Windows 10 Digital License – How to transfer
November 17, 2019, 17 Comments
In an enterprise environment, users do not need to worry about Windows activation on their work devices. That’s one of the many jobs for the IT department. It’s another story with personal devices. Every user should be prepared: a laptop might be lost, a PC motherboard stop working, and so on. In such cases, actually in any case when you have a valid, transferable digital license, you can reactivate your device after major hardware changes, or activate Windows 10 on a new device. You just need to be prepared.
Many of you geeks have a Visual Studio subscription (formerly known as MSDN), with lots of product keys to use. Taking care of your digital licenses is equally important whether you have just one device, or a complex home network with multiple devices.
OEM, Retail, MAK?
Here’s a good rule of thumb: If a Windows 10 device comes with Windows preinstalled , it is a so-called OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) license. If Windows 10 was purchased from Microsoft or some licensed retailer, it is a Retail license. One exception: so-called System Builder versions which are also OEM licenses. All single use Visual Studio subscription keys are also Retail keys. Multiple Activation Keys (MAK) are also shown as Retail in the Windows Software License Manager (slmgr.vbs).
OEM licenses can’t be transferred to new devices, and they cannot be used to reactivate Windows 10 when major hardware changes such as replacing motherboards occur. One somewhat grey area is Microsoft’s tech support: on various tech sites and forums you can read about users claiming that talking to the activation helpline succeeded, and an OEM license reactivated even after both motherboard and CPU were swapped out and automatic activation failed.
To check if you have an OEM, non-transferrable license, enter the following command in an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt:
slmgr /dli
Software License Manager opens a prompt telling about your license. If it shows that your license is from OEM channel, you cannot transfer the license:
What is a Digital License?
When Windows 10 is activated for the first time, that device gets a valid digital license for the activated edition, for the lifetime of that device. However, its hardware ID (HWID) must remain the same (no major hardware changes). Microsoft has 15 different hardware IDs to be used in various scenarios, the one that determines if a digital license on a device is valid is hardware ID 3. See the full list: Specifying Hardware IDs for a Computer.
Notice that disk drives are not included in the HWID. This means that a user is free to replace an HDD or SSD without losing his or her Windows 10 license. That said, a digital license is edition specific, but not language, version or bit architecture specific. You can replace your HDD containing a licensed 64-bit Windows 10 Pro version 1809 in English, and install a 32-bit Windows 10 Pro version 1909 in Swedish on a new HDD. Windows 10 will be automatically activated, based on the HWID and the existing digital license.
Taking care of Digital Licenses
Even if you use only a local account to sign in to Windows 10, it is important to create a Microsoft account, if you do not have one already. This is the only way to be sure that license can be reused for reactivation after replacing hardware or transferring that license to a new device. As an example, I have just performed a clean install of W10 Pro on a Hyper-V virtual machine, although exactly the same applies to physical devices, too. The first thing to do is to change the device name to something that will later clearly tell me which machine this is. I renamed the machine to VM-W10PRO07, it being the seventh W10 Pro VM I have activated. When transferring the license, it is important that you know the device name for the license you wish to transfer.
After the restart required by renaming the machine, I activated this VM using one of my MAK keys for the Windows 10 Pro edition. At this point, activation status is shown as Activated with a digital license:
Click screenshots to open enlarged in a new tab.
If I now clicked the Add an account under Add a Microsoft Account link, my local account would be switched to a Microsoft Account, and this license would be registered for that MS account. If a Microsoft account is what you want to use, click Add an account and follow the on-screen instructions to sign in. However, if you are like me and want to continue using a local account, do not click that link! See this earlier Win10.guru story, scroll down to title Why not best of both?, and see how to add a Microsoft account to Windows 10 without switching a local account to a Microsoft account: Microsoft Account vs. Local Account – Why not both?
Whichever method you choose, after switching to a Microsoft account or adding an MS account to a local account, the activation status changes to Activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account:
One last check: I will go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices/ and check that the new machine, and its digital license have been added to my MS account:
That’s it, the digital license is now ready to be transferred.
Transferring a Digital License
Let’s say that my sample machine was a real, physical machine, and that it died. A Retail license registered on my MS account now belongs to a device that does not exist anymore. I can assemble a new PC, clean-install Windows 10 Pro on it selecting I don’t have a product key, and when I get to its desktop for the first time, rename that PC and restart. Then, I can either switch to a Microsoft account or add an MS account to a local account.
When all that is done, I go to Activation settings, and select the activation troubleshooter:
At the next prompt, I select I recently changed hardware on this device link:
A list of devices registered to my MS account is then shown. I select my sample VM, and click Activate:
The new clean installation on the new device is now activated:
Easy and fast!
That’s it, geeks. Take care of your licenses, register them on your MS account using a clear, explanatory device name.
Kari
Author: Kari Finn
A former Windows Insider MVP, Kari started in computing in the mid 80’s writing code for VAX / VMS systems. Since then, he’s worked in a variety of IT positions. He specializes in Windows image capture, customization, repair and deployment as well as Hyper-V virtualization. Kari is a proud Team Member at number #1 Windows site TenForums.com.
“Let’s say that my sample machine was a real, physical machine, and that it died. A Retail license registered on my MS account now belongs to a device that does not exist anymore. I can assemble a new PC, clean-install Windows 10 Pro on it selecting I don’t have a product key, and when I get to its desktop for the first time, rename that PC and restart. ”
Why do you rename the PC? Is it because you don’t like the name it automatically installed?
When transferring a license, using default PC names, I would be shown a list of my Windows 10 installs like this:
– DESKTOP-14JHU74
– DESKTOP-2HJIDF9
– DESKTOP-IDGH43H
That’s how Windows Setup names devices. DESKTOP followed by hyphen and a 7 character string (device name can be max. 15 characters), regardless if it’s a desktop PC, laptop or virtual machine. How on earth should I find out which license I should transfer, not select a license from a device I want to keep licensed?
I’d rather see a list of devices like this, to instantly recognize the device and license I can and want to reuse:
– HPLAPTOP-01
– HPLAPTOP-02
– ASUSLAPTOP-01
– HPDESKTOP-01
– MEDIONTABLET-01
Get it? Renaming the PC with a name that is clear to me, I have easy to find it on list of my devices on https://account.microsoft.com/devices, because devices are registered with the device name.
The more devices you have registered on your Microsoft account, the more important this will be. I have currently over 20 devices registered, half of them virtual machines. It is important to me to know which licenses I can reuse, not selecting a wrong registered device when transferring a license.
Ok, I see thanks. I have 4 windows 10 PC, I printed out my online web page and wrote on each PC which one it is, that way I know which one is defunct if it dies.
How about this, I have an Asus 2 in 1 notebook, came OEM with win10 home.
I added an NVME ssd and installed a retail win10 pro, so now it has 2 activated win 10 linked to my online MS account using the same hardware.
When I go to my online MS account page, the machine name and OS type changes for this hardware depending if one or the other OS is running. I was thinking how would I move my win 10 pro retail off this notebook, is MS account activation smart enough to know I have 2 win10 versions activated on the same hardware at the same time? I can imagine it could move the pro activated license ok, what then happens when the OEM win 10 home boots up, will it show as activated with a digital license linked to my account?
Upgrading Windows 10 Home to Pro does not remove the license for Home edition. Instead, it adds another digital license for the same machine for Pro edition. From that point on, you can always start from scratch, installing Home or Pro, both being automatically activated. I have four digital licenses on this laptop I am using at the moment, and can choose between Pro, Pro for Workstations, Education and Enterprise editions when doing a clean reinstall.
If you set up original Home with default Windows 10 device name, and then upgraded to Pro, you should see that device name twice on your device list, once as Home, and once as Pro. Transferring Pro license to another device only removes its license, but the Home license will remain.
Is there a resource where a complete description of all windows install descriptions exist ? I ask because in 2016 I purchased a OEM version of Window 10 PRO. I have it installed on one of my systems but using “slmgr /dli” does not display it as a OEM version. Below is a copy of what that command displays:
Name: Windows(r), Professional Edition
Description: Windows(r) Operating System, Retail Channel
Partial Product Key: xxxx
License State: Licensed
The Description on the envelope that has the DVD in, lists it as “WIN PRO 10 64BIT ENGLISH 1PK DSP OEI DVD Version 1511”.
So my question is: Is it a OEM version or a RETAIL version ? since yours stated it was OEM.
If you are unsure, you can check the Product ID in Settings . If Product ID ends with OEM (three last characters), then your Windows 10 is an OEM version . See screenshot: https://win10.guru/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/W10-OEM.jpg
I’m trying to activate a new Windows 10 on a new laptop after clean installation using the digital license that’s associated with my Microsoft account. On the old (activated) laptop, I can see the “Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account” message when I go to the activation setting.
On the new laptop, if I log in with the same Microsoft account, Windows is not activated. I get the message that a valid product key has not been found (0xC004F213).
Using the trouble shooter, I get the message that Windows cannot be activated on this device. I then click “I recently changed the hardware for this device.”
I then get a dialog showing me the device with the old laptop name. If I click “Activate”, I get a simple “Windows cannot be activated” message.
When I use slmgr/dli command on my old laptop, it says “retail channel”.
I’m kind of confused right now. How do I get this working?
Do I need to reset the old laptop to remove the digital license so that I can activate on the new one?
Help me!!
hello kari, thanks for your explanation.
I have just bought a new notebook which came with win10 home one lang. licence and I have already using a digital licence from insider program. both is registered on the same windows account.
I’m hoping to switch one to another basically 🙂
what do you think?
best,
Can I activate Windows 10 on another device if I got Windows 10 as a free upgrade from Windows 7 and Windows 10 is activated with a digital license linked to my Microsoft Account?
I have Windows 10 Home when I run the slmgr /dli I get Name:windows(R) core edition Description windows(R) operating system OEM_DM channel
partial product key XX XXX licence status : licensed
it also says has been activated digital signed to my Microsoft account when I change product key and put in my purchased pro key I get we can’t activate windows on this deviser at the moment 0X8000ffff and when I try using the default product key for pro as the supplier of my key told me to try I get a similar message with 0X80010105 so how do I upgrade my windows home to pro or can’t I ?
See if this tutorial on Ten Forums can help you: Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro
Your article is 100% BS. I’ve transferred literally dozens of OEM licenses to new hardware/machines by simply logging into the new machine using the MS account tied to the old hardware ID string through an MS account, and in EVERY SINGLE CASE the OS was activated without fail. The digital entitlement follows the account. MS doesn’t give a tin shit about the machine anymore like they used to. They WANT everybody using Windows 10 and are willing to ignore changes of hardware in order to see that happen so long as you do have a valid license attached to your account.
Thanks for your feedback. I just want to tell you, that when writing about anything Microsoft and Windows, be it this topic or anything else, I must remain “legit”. It means, that I must base my writing on official information from Microsoft. According to that, OEM licenses cannot be transferred.
In the article, I even admit that it is not 100% truth:
“One somewhat grey area is Microsoft’s tech support: on various tech sites and forums you can read about users claiming that talking to the activation helpline succeeded, and an OEM license reactivated even after both motherboard and CPU were swapped out and automatic activation failed.”
If I had written that “Don’t believe official Microsoft information, you can also transfer OEM licenses”, someone had for sure commented that what I wrote was “100% BS” because they could not transfer an OEM license.
Other than that, I would like to know in what way my article is / was “100% BS”? What information given is not true?
Were you going to answer Min Maw’s question? I have a question similar to theirs.
First time builder and I have a Retail License for my PC tied to my Microsoft account. I received my pc from this site shopucw.com and it had windows on it original. I just had to boot the machine and set up my account. I also know that my Microsoft account is tied to the digital license from looking at the “Your info” & “Activation” tabs as well as Microsoft.com/devices.
Below is my retail license.
Name: Windows (R), Professional edition
Description; Windows(R) Operating System, RETAIL channel
Partial Product Key: 3V66t
License Status: Licensed
When I build my new PC, if I follow your steps, OS should activate on my system, right?
What I am confused on is the “I recently changed hardware on this device.” Is the “device” the OS or your actual system? If it your actual system, how would I be able to find my hardware on a new computer?
Hi, Is it possible or legit to ask this? Can a retail Win Pro 10 win32 1PD DSP 0EI DVD version 1909 (on DVD) be installed on two PC’s? I use one for personal, the other for my own small business. Just bought the software and was hoping to install on both. (expensive!) Thanks so much.
You can use the same install media, USB or DVD, to install Windows on unlimited number of devices. However, each of these installations then requires an individual license and product key.
In your case, it means that you need to buy a second license: Buy Windows 10 Pro