Can I migrate Windows 10 system disk to a different OEM licence?

itm · 11 Feb 2020

Hmmm..I always used a local account on the PC, so would not have linked the Windows licence to my Microsoft account. Now that the motherboard is dead I guess I no longer have that option? Presumably that also means I can't use the Activation Troubleshooter?

pokeefe0001 · 11 Feb 2020

You can certainly try the Activation Troubleshooter, but I doubt it will do you any good.

dalchina · 11 Feb 2020

From the tutorial I cited in my post #8

Starting with Windows 10 Anniversary Update and Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14371, you can link your Microsoft account (MSA) to the Windows 10 digital license (formerly called digital entitlement) on your device. This can help you reactivate Windows using the Activation troubleshooter if you make a hardware change later, such as replacing the motherboard.

If you didn’t add your Microsoft account and link it to the digital license on your device, you won’t be able to reactivate Windows after a hardware change using the Activation troubleshooter.

SIW2 · 11 Feb 2020

If you can't get it work, ring MS on the free phone number. According to your flag you are in the UK.

itm said:

Hmmm..I always used a local account on the PC, so would not have linked the Windows licence to my Microsoft account. Now that the motherboard is dead I guess I no longer have that option? Presumably that also means I can't use the Activation Troubleshooter?

NavyLCDR · 11 Feb 2020

xaccell said:

Yes. Remove the old key from the system and activate it with the new one. If you are moving your old Mobo to the new system, you dont need to use the new key. If the new system has a different mobo, you do have to use your new key.

^^^^This +1.

itm · 12 Feb 2020

NavyLCDR said:

^^^^This +1.

Sadly not an option as I don't have access to the old system (the motherboard died)

pokeefe0001 · 12 Feb 2020

I just reread the original post and think most of us have been trying to answer the wrong question.

itm said:

I believe that if I simply plug the old Windows boot drive into the new machine/motherboard it will allow me to run an restricted/unactivated version of Windows 10, but is there any way that I can use my new OEM key to re-activate the system, so that I can pick up where I left off?

Here's a bone-head idea that might work.

Make sure you have a good backup of the C-drive partition of your old drive in case this does more harm than good.
Get on your new computer and switch to a Microsoft account.
Swap drives and boot from your old one.
Switch to your Microsoft account.
Run the Activation Troubleshooter.

That probably will just confuse Windows, but it's worth a try.

NavyLCDR · 12 Feb 2020

itm said:

Sadly not an option as I don't have access to the old system (the motherboard died)

Why do you need access to the old system? The command is:
slmgr /upk

you don't need access to the old system for that. If the new system comes with it's own Windows 10 product key all you do is remove the old product key and install the new product key:

slmgr /ipk [new product key]

Megahertz · 12 Feb 2020

I understood that itm asked if he could install the current drive (that has Win 10) on the new computer so he doesn't need to install all programs, transfer data etc.
Could you please confirm what you want to achieve?

itm · 13 Feb 2020

So I tried booting from the old Windows boot drive, but got a boot error from Windows Boot Manager: "Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause..."
Shared album - Ian Manning - Google Photos

I was hoping that I could at least boot into an un-activated version of my old setup. Any ideas for how/whether I can get past this?