC that:
  
  • Is running Windows 10 Home.
    
  • Activated using a digital license that is eligible for Windows 11 update.
    
    • Digital license is linked to an old Microsoft account (e-mail #1).
      
  • Does not meet the minimum system requirements to run Windows 11.
    
• A new PC that:
  
  • Is running Windows 11 Home.
    
  • Is not yet activated.
    
  • Is signed-in using a new Microsoft account (e-mail #2).
    

My main goal is to activate Windows 11 Home on my new PC using my existing digital license while keeping:

1. The new PC signed-in to the new Microsoft account (e-mail #2).
   
2. The old PC signed-in to the old Microsoft account (e-mail #1).
   

Side note: Though I would love to keep the old PC working and still licensed, it is OK if that is not possible.

Initial idea:

1. Unlink digital license on old PC from e-mail #1.
   
2. Link digital license on old PC to e-mail #2.
   
3. Check that the new PC is activated.
   
4. Switch back to e-mail #1 on old PC.
   

Yet, I am unsure about the proper way of handling this process while avoiding any hiccups.

Actual questions:

1. Would my initial idea work?
   
   1. Could you please point me to how to unlink an account from a digital license?
      
   2. Could you please point me to how to link a new account to a digital license?
      
   3. Would the Windows 11 Home activation be automatic and immediate or is there anything I need to do before?
      
2. If not, what are my other options?
   

Thank you in advance!