Is the free upgarde transferable? I think not.

This has been debated in numerous threads so instead or replying in all those I started this one. Some of you have noticed like me that you got a generic/common product code. Future activation on a clean install for the free upgrade is tied to the hardware and your Microsoft Account, not the product code. From what I'm reading you don't even bother entering one on a clean install. If you don't have a unique product code to transfer to another PC your not transferring Windows. Not that install anyway. Not the free upgrade. Free for the life of the device.

Microsoft posted new keys for Windows 10 on my MSDN account. They are listed as Retail keys. I would use them to install on new hardware. Those keys would be transferable. I assume if you buy Windows 10 Retail via Newegg etc, you'll get a product code in the box, and that version will be transferable. Just like in the past.

To me it looks like the Free upgrade is not transferable. Which is what I thought it would be all along.

bobkn said:

It may be transferable: Install your retail Win 7 or 8 license on the new hardware, and then upgrade that to 10.

I don't know whether that will work, but I expect that it will.

I imagine that won't be possible after the 1 year free upgrade period expires. I expect that that clean installs (after the initial upgrade install) will continue to activate indefinitely on the same hardware. Whether "the same hardware" includes replacing the HD, I'd like to know. I'd expect so. If not, a phone call to Microsoft activation support may resolve the issue without any expenditure of funds.

I think I'll miss the $40US Windows 8 pre-release license. Not free, but essentially a retail license.

This is the main reason I upgraded W7 Home Premium to W10. My W7 license is OEM and not transferable to another computer, whereas my W8 Pro license is.

I'm talking transfer a current install to new hardware. IE move the hard drive or new install on new hardware after that device dies. Not another upgrade install. Talk was if you upgraded from a Retail Windows 7 or 8.1 install Windows 10 would be Retail and transferable. I upgraded from an OEM Windows 7 to Windows 10 and it shows as Retail. But how do I transfer it to another PC if it used a generic product code? Hundreds, thousands, or maybe millions of people will have that same product code. Type it in a on a clean install on hardware it was never activated on before and it will fail. otherwise anybody could use that product code to get windows 10 for free.

JDobbsy1987 said:

It fails if you move an activated copy to another machine too.

As a test I upgraded a win 7 machine to win 10 and it activated, i then moved the hard drive into another machine... it all booted up fine but said it wasn't activated.

What Happens when you just replace the HD and reinstall the W10 to the same box that was activated.

This scenario worked for me:

• Retail Windows 8.1 Pro, activated and valid.
• Upgraded to Windows 10 Pro yesterday, Windows 10 was automatically activated
• Generalized the Windows 10 (sysprep /generalize /shutdown) to remove all hardware related information and make Windows hardware independent and transferable
• Booted the machine with Macrium boot disk, created a system image containing all drives
• Booted another computer with Macrium boot disk, restored the above mentioned image
• Booted the new computer, entered the generic key in OOBE phase
• Windows set it up normally, when finally on desktop it was activated

Short version: I had no issues in transferring Windows 10 to another hardware using the generic key.

labeeman said:

What Happens when you just replace the HD and reinstall the W10 to the same box that was activated.

That should not be an issue. In the past you could change just about anything except the motherboard and be fine. As long as it wasn't a big hardware change. Many components all at once. I've swapped hard drives, video cards, etc and had no issues. a new motherboard, if its not the same make and model, will get flagged.