Changing motherboard question

NavyLCDR · 16 Nov 2021

There have been tests done by other users transferring digital licenses via a Microsoft Account. Empirical data suggests that Microsoft will only allow a digital license from a single computer to be transferred 5 times to new computers via the Microsoft Account. I don't think anyone has test daisy chain transferring, though....example transferring the digital license from computer A to computer B and then from computer b to computer c and so on.

krollo · 16 Nov 2021

NavyLCDR said:

Example. I have Computer A, activated with a digital license. I put together Computer B. I activate Windows on Computer B by running the activation troubleshooter and "transferring" (which is really copying) the digital license from Computer A to Computer B through my Microsoft Account. I wipe out the entire OS from Computer A and sell it without an OS. All the new owner has to do on Computer A is install the same edition of Windows 10 or 11 on it that was activated before, using the generic product key, and it will activate for them by retrieving the digital license from Microsoft Activation Servers based on the unique hardware ID. There is nothing that a mere mortal user can do to stop it. Only Microsoft could stop it, if they chose to. And they have not chose to yet. There appears to be no product key information stored on Microsoft Activation Servers with a digital license - only the edition of Windows 10/11 and the unique hardware ID of the computer it was activated on.

Thanks, this was the exact scenario I had in mind. In the future where I move on from this laptop, wipe it back to factory which is W10 Home OEM it came with, and transfer my Win10/11 Pro digital licence to the next.

NavyLCDR · 16 Nov 2021

krollo said:

Thanks, this was the exact scenario I had in mind. In the future where I move on from this laptop, wipe it back to factory which is W10 Home OEM it came with, and transfer my Win10/11 Pro digital licence to the next.

There have even been some reports of new computers activating automatically if the same computer name is assigned to it as the old computer, and the same Microsoft Account is used on the new computer.

krollo · 16 Nov 2021

NavyLCDR said:

Microsoft will only allow a digital license from a single computer to be transferred 5 times to new computers via the Microsoft Account

This is quite the disadvantage. I do not regret purchasing Pro licence, I am starting to regret I purchased a digital licence rather than an actual PK.

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NavyLCDR said:

There have even been some reports of new computers activating automatically if the same computer name is assigned to it as the old computer, and the same Microsoft Account is used on the new computer.

I hope they sort it out, the digital licencing rules are confusing.

NavyLCDR · 17 Nov 2021

I would never purchase Windows from the Microsoft Store. There have been too many negative comments about it going wrong, and when it is super easy to purchase a product key...

krollo · 17 Nov 2021

NavyLCDR said:

I would never purchase Windows from the Microsoft Store. There have been too many negative comments about it going wrong, and when it is super easy to purchase a product key...

Yup, learned that the hard way. There's a first in everything. So much for going the "modern method".

Scramjet · 17 Nov 2021

NavyLCDR said:

Actually - were you trying to use the Windows 8.1 product key at the beginning of a clean install to determine which version of Windows 10 to install? I've seen some product keys get rejected at that stage of the install, but if you select I Don't Have A Product Key and go through the install, then you can activate the Windows 10 after it is installed by changing the product key to the Windows 7 or 8 product key.

Yes I first decided to use the Windows 8.1 Pro key to install Windows 10 Pro. This Windows 8.1 Pro key was the one that was upgraded to Windows 10 Pro and I have been using for years. It would not accept that key so I tried the Windows 8.0 Pro key and that was accepted. However Windows 10 Pro was not activated of course. So I went into change hardware option and Windows 10 activated so all is good with that. So if I only have 5 times to change hardware I am on 2/5 for this Windows 10 Pro Digital license. (One was originally on the ASUS P5E3 Deluxe and now transferred to the ASUS Z590.) On my only retail copy of Windows 10 Pro it is 1/5 because I left it with the ASUS Z270 I gave my wife.

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krollo said:

Do you have a digital licence? Where it says:

Attachment 351769

Yes after I selected 'change hardware' then Windows 10 Pro activated,