Identifying PC's from Digital Activation in microsoft account

You will not need the product key to transfer a license. You have done it correctly by using a Microsoft account to register your digital licenses. it makes the transfer easy.

When you have replaced the motherboard and boot the PC in its deactivated state, check the computer name. It has remained unchanged, being the same it was before motherboard was replaced. When you know the PC name, select I recently changed hardware on this device:



Sign in with your MS account. You will get a list of your registered devices. Select the same PC from the list, click Activate and continue following on-screen instructions:



Tutorial: Use Activation Troubleshooter in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials

In my case, I have never had any issues to do this. Only information you will need is the name of the PC to transfer its license to new hardware setup.

Kari

Kari said:

You will not need the product key to transfer a license. You have done it correctly by using a Microsoft account to register your digital licenses. it makes the transfer easy.

When you have replaced the motherboard and boot the PC in its deactivated state, check the computer name. It has remained unchanged, being the same it was before motherboard was replaced. When you know the PC name, select I recently changed hardware on this device:



Sign in with your MS account. You will get a list of your registered devices. Select the same PC from the list, click Activate and continue following on-screen instructions:



Tutorial: Use Activation Troubleshooter in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials

In my case, I have never had any issues to do this. Only information you will need is the name of the PC to transfer its license to new hardware setup.

Kari

If OP clean installs on new PC, name does change. OP will need to do it by elimination ie eliminate names of all current pcs from list in online MS account, so OP can work out which pc name is one of failed mobo.

If OP uses same hard drive and does not reinstall, this is not an issue.

cereberus said:

If OP clean installs on new PC, name does change. OP will need to do it by elimination ie eliminate names of all current pcs from list in online MS account, so OP can work out which pc name is one of failed mobo.

If OP uses same hard drive and does not reinstall, this is not an issue.

I understood OP's question as if the only change would be the new motherboard. If that is the case, Windows on HDD / SSD would still have the same PC name.

In any case, it is always a good idea to note down PC names of all your machines. Even after a clean install and new PC name, knowing the name of the PC whose license needs to be transferred makes the whole process easy.

Kari

Donchik said:

Your screenshot actually shows the issue I have, which is a multitude of PC's with names but no licence information. I was hoping to be able to list the correct product key for each rather than go through all the PC's one by one hoping not to wreck the licence on the other PC's attached to the Microsoft Account.

But you do not need to know the product key! Just select the PC according its name. If your PC on which you replaced the motherboard is "MyMonsterGamingRig", select "MyMonsterGamingRig" from the list and activate.

Simple.

Kari

Donchik said:

Hi Kari,

Thanks for responding, but I would like to know as I do not trust this system. It is confusing, and unnecessarily complex. In addition it does NOT provide the necessary detail and is only accessible during a new build, or significant hardware change.. I would also like in the longer term to divorce myself from the need to maintain a dummy Microsoft account on my PC just to store licence information. I operate entirely on Local accounts and keep this dummy licence account just for this purpose.

Like many, I'm not happy with Microsoft's policy on this, and the need to use their service just to protect my PC licence. I'd like my Product Key back, and like to know exactly which of my PC's have which Licence/Product Key.

Cheers,
D.

You could run showkeyplus - it can tell you what key was installed in some cases.

Digital licencing is a massive improvement over the old key system.

In the end, your problem simply arises due to a lack of management on your part with multiple pcs i.e. noting down the key used for what pc.

I assume with so many pcs, you are talking about a business environment. The activation troubleshooter was designed for consumers really who would only have 1 or 2 pcs per MS account.

You can try the Get Help app.

To get an actual person, type Test, then click enter, two or three times and it will offer you a real person instead of a bot.