Will be stripping down and selling the PC parts soon and would like to keep the product key to use on another PC or indeed sell on, which I bought prior to the original build. Now this product key is linked to my Microsoft account and although I have Googled the issue I am not clear on whether a simple removal of device from my account is all I need to unlink the product key?
Someone may correct me but I believe the Product Key gets converted to a 'Digital Licence' which (I believe) is tied to the machine configuration. After conversion the Product Key is no longer valid. Also if a major component is changed then the digital lincence no longer works because it 'thinks' you have installed the OS on a new machine which needs a new licence.
So, No, I don't think the Product Key can be unlinked because it is no longer valid.
I stand to be corrected on this.
You want to sell old PC, but also want to use your Windows license on your new PC. There is a hidden command in Windows that allows you to do just that.
Open the Start menu and type "cmd" into the search box. Right-click on cmd and select "Run as administrator".
The first thing we need to do is get our activation ID, to do that execute:
Windows will open a message box and tell you a bunch of information about the license status of your PC, take note of your activation ID.Code:slmgr /dlv
To uninstall your product key, you need to use the /upk switch, along with your activation ID:
If you do it correctly, you will be told that your product key has been uninstalled.Code:slmgr /upk 507660dd-3fc4-4df2-81f5b559467ad56b
It is dead easy to remove the digital link from MS account. Simply change login to a local licence.
Then use your product key on new pc. If Windows complains key has already been used, use telephone activation and at step where it asks about licence, state it will only be used on new pc.
I am afraid this is inaccurate in so many ways.
In Windows 10 (and 11), the key is just a code to show you have purchased/own the right to install Windows 10 on a pc.
The digital licence is the actual licence.
Think of the digital licence as a locked door and the key as a key. You can only go through the locked door if you have a key.
The key does not get converted into a digital licence. It always remains valid.
When you install Windows 10 and use a valid key, you are granted a digital licence (effectively door is then unlocked).
The digital link with MS licence is totally misunderstood as many think you just login on new pc with MS account and new pc will activate. This is completely wrong.
Digital licences are tied to the hardware and MS have an online record. It is totally irrelevant if using a local or MS account.
However, under some circumstances e.g. a failed mobo, you can transfer the digital licence to a new PC.
You can only do this if MS can find the digital licence and they cannot do that if the mobo has failed. So they introduced the link which in effect is just a record of which digital licences have been created by a user, so if they need to reactivate on a new mobo, MS can find the old digital licence.
Unlinking a digital licence is dead easy - simply chang login to a local account. Yiu can see that in activation menu as it will just say pc has a digital licence rather than a digital licence tied to MS account. You will also see pc is no longer reference in the online MS account.
The key NEVER loses its validity. The right to reuse the key is as always the same e.g. if the key is full retail, the key may be reused. If the key is oem, it may only be used on one pc
Certain countries e.g. Germany have different rules, but contrary to popular belief that does not apply to all oem keys e.g. if key was bios embedded, they are not transferable. The law only applies to system builder licences which are a tiny percentage of oem keys.
Last edited by cereberus; 30 Aug 2021 at 13:00.
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