Migrate W10 Anniversary version to an upgraded PC?

IMHO, the free upgrade is non transferable. It free for the life of that device. Buy a new device and you need to buy a new Windows 10 License. The free upgrade is officially over. Installing the original Windows 8 and then upgrading to 10 will likely leave you with an unactivated Windows 10 install. I say likely because unofficially, some systems are still getting the free upgrade.

You can clean install Windows 10 with a Windows 8 key. But as above, no guarantee it will activate.

You'll spend $$$ on new hardware but refuse to spend $$$ on new software to go with it? Buy a full Retail Windows license and you can transfer it from PC to PC. problem solved.

AnEdge said:

Read this

http://www.howtogeek.com/226510/how-...%99s-hardware/

From the above link, >> "You Can’t Move a Free Windows 10 License to Another PC".

Same info here, I believe, https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html

Ken429 said:

I have two old systems running W10 with the Anniversary update applied. I want to upgrade the MB and Processor on these systems but don't want to buy yet another copy of Windows. The last time I ran into this issue the Microsoft CSR said I'd have to go back to the W8 CD/Key and go thru the updating process - W8, W8.1, W10, W10 update and now W10 Anniversary update. It seems Microsoft has a data base of where (MB and CPU) W10 is installed and does not like it when you try to update to new hardware with an update version of W10. I got the message that W10 was installed on another system and I needed to purchase a new key at activation time. Luckily, I had a "spare W8 key" and was able to get around the problem. Before I go buy a Linux Bible, is there a way to keep the W10 "key" from the old systems and migrate to newer hardware without having to spend many hours stepping thru the updates?

I just re configured a new Core i5 HP CTO PC and added my formatted (now GPT ) SSD to boot windows insider builds for the daily driving OS .

I installed 14905 from the saved ESD and the other data I scraped out of my 6 yr old upgraded but still OEM mainboard AMD 6 core HP PC HDD with a fried main board and it activated fine on the new PC and my formatted SSD *but it did note a major HDWE change and just wanted me to confirm the PC name was what they had in the box and I did that and it worked fine .

All that might be another dialog and result either way but maybe still work somehow with a normally activated OS or upgrade licence if HTG is right and they recently revised the prior upgrade policy's to allow for a main board change or maybe a new PC build as long as you do not try it often on the same licence .

I read the thing at HTG AnEdge kindly posted here a short while back anticipating this and not wanting to start another Win Insider acct .

I was casually shopping the PC I just bought and bookmarked it before the old PC main board fried ,Imagine that :) I will fix it and do something with it though .

After reading all that I belive You should be fine on the OEM , retail biuld or upgrade licence you have now :)