Moving Windows to a different machine.

A question I've been curious about for a little while:

I purchased a retail copy of Windows 7 not long after it first came out. With a retail license, you can install onto a different computer if your original one dies, or you decide to take in a different direction (Linux). I've done this a couple of times now.

I've upgrade current machine to Win 10. I understand that puts the machine in Microsoft's system as a "digital entitlement". How does that affect my retail license? If i want to move things to a newer system, can I do a fresh install of 10 with my current license, as I've done before with 7, or is it locked to my current computer now?

I don't have any plans to upgrade at the moment, but it would be nice to know for future reference.

Your upgrade to W10 is locked to your current computer. If your current W10 machine has a motherboard failure you will be able to use your W7 retail license to install W7 again but after end of July you will not be able to upgrade to W10. Any future W10 installations will then require a W10 purchase.

Changing motherboard due to failure/replacement:
How to Use Your Free Windows 10 License After Changing Your PC’s Hardware

The new Anniversary update to Windows 10 will also contain activation troubleshooting with more capability to re-activate Windows 10 after a motherboard change based on linking you digital entitlement/license to your Microsoft account - but, of course, you have to use a Microsoft account to log in with in order for that link to happen.