There are two types of Licenses available when You purchase Windows, System Builder -AKA- OEM and Retail. The OEM Licenses is only valid for the hardware originally installed on, while a Retail license can be transferred to a different PC. Most people opt for purchasing the lower priced OEM version But if you did get a Retail License, simply activate your new PC using the Key and that should essentially "deregister" the original PC.
With Windows 10 where the licensing information is held on Microsoft's servers The only suggestion I can make is to contact Microsoft, and ask if they can do anything. Your case is strong in that you have the relevant documentation, they may decide to do something or not, but I think this is your only realistic option after the fact. They may decide to issue a new Key and mark your key as blacklisted which would allow you to continue - the fact that you report this fact should also help rather than waiting until you are installing a new copy on a new system
Thanks for the additional suggestions. I did chat with a Microsoft rep today, and they advised me to activate the product key on my new PC which will deactivate the license on the stolen one. I asked if they could deactivate the stolen key right now, but they said they cannot.
I think the product key is built-in to the computer's motherboard.
This is so bizarre... so what's to stop someone from just sharing their install disc with 10 friends? It seems like Microsoft would have something in place to prevent that...?
You only get to use the same product key for the initial activation of Windows 10 a certain number of times in a certain period of time before it gets blocked from automatic online activation. Then you have to call Microsoft and tell them you are installing that copy of Windows on only one computer and you get the activation code in return. However, with Windows 10, once it is initially activated, the activation itself moves to a digital license stored on Microsoft Activation servers and the product key used for the initial activation becomes completely irrelevant. Subsequent installations of Windows 10 do not require any product key at all to install and activate, so long as the same version (IE: Home or Pro) is installed on the same computer. The digital license for the activation will be retrieved from Microsoft Activation servers based on the hardware ID of the computer itself, not a product key.
As of yet there is no way for the user to remove the digital license for that computer stored on Microsoft Activation servers, and apparently from Microsoft's answer they can't - or won't - remove the digital license from their servers either. You can even upgrade a computer from Home to Pro, and the digital license for Home for that computer will remain unaffected and subsequently you can then install either Home or Pro on the same computer and it will retrieve the digital license to activate.
Yup, I have several PC's here with DL's for Home, Pro, Pro for Workstation, Education, 10S, even Enterprise. The result of my testing different Editions. I prefer doing it on real hardware instead of a VM. No cheating and using a key on more than one PC. Not on purpose anyway. Nothing to stop me though as far as I know? Once I do a second clean install, with a skip key, there is no record of the original key used to get the DL on the PC. Microsoft isn't saying, but the general consensus is, its not stored on the activation server either. The only key a PC gets with a DL is a generic key for the Edition installed.
Actually if you use the store app to swap to Workstation Pro it replaces the generic key with a Volume:MAK key ending -9BV79. This is interesting as MS are using MAK keys for retail customers.
I've no idea what is stored on MS servers but if the size of the generic ticket is anything to go buy, quite a lot of information is sent. If the underlying key (or keys) was not saved I'd be surprised. They always ask you if you phone them (even though most likely they know and probably don't care anyway).
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