How to transfer a windows 10 license to another computer

Josh Hendrickson
Josh Hendrickson
Staff Writer

Josh Hendrickson has worked in IT for nearly a decade, including four years spent repairing and servicing computers for Microsoft. He’s also a smarthome enthusiast who built his own smart mirror with just a frame, some electronics, a Raspberry Pi, and open-source code. Read more.

If you’ve ever built a computer and purchased a Windows license, you probably don’t want to buy another license for your next one. With the slmgr command, it’s possible to deactivate your old PC and then activate a new one.

Deactivate an Old PC Instead of Buying a New License

Windows licenses are expensive. At $100 to $200, an official product key from Microsoft costs about the same as a 1 TB solid-state drive, 16 GB of RAM, or a motherboard. And it’s not a good idea to buy cheap keys from sketchy websites. So paying for another license when you want to decommission an old computer in favor of a new one isn’t a great option. The good news is, it’s possible to deactivate a PC you no longer intend to use, then transfer that license to a new computer.

The slmgr command makes this reasonably straightforward, but you’ll want to keep in mind a few limitations. This won’t work for OEM keys, which are keys that came with a computer you bought in a store. Manufacturers embed these keys to the hardware on which they originated, and transferring them to new devices won’t work. And while slmgr can deactivate any retail key (a key you purchased separately), it will only activate a key that matches the installed operating system.

Windows 7 and 8 keys will still activate Windows 10, but only through the standard activation process and not through slmgr . If you enter a “Pro” key on a “Home” install, that too will fail with slmgr . To keep things as simple as possible, transfer a Windows 10 Home key to a Windows 10 Home device, and a Windows 10 Pro key to a Windows 10 Pro device. Otherwise, you’ll have to take some extra steps.

How to Deactivate Your Old PC

Before you get started, make sure you have your Windows Key saved somewhere. If you have a product box or digital receipt, grab it from there. Otherwise, there are some ways you can recover the product key from your old PC, including using Nirsoft’s Produkey.

To deactivate your old PC, you’ll need to open an elevated Command Prompt. Having an administrator account isn’t enough. You will need to click the start button and type “cmd” (without quotes) into the search box. Then click on the “Run as administrator” option to the right.

In the command prompt that appears, run the following command and then restart your computer:

If you’re planning on selling the machine or giving it away, you might want to clear the key from the registry as well. It isn’t strictly necessary to deactivate, but it’s a good idea to protect your key.

Type the following into the command prompt:

If the commands succeed, your old PC will be deactivated. You can still use Windows, but it won’t be treated as a genuine copy of Windows, and certain features won’t work—like personalizing the desktop. You’ll be in the same state as installing Windows without a product key. If you want to activate Windows, you can purchase a new key and enter it, or buy one from the Windows Store.

How to Activate a New PC

To activate using slmgr , open an elevated Command Prompt and run the following command:

Just replace the #####-#####-#####-#####-##### with your key.

If you try to use a key that hasn’t been deactivated from a previous PC yet, it may seem to work initially. But eventually the activation will fail, and you’ll receive “not genuine” and “renew your PC” notifications.

Again, this will only work if the key exactly matches to the OS you’re using. If you have a Windows 10 Pro key, but Windows 10 Home installed, you’ll just run into an error about non-core Windows.

And if you try to use a previous version key, such as Windows 7 or 10, you’ll receive an invalid key error.

The best thing to do in those cases is to open settings, click on the “Activate Windows” option, and then enter your key manually.

Note that if you use a Pro key and to activate an installed copy of Windows 10 Home, using this method will upgrade to Pro automatically.

Keep in mind that you can only use Windows keys with one installation at a time and plan ahead. If you want to keep your old machine as you build new, you’ll need a second Windows license. But if the plan is to decommission, then save some money and transfer your existing license.

• › How to Add Images to Questions in Google Forms
• › How to Delete Your Photos on Facebook
• › Razer Thinks You Want a PC Gaming Headset That Vibrates
• › How to Get a Link to a Photo or Video on Instagram
• › The Fix for Slow AMD Processors on Windows 11 Is Here

Josh Hendrickson
Josh Hendrickson has worked in IT for nearly a decade, including four years spent repairing and servicing computers for Microsoft. He’s also a smarthome enthusiast who built his own smart mirror with just a frame, some electronics, a Raspberry Pi, and open-source code.
Read Full Bio »

Buying a new PC? You may not need to buy a new copy of Windows 10: here’s how to check.

Whenever you get a new laptop or a PC, it usually has Windows 10 already installed and activated. But if you plan on getting a custom PC built, then that might not be the case, and you may have to fork out more money to purchase a genuine Windows license.

If your new PC is replacing an old one, then you might be able to transfer the Windows 10 license onto the new PC and avoid paying for a new Windows 10 license. Today, we will look at how you can set up a new PC by transferring the Windows 10 license.

Is Your Windows 10 License Transferable?

Microsoft is quite strict with license transfer regulations, and unfortunately, not all Windows 10 licenses are transferable. You can only transfer a Windows 10 license if you purchased it through a retail channel. Licenses distributed through the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and volume channel for enterprise users are non-transferrable.

Every Windows 10 license is bound to the computer motherboard. So if you attempt to use a product key of a non-transferable license, the Windows Activation Server will not validate your license. Once you understand the type of Windows 10 license you have, you can correctly determine whether or not your license is transferable to another PC.

If your laptop or PC came pre-installed with Windows 10, then you probably have an OEM license. On the other hand, if you purchased a Windows 10 license from the online Microsoft Store or an authorized retailer, you most likely have a retail license. Volume licenses are distributed to large organizations such as educational institutes, businesses, and governments.

Verify Windows 10 License Type

If you are still unsure about the type of Windows 10 license you have, you can quickly check through Command Prompt:

1. Search for Command Prompt in the Start menu, right-click on the Best match and click on Run as administrator.
2. Type the following command and press Enter, and a dialogue box will then appear with the required information.

If the Windows Script Host states you have a retail license, you can transfer your Windows 10 license to another PC. However, if you have a volume or OEM license, you will have to purchase a new Windows 10 license for a new PC.

Transfer Windows 10 License Through Product Key

Transferring a Windows 10 license using a product key requires you to deactivate Windows on your original PC. Then, you can reactivate it on your new PC using the same key.

To deactivate Windows 10 on the original PC and transfer the Windows 10 license to a new PC:

1. Note down the existing product key by right-clicking This PC and selecting Properties. You should see the Windows 10 product key under the Windows activation section.
2. Search for Command Prompt in the Start menu, right-click on the Best match and click on Run as administrator.
3. Type the following command and press Enter to uninstall or deactivate the product key on the original PC.

1. On your new PC, enter the product key during the Windows 10 installation process or activate Windows 10 through Settings.
2. To activate Windows 10 through Settings—navigate to Update & security > Activation > Change the product key.

Once you enter the product key, Windows 10 will automatically be activated on the new PC. You can confirm if Windows 10 is installed through Settings > Update & security > Activation.

Activate Windows 10 With Command Prompt

Alternatively, you can also re-activate Windows 10 through Command Prompt:

1. Launch Command Prompt as instructed above.
2. Type the following command and press Enter to activate your license.

Confirm Windows 10 license activation through Settings > Update & security > Activation.

Activate Windows 10 Using Microsoft Support

You can also activate Windows 10 on your new PC by contacting Microsoft support. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. Search for Command Prompt in the Start menu, right-click on the Best match and click on Run as administrator.
2. Type the following command and press Enter.

1. In the Window that opens, select your country or region and click the Next button.
2. Call Microsoft support at the toll-free number provided and provide the Installation ID when asked.
3. Click on the Enterconfirmation ID button and type the confirmation ID as provided by the support personnel.
4. Finally, click on Activate Windows to complete the activation process.

Transfer Windows 10 License Using A Microsoft Account

If your Microsoft account is linked to your PC, you can easily transfer a Windows 10 retail license without using the product key. To confirm if your Windows 10 license is linked to your Microsoft account, navigate to Settings > Update and security > Activation. If you get the message “Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account,” you are good to go.

Simply log in to your Microsoft account on your new PC, and Windows 10 will automatically activate your license through your Microsoft account.

Link Your Microsoft Account to a Windows 10 License

If you did not get the message, you can easily add your Microsoft account and link it with your Windows 10 license:

1. Open the Start menu and click on the gear icon to open Settings.
2. Click on Update and security, and then click on Activation.
3. Link your Microsoft account by clicking on Add an account.
4. Log in with your existing Microsoft account or create a new account.
5. Your Windows license will now be linked to your Microsoft account, and you can confirm this through the digital license activation message.

Transfer Windows 10 License To Another PC

If eligible, you can quickly transfer an existing Windows 10 license to a new PC rather than purchasing a new license altogether. This is a cost-effective method to activate Windows 10 on a new PC.

Before you deactivate your Windows 10 license on the old PC, make sure the license is transferable. If the license is not transferable, you will have to purchase a new Windows license. Always remember to purchase genuine Windows 10 licenses and refrain from using cracked or counterfeited licenses.

What happens if you don’t upgrade to Windows 10? Here are your Windows 10 update options so you can stay current.

Fahad is a writer at MakeUseOf and is currently majoring in Computer Science. As an avid tech-writer he makes sure he stays updated with the latest technology. He finds himself particularly interested in football and technology.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Join our newsletter for tech tips, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals!

Can I Transfer a Windows 11/10 License to Another PC?

This article will explain how users can find and transfer their Windows 11/10 license key to another PC or device, saving the user time and money.

Transferring a Windows 11/10 license key will require two steps. Firstly, you will need to find out which type of license you currently have installed and then will deactivate the license on this computer. Once that is completed, you will need to install the program on your PC device. This may sound like a complicated process, but it is fairly straightforward. We will guide you through each step, making this a simple task for any user.

How To Transfer Your Windows License to a New Computer

The first step to transferring a Windows license is to find out which version of Windows you currently have installed. You can do that by following these steps:

Step 1. Open Start on your PC.

Step 2. Type This PC and then click on Properties.

Step 3. Under Windows Specifications, it will show which edition of Windows is installed.

Once you have identified which Windows version you have, it will dictate if it is possible to transfer to another PC.

The licenses that can be transferred are:

• Any upgraded retail copy of Windows 7/8/8.1 can be transferred one time only
• Any full retail copy of Windows 11/10, which can be transferred multiple times

The licenses that can not be transferred are:

• Any upgraded OEM Windows 7/8/8.1 that had been preinstalled by the manufacturer

If you have forgotten or lost the product key on your old PC, we will cover how you can find that in the next section.

If your old PC has a transferrable version of Windows, the next step will be to uninstall it. You can do that by following these instructions:

Uninstalling Windows: In your computer’s search bar, type Command Prompt and right-click on it to select Run As Administrator. If a pop-up message appears asking if you would like to allow this program to make changes to your system, click on Yes. Once the command screen appears, simply type slmgr.vbs /upk to uninstall the Windows license.

The next thing you will want to do is to re-active your Windows license onto the new PC. Follow these instructions to re-install:

Re-activating Windows: Install Windows to your computer (can be accessed online). Once the installation has happened, in your computer’s search bar, type Command Prompt and right-click on it to select Run As Administrator. Once the command screen appears, type the following commands and hit the Enter key: slmgr /ipk and then slmgr /dIv. This should activate your Windows licence. If it does not work after completing these steps, reach out to Microsoft for further assistance.

Extra Tip: How to Find Your Windows 11/10 Product Key Using EaseUS Todo PCTrans

If you are struggling to find your Microsoft product key, you no longer have to stress. EaseUS Todo PCTrans is a software that was developed to easily help users uncover their Microsoft product keys, which is essential for migrating Windows from one device to the next.

Using software that has several useful features, including app migration, files and account moving, and accessing product keys can assist you by saving you time and money. Being able to use EaseUS Todo PCTrans to find Microsoft’s product keys with one simple click is the best solution with the least stress.

 Happy autumn sale once for all

Support Windows 11/10/8/7

To find your Windows 11/10 product key, follow these steps:

Step 1. Launch and run EaseUS Todo PCTrans on the PC, and choose “Product Key” on the left panel.

Step 2. Click “Scan”, and you can see the product key of Windows, Adobe, and Office. Save the key to the selected location or choose “Copy” for direct use.

If you are doing this once for your home computers, this will most likely suit your needs. If you are a professional or need to do this regularly for many different computers as a technician, there are more advanced editions of EaseUS Todo PCTrans that will suit your requirements. Find out more details about our advanced editions of EaseUS Todo PCTrans here.

Conclusion

EaseUS Todo PCTrans is the best product for those looking to transfer their Windows 11/10 license from one device to another because it quickly finds the product key for you. Depending on your comfort level, finding the Microsoft product key and transferring it can be done manually by the above steps.

If you need to find your Windows 11/10 license, the best solution is using EaseUS Todo PCTrans as it is quick to install and use right away. This is the most stress-free way of uncovering your Microsoft’s Windows 11/10 product keys.

Was This Page Helpful?

Tracy joined in EaseUS in 2013 and has been working with EaseUS content team for over 7 years. Being enthusiastic in computing and technology, she writes tech how-to articles and share technical solutions about Windows & Mac data recovery, file/system backup and recovery, partition management and iOS/Android data recovery.

Roxanne is one of the main contributors to EaseUS and has created multiple posts on digital devices like PCs, Mobile phones, tablets, Mac, etc. She loves to share ideas with people of the same interest.

Product Reviews

EaseUS Todo PCTrans Free is a useful and and reliable software solution created to serve in computer migration operations, be it from one machine to another or from an earlier version of your OS to a newer one.

EaseUS Todo PCTrans is by the folks at EaseUS who make incredible tools that let you manage your backups and recover your dead hard disks. While it is not an official tool, EaseUS has a reputation for being very good with their software and code.

It offers the ability to move your entire user account from your old computer, meaning everything is quickly migrated. You still get to keep your Windows installation (and the relevant drivers for your new PC), but you also get all your apps, settings, preferences, images, documents and other important data.

Related Articles

Tracy King/2021/09/22

Tracy King/2020/12/18

Cedric/2021/08/27

Roxanne/2021/08/11

About EaseUS Todo PCTrans

EaseUS Todo PCTrans can transfer settings, applications and data between PCs and HDDs. Your all-round PC transfer and migrate software to upgrade devices without re-installation.

Transferring a license is not only cost-effective, but it can also be helpful when you sell the computer and retain the product key or wish to use it to activate a virtual machine.

Check Whether Your Windows 10 License Is Transferable

You need to check whether your Windows 10 license key is transferable or not to identify the type of product license key on your machine. Microsoft sells the license of Windows 10 to regular users through the Retail or OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) channel. However, there are few things you need to keep in mind:

• Your Windows 10 should be a retail copy as the retail license belongs to the person.
• If your Windows 10 operating system has come with a pre-installed OEM OS, you cannot transfer the license to another Windows 10 computer. The OEM license is attached to the hardware.

If you have purchased a retail copy of the Windows 10 operating system, you can transfer the product key to another computer.

How to Transfer Windows 10 License to Another PC

If you want to transfer your Windows 10 license to another Windows 10 machine, you can do so by following these methods:

1. Use Transfer Interface to get a license from an old PC
2. Uninstall and Reinstall Windows 10 Product Key (Old to New)
3. How to Install license using Microsoft support

Let’s consider them one by one.

1] Use Transfer Interface to Get a License from an Old PC

If you do not have access to the old PC, nor do you have the key anywhere, the Microsoft Windows Activation service offers a transfer interface where you can select the PC from which you want to transfer the license. The only condition is that all those PCs are connected to your Microsoft account, and the current version of Windows is the same as what was on the older computer.

The option appears when you click on Activate Windows link or by going to Windows 10 Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Troubleshoot.

Both will ask you to sign in using a Microsoft account, and then show a list of computers connected to your account and suggest; license from which PC can be transferred. If you cannot see your PC in the list, click on the See other devices linked to your Microsoft account option link.

2] Uninstall and Reinstall Windows 10 Product Key

The first step is to uninstall the current license from the existing computer. In the second step, install it on the new one.

Uninstall Windows 10 License Key from OLD PC

• Press Windows key + X > Click Command Prompt (Admin).
• At the command prompt, enter the following command to uninstall the Windows Product Key.

• A Windows Script Host window appears with the message Uninstalled product key successfully.

When you run this command, you uninstall the product key, which allows you to use the license elsewhere.

Reinstall Windows 10 License Key on New PC

This option is a tried-and-true solution. You have a Windows 10 license product key purchased online. Once you reach the desktop, you will need to enter the product key again. You can do this by following this method:

• Open Start menu > Click on Command Prompt (Admin).
• At the command prompt, enter the following command to reuse the Windows 10 product key from another computer > press Enter.

• Here, you’ll have to replace with the actual product key.
• Type slmgr /dlv to verify if the activation was successful > press Enter.
• A Windows Script Host window will appear.
• Check under the License Status section, and make sure the status reads Licensed to verify that Windows 10 is fully activated.

3] How to Install license using Microsoft support

If you do not see a license key listed, you need to contact Microsoft support to activate it. Here’s how to do so:

• Click Start > Settings > Update & security > Activation > Change the product key.
• Enter your Windows 10 product key > click Next to activate.
• Call Microsoft support using any of the toll-free numbers mentioned in the activation window and provide them with the Installation ID.
• Click the Enter confirmation ID button.
• Type the confirmationID provided by Microsoft support.
• Click on the Activate Windows button.

You should now be able to activate Windows 10 after completing the steps. You can use the product key to activate the same edition of Windows 10 on another computer by following these methods. I hope this post will help you Transfer Windows 10 license to another computer.

Windows 10, the newest operating system, is popular but very expensive. If you have installed Windows 10 on an old computer and want to transfer Windows 10 license to new computer, what should you do? Take it easy now and MiniTool Solution can help you easily finish Windows 10 license transfer.

No matter you are a home user or enterprise user, you need to purchase a Windows 10 license. This could cost you much money. Due to this, you may want to transfer your license to a new computer or hard drive if your old drive is damaged or old PC turns corrupted or you are selling the old computer.

Now here comes a question: do you only want to transfer the license to a new PC or move the entire OS with all apps and files to a new PC? If it is the latter, refer to this post – How to Transfer Operating System from One Computer to Another (2 Ways).

If it is just the license, read this post to know how to transfer a Windows 10 license.

Determine If Your License Is Transferable

Sometimes Microsoft likes to complicate things, for example, this company distributes their Windows 10 licenses through different channels and mediums with different rules. Based on the different channels, there are some limitations since the license may be not transferable.

Now, let’s go to ensure which license can be transferred.

1. If your system was upgraded from a retail version of Windows 7, 8, 8.1, you are able to transfer Windows 10 license to new computer. But according to Microsoft, it can be transferred for only one time.
2. If you have a full retail version of Windows 10, you are able to transfer Windows 10 license to new hard drive of your new PC as many times as you can.
3. If your computer came with pre-installed Windows 10 and you are using an OEM license, you couldn’t transfer it to another PC. Besides, if you free upgraded Windows 7 and 8.1 to Windows 10, a non-transferable OEM license still maintains on your machine.
4. If you upgraded Windows 10 Home to Pro using Easy Upgrade, it is allowed to transfer Windows 10 license to new PC using Digital Licensing since the digital license is attached to your Microsoft account.

How to Transfer a Windows 10 License to Your New PC

To do this work, you need to remove the license from the old PC and then apply the same key to the new PC. Follow the steps below now.

Operation 1: Deactivate Windows 10 from Old Computer

Step 1: Run Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 2: Type the command: slmgr /upk and press Enter to remove the current license key. Then, the message “Uninstalled product key successfully” appears. If you don’t see it, run this command several times until you see it.

This process only removes the key from your old computer but won’t remove the activation from Microsoft servers. Then, you can reactivate your Windows 10 OS on another computer.

Operation 2: Reactive Windows 10 on Another PC

Step 1: Run Command Prompt with administrator privilege.

Step 2: Type this command: slmgr /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx and press Enter to re-use this key on another PC. Here xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx refers to the license key.

Step 3: Type slmgr /dlv in the CMD window and press Enter.

Step 4: Check and ensure the License Status section is licensed. After all the steps are complete, the operating system has been reactivated.

Windows 10 activation problem has caused the deactivated computer issue, and this issue has been solved by Microsoft now.

Step 1: Press Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box

Step 2: Choose your country or region.

Step 3: Call the number provided on the Activation screen. Or you can open Contact Support to describe your situation. And then provide the Installation ID number.

Step 4: Confirm the installation ID and click Enter confirmation ID.

Step 5: Input the confirmation ID offered by Microsoft support and then click Activate Windows.

In conclusion, you can easily transfer Windows 10 license to new computer as long as you follow the above instructions. Then, you can enjoy some powerful features on the new PC.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Linkedin
• Reddit

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Position: Columnist

Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 5 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.

As the Windows 10 license is not cheap, it’s ideal that the license can be reused. To transfer the Windows 10 license to another pc, your Windows 10 license must be full retail and both of the computers need to be installed with the same version’s Windows 10. If you are going to move your Windows 10 license to your new pc from the old one and the conditions above are met, you can follow the guide below to move your Windows 10 license to another pc without effort. For details, let’s read on.

Tips: If you are not sure the license type of your Windows 10, you can run CMD as admin on your pc and enter slmgr –dli to have a check.

Part One: Deactivate Windows 10 on Your Old/Original PC

Before you uninstall the Windows 10 license, you have to find out your Windows 10 product key firstly. If you lost the key, you can try the ways here to recover the Windows 10 product key, including using Product Key Finder.

After keeping your Windows 10 product key on hand, you can deactivate the Windows 10 pc with the following 3 steps.

Step 1: Search CMD on the start menu and right-click it to choose Run it as admin.

Step 2: In the open command prompt window, type slmgr.vbs /upk and hit Enter. Then, the product key will be uninstalled instantly.

Step 3: To clear the Windows product key more thoroughly, you can also enter slmgr.vbs /cpky to erase the product key in the registry. At last, reboot your Windows 10 pc.

Part Two: Activate Your New/Another Windows 10 PC

Now, it’s time to activate your another Windows 10 PC and here are the details.

Step 1: Type CMD in the search bar and run it with admin privileges.

Step 2: Input slmgr.vbs /ipk [Windows 10 product key] in the command prompt and press Enter to execute it. After the key is installed successfully, you will be reminded with a prompt.

If you fail to activate your Windows 10 new pc with the transferred license, you can call Microsoft support for help or it’s also a good option to directly move the Windows 10 OS to your new pc by backing up Windows 10 to an external hard drive and then restore the backup to your new computer.

Related Articles:

Hot Articles How to Reset Windows 10 Forgotten Password How to Bypass Windows 10 Password Login with/without Password Easy Guide to Reset Windows 10 Admin Password Like an Expert 4 Tips to Change Windows 10 Password without Knowing Current Password Can’t Sign into Microsoft Account Windows 10 | Account Locked/Blocked More + Hot Categories Windows 10 Password Windows 8 Password Windows 7 Password More + Latest Articles How to Calculate Power Consumption of a PC 7 Useful Commands Windows 10 Users Should Know 7 Ways to Access System Restore in Windows 10 How to Create or Delete Partitions Using Command Prompt How to Format Disk Partition Using Command Prompt How to Enable and Use God Mode in Windows 10 More + Hot Products Windows Password Genius iTunes Password Genius Product Key Finder More +

As a matter of fact, you can easily transfer OEM Windows 10 to new hard drive. The OEM license is not transferable, but it’s limited to different computer or you change the motherboard or CPU.

By Ivy / Last update October 20, 2021

Content of this article:

Can you move OEM Windows 10 to SSD?

OEM (short for original equipment manufacturer) is a full version of the operating system, which ends up preinstalling on PCs. Every OEM version has its own license key. And the license is locked to the hardware on which it was first activated. So, the OEM license key is not transferable. And this is a doubt of many users who want to transfer OEM Windows 10 to new hard drive, just like the following case.

“I’ve read a lot of posts online and get that OEM license key is not transferable. I recently bought a new disk and want to transfer my OEM Windows 10 to new hard drive. Does it work on this computer? Do I need to buy a new license key? If anyone has any personal experience, that would be great! thank in advance.”

It is okay to say that the OEM license cannot be transferred, but it is more accurate to say that you cannot transfer the license key to another computer. That’s to say, you could move OEM license to HDD/SSD as long as you don’t change the important hardware of your computer, such as, motherboard, CPU. This applies to all cases of transferring Windows 10 OEM license to new hard drive, even if it was upgraded from previous version of Windows.

If you upgrade from a previous version of Windows, the original Windows 7/8 genuine license will be exchanged for a diagnostics key and the hardware of Windows 10 will get a digital entitlement, where a unique signature of the computer will be stored on Microsoft Activation Servers. Thus, when you install Windows 10 on the new hard drive, you will be asked to enter a product key several times, just skip it and it will automatically activate. Please remember to install Windows 10 with the same version as before.

Why transfer Windows 10 OEM to new hard drive?

As mentioned above, the OEM version can only be used on the first activated computer. In general, if you don’t change the motherboard of your computer, transferring Windows 10 to new hard drive is possible. Here are two main reasons for this operation.

① Want a bigger capacity: If your original hard drive is too small, you may want to migrate Windows 10 to new hard drive and get more capacity. This may be a new life for you computer.

② Need a better performance: After long time use, you may find your computer takes longer to boot, the programs on it gets stuck from time to time, the loading speed is slower etc, then it’s imperative to move Windows 10 to SSD to improve the computer performance, preferably a larger one.

Step by step guide: move OEM Windows 10 to HDD or SSD effortlessly

A free and reliable disk cloning software like AOMEI Backupper Standard is indispensible for users to transfer Windows 10 OEM copy in Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista. With its clear interface and user-friendly design, all the users even novices can use it smoothly.

It supports disk clone and partition clone, and the previous one will contain everything on the disk, including the operating system, boot-related partitions, installed programs, personal data etc. It supports intelligent clone technology, so you can not only use it to clone disk to larger disk, but also clone larger HDD to smaller SSD. In addition, if the target disk is an SSD, you can use its powerful 4k technology to speed up the disk performance.

✎. Please note that the free version of AOMEI Backupper only supports cloning system disk MBR to MBR. To check the disk partition style, you could go to disk management, right click the hard disk or the SSD, choose Properties -> Volume -> Partition Style, then you will see its partition style, either MBR or GPT.

Then, let’s get started to transfer OEM Windows 10 to new hard drive, either HDD or SSD. The detailed steps are below.

Step 1. Install SSD on your computer. If it’s a laptop, please use USB-to-SATA cable to connect for cloning. Then, download AOMEI Backupper Standard, install and launch it, click Disk Clone under the Clone tab.

Note: If the target disk is smaller, the cloning process may fail due to insufficient disk space. Therefore, it’s suggested to use “System Clone” in AOMEI Backupper Professional to migrate Windows 10, which also allows you to boot computer from the new hard drive.

Step 2. Select the old hard drive of your computer as source disk and the new HDD or SSD as destination disk successively.

Step 3. Tick “SSD Alignment” to accelerate the reading and writting speed of SSD disk if it is. Then, Click Start Clone to run the pending operation.

Except for “SSD Alignment”, there are two diferent options, namely, “Edit Partitions” and “Sector by sector clone”. Both are applicable to clone disk to larger disk, but they cannot exist at the same time. The previous one is to make full use of unallocated space after cloning while the latter is to clone all sectors of the disk including the blank sectors and bad sectors. But it’s all your decision.

Conclusion

The OEM license key restriction has no effect on the same computer, so you can easily transfer OEM Windows 10 to new hard drive with a trust and reliable disk cloning software like AOMEI Backupper Standard, whether you want a bigger capacity or better performance. With the help of it, you can clone hard drive with different size, either larger or smaller. Also, you can maximize SSD performance with 4k technology. If you happen to have this need, why not give it a try right now?

The Home edition of Windows 10 goes for $139, while the Pro edition sets you back by $199. Because a new Windows 10 license is not exactly cheap, it makes sense to transfer your Windows 10 license to your new computer when ditching or selling off your old computer.

Luckily, transferring a Windows 10 license from one computer to another is not difficult.

If you want to transfer your Windows 10 license from an old to a new computer, all you need to do is deactivate or uninstall Windows 10 license on your old computer and then activate Windows 10 on your new PC.

Can I transfer my Windows 10 license to a new computer?

Your Windows 10 license type will tell if you can transfer your Windows 10 license key to another computer or from old to new computer. That is, Microsoft allows transferring only retail Windows 10 license from one device to another device. OEM and volume licenses cannot be transferred.

How to check if your Windows 10 license type is retail?

As said earlier, a retail license only can be transferred from one computer to another computer. So, making sure that your Windows 10 license type is retail is essential before doing anything else. Here is how to check:

Step 1: Open the Command Prompt by typing CMD in the Start/taskbar/run box and then hitting the Enter key.

Step 2: At the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press the Enter key.

slmgr –dli

Pressing the Enter key will open the Windows Script Host dialog, which includes details about the type of your Windows 10 license. If your Windows 10 license key is retail, you will see “RETAIL” in the Description field. The dialog also displays the partial version of your Windows 10 license key.

Keep your Windows 10 product key handy

In order to transfer your Windows 10 license key, you need your 25-character Windows 10 license key. The key can be found on the Windows 10 retail box or the email that you received soon after purchasing your Windows 10 license.

Of course, there are tools out there to retrieve or recover your Windows 10 product key from your existing Windows 10 installation, but they are not accurate all the time. So, we suggest you make sure that your Windows 10 product key is correct (use the one found on the box or email) before deactivating Windows 10 on the old computer.

Transferring Windows 10 license from old to a new computer

If your Windows 10 license type is retail, you first need to deactivate Windows 10 license on the old computer. Here is how to do that.

Step 1: Open the Command Prompt as administrator. Type CMD in the Start/taskbar search field, right-click on the Command Prompt entry, and then click Run as administrator option.

Click the Yes button when you get the User Account Control dialog.

Step 2: At the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter key to deactivate Windows 10 on your current computer.

slmgr.vbs /upk

You will get the “Uninstalled product key successfully” message once you hit the Enter key. This should deactivate your Windows 10 license on the current computer.

Step 3: Now that you have uninstalled your Windows 10 license on the current computer, it’s best to clear the product key from the registry as well. To do that, type the following command and then hit the Enter key.

slmgr.vbs /cpky

Upon pressing the Enter key, you will get the “Product key from registry cleared successfully” message.

Step 4: Reboot your computer and make sure that your computer is connected to the internet. To check the activation status of your Windows 10 license on the current computer, navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Activation page.

Step 5: Now that you have deactivated Windows 10 license on the old computer, it’s time to activate Windows 10 on the new computer. On the new computer running Windows 10, navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Activation page, click Change product key link.

NOTE 1: Make sure that your new computer is running the same edition of Windows 10 installed on the old computer. That is, for instance, if your old computer is running Windows 10 Home edition, your new computer must also be running Windows 10 Home edition to activate your copy of Windows 10 license using the same key.

NOTE 2: If you have not installed Windows 10 yet, download Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft, create a bootable media, and then install it. During the installation, when you are asked to enter the product key, type the same.

Step 6: Type the 25-character product key and then click the Next button to connect to Microsoft activation servers and activate your copy of Windows 10.

If you have any trouble, run the activation troubleshooter or contact the Microsoft support team using the Get Help app in Windows 10.

Microsoft has made tremendous progress over the years on how it delivers its licenses. Initially, they had stuck to the out of the box licensing before flexing to OEM licenses that are authorized to PC manufacturers across the world on a retail basis. Recently, the company has made a transition into digital licensing with 24hr customer support on standby for chatting and/or phone calls.

You might want to transfer your Windows 10 license to another computer for an array of reasons. For instance, you may be decommissioning your old machine, or you want to sell it off in a bid to get yourself a new one. For whatever reason, here are a few tips on how to maneuver about his;

Method #1: Verify your Operating System’s (OS) compatibility.

When Microsoft launched Windows 10 back in the year 2015, migration from previous versions of Windows such as Windows 7 or 8.1 was free. However, this migration was limited to the terms and conditions at which the previous version was bound.

Therefore, before you make the OS transfer, verify your binding terms and save your current license in a location that you can easily retrieve. After this verification, go ahead to deactivate your current license in your current machine. This deactivation will de-register your license from your machine and you’ll no longer enjoy the privileges of running full windows on the same machine.

Method #2: Using the ‘slmgr.vbs / upk’ command to deactivate your ‘old’ PC

Step 1

Click on the start button then search for the term “cmd”.

Step 2

Proceed to run as administrator as hinted below to the right of the snippet.

Step 3

Once the Command prompt launches, carry on with the following command;

Slmgr.vbs / upk

At this point you are at liberty to restart your PC, but if you so wish to clear your Key from the registry as well, run the following command;

Note: This command does not work on computers pre-installed with EOM licenses (Windows Licenses given to computer manufacturers on retail basis)

If you intend to clear your key from the registry, you can run the command below on the same command prompt before restarting your machine;

Slmgr.vbs /cpky

Activating your ‘new’ PC

Once you have deactivated the license to your ‘old’ PC, you can use the same license on another computer by following these steps;