Can I Use Win 10 License on PC and Laptop?

Steve C said:

It might work but you risk MS deactivating one of the PCs.

Hi there
@steveC

I've never known Ms withdraw a legal license -- the actual rule says that it can't be used on more than 1 device - but the wording is deliberately obfuscating in typical Lawyers speak.

The Intention is that if you transfer a license from one machine to another is that the original machine is no longer used. However if one really were to get into the legal jargon of a "backstreet Lawyer" there's absolutely nothing to say that you couldn't "transfer" the license back to the original machine. You could for example get a fault on your new machine shortly after buying it so you want to use your old one for a while.

What you are NOT allowed to do and that is quite clear is use 2 devices CONCURRENTLY .

So the activation process would certainly work -- it's between you and your maker / conscience as to how you apply the rules. I'm not by profession a Lawyer but I've tangled enough with some of them and seen the inside of a few Court rooms -- and still not in Jail !!! and my (amateur) reading of this is that so long as you only use ONE device at a time you can do it

The Ms servers won't de-activate the license. I doubt in any case whether this issue as far as home users is concerned would lose Ms any serious revenue -- It's usually only on these sorts of Forums where people have more than one computer and 99.99% I would say probably got Windows with the machine at time of purchase so a trivial issue for Ms not worth bothering about.


This of course only applies to a RETAIL license -- an OEM one won't be transferable in any case.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

Hi there
@steveC

I've never known Ms withdraw a legal license -- the actual rule says that it can't be used on more than 1 device - but the wording is deliberately obfuscating in typical Lawyers speak.

The Intention is that if you transfer a license from one machine to another is that the original machine is no longer used. However if one really were to get into the legal jargon of a "backstreet Lawyer" there's absolutely nothing to say that you couldn't "transfer" the license back to the original machine. You could for example get a fault on your new machine shortly after buying it so you want to use your old one for a while.

What you are NOT allowed to do and that is quite clear is use 2 devices CONCURRENTLY .

So the activation process would certainly work -- it's between you and your maker / conscience as to how you apply the rules. I'm not by profession a Lawyer but I've tangled enough with some of them and seen the inside of a few Court rooms -- and still not in Jail !!! and my (amateur) reading of this is that so long as you only use ONE device at a time you can do it

The Ms servers won't de-activate the license. I doubt in any case whether this issue as far as home users is concerned would lose Ms any serious revenue -- It's usually only on these sorts of Forums where people have more than one computer and 99.99% I would say probably got Windows with the machine at time of purchase so a trivial issue for Ms not worth bothering about.


This of course only applies to a RETAIL license -- an OEM one won't be transferable in any case.

Cheers
jimbo

How does that work when the activation with a digital ID is linked to the PC hardware characteristics?

Steve C said:

How does that work when the activation with a digital ID is linked to the PC hardware characteristics?

Hi there

@steveC

That's presumably the whole point -- if you transfer the license you'll get a new digital ID -- that still won't kill the old one. Doesn't even matter if the old machine never had a digital license either.

This isn't against Forum Rules AFAIK as I'm sure the law is quite explicit on this one -- you are certainly allowed to transfer licenses between machines (Reatil versions) -- there's absolutely nothing in the EULA that says you can't transfer license back to the original machine. This is how it works also in practice so nothing against Forum rules here as we aren't discussing piracy, warez or whatever.

Years ago before Adobe photoshop became subscription you were allowed to move photoshop between machines -- you had to logon to Adobe's activation servers to move license from one machine, then logon with new machine and import license. Ms servers have never worked like that -- maybe they should have. However the current situation is that you can activate a new machine (maybe you have to do it by phone etc) with a valid retail license without the old machine becoming unlicensed - that's fact -- now how you use that info is up to you and your conscience.

Cheers
jimbo

Steve C said:

How does that work when the activation with a digital ID is linked to the PC hardware characteristics?

That would be Microsoft's problem. Let's say you build a computer and you purchase a retail Windows 10 to run on that computer. A year later you build an upgraded computer. You wipe the HDD/SDD on the old computer, deleting all the partitions, and you sell it without an OS. You install the same retail version of Windows 10 on your new computer. You have followed all terms and conditions of the EULA to the letter.

The new owner of your old computer pops in a Windows 10 installation USB flash drive that they downloaded from Microsoft and installs the same version of Windows 10 (Home or Pro), that you had installed on it and skips entering the product key. VIOLA! Windows 10 activates with a digital license as soon as it connects to the internet. That's Microsoft's problem, not yours. You complied with the EULA.