When you buy a new device, it is usually pre-installed and activated with a copy of Windows 10, but not when you set up your own system. If you buy the devices and decide to install the device yourself, you will also need to get a license for Windows 10. According to the version, licenses for Windows 10 can cost hundreds of dollars.
However, if a new structure wants to replace the old system, you can make money by transferring the Windows 10 product key to your new computer. Yes, you can transfer your Windows 10 license to a new device and this guide shows you how.
The ability to carry existing licenses is not only a way to earn money, it is useful if you plan to sell computers and store product keys or reuse licenses to activate virtual machines.
Regardless of the reason, Microsoft’s rules allow you to transfer your Windows 10 license to another computer, but it always depends on how you purchased the original license. This Windows 10 guide takes steps to transfer your product license key to a new computer.
The transfering process of Windows 10 product key
Microsoft uses different channels to distribute Windows 10 licenses, but customers can only get licenses from two channels, including Retail and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)..
If you have a full license for Windows 10, you can transfer the product key to another device. If you upgrade from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 to Windows 10 with the original product, you can transfer the product key to another computer.
As a rule, if you turn off the old settings correctly, there are no restrictions on the duration of the license transfer. However, sometimes activation errors can occur which cannot be resolved unless you contact Microsoft Support to explain the problem.
If you have previously installed Windows 10 devices (such as the Surface Laptop 3 and Dell XPS 13), you are working with an OEM license. In this case, the product key cannot be moved and cannot be used to activate other devices. Also, if you receive an update from the Microsoft Store and upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro, the product key will become a digital license associated with your Microsoft account, so you can transfer the license to the new one. Computer.
If you have a computer with an original Windows 10 license, you can transfer the product key to a new device. Delete the license from the old computer and then apply the same key to the new computer.
Close Windows 10 from the previous settings
1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt (CMD), right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type slmgr /upk on Command Prompt (CMD) to remove the current product key of Windows 10 and press Enter.
4. Type slmgr /cpky on Command Prompt (CMD) to clear the license from the Registry of Windows 10 and press Enter.
Quick tip: If you don’t see the Uninstalled product key successfully message, you may need to run the command multiple times until the message shows up.
After following these steps, you can use the Product Key to activate the same version of Windows 10 on different computers.
It should be noted that following the steps above, the product key was removed, but the operation does not remove the activation from Microsoft servers. Instead, this process allows you to reactivate other devices after verifying that the same product key used by multiple devices was not found
If you want to use another computer because the other computer failed, you do not need to follow the steps above. You can install the product key on a new computer.
The activating process of Windows 10 on new setup
After you receive the license key, you can use it to manually activate the new installation, or if the manual process does not work, you can contact Microsoft Support for assistance. Install the license from the command line and follow the steps below to activate Windows 10 with your old product key.
1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt (cmd), right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type slmgr /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx on Command Prompt (CMD) to re-used the current product key of Windows 10 and press Enter.
4. Type slmgr /dlv on Command Prompt (CMD) to verify the activation of Windows 10 and press Enter.
5. Confirm under the License Status section the status reads Licensed to verify that your Windows 10 is activated.
Quick note: In the command, replace xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx with the product key you want to use to activate Windows 10.
Once you complete the steps, Windows 10 should activate successfully. If the status is set to Notification, restart the computer and recheck the status with the command (see to the step 4), or you can also check on Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
Installing process of Windows 10 using Microsoft support
If activation using the command line is not successful, you can contact Microsoft Support to activate a new installation. Follow the steps below to activate Windows 10 with support.
1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt (cmd), right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type slui 4 on Command Prompt (CMD) to activate the copy of Windows 10 and press Enter.
4. Select your country or region from the activation wizard.
5. Click the Next button.
6. Use the toll-free number to call Microsoft.
7. Confirm the Installation ID number.
8. Click the Enter confirmation ID button.
9. Type the Enter your confirmation ID provided by Microsoft support.
10. Click the Activate Windows button.
After following these steps, the Windows 10 installation will be successfully activated.
If you wish to transfer your existing product key to another device, it must comply with the version stored by your license. For example, if you delete a Windows 10 Pro product key, it can only be used to enable another Windows 10 Pro installation. You cannot use the Pro License to activate the Windows 10 Home Edition computer.
This guide targets Windows 10 subscribers, but there are many licensing channels with different rules.
AUTHOR BIO
On my daily job, I am a software engineer, programmer & computer technician. My passion is assembling PC hardware, studying Operating System and all things related to computers technology. I also love to make short films for YouTube as a producer. More at about me…
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