25 July 2024Amanda J. Brook Senior Product Manager
Summary Transferring a Windows 10 license to a new PC or hard drive can save money, especially for custom-built systems. This process is beneficial if you're replacing an old computer, selling a device, or activating a virtual machine. The ability to transfer depends on how the original product key was obtained. The guide provides steps to determine eligibility and transfer the license.
Many manufacturers ship new computers with an activated copy of Windows 10, but this is not the case for custom-built systems. If you decide to build a new system yourself, you will need a new license for Windows 10, which could be expensive depending on the edition.
However, if you are building a new system to replace another computer, you may be able to transfer the Windows 10 product key to save money. The ability to transfer an existing license has benefits beyond saving you money. For example, it comes in handy when you plan to sell the device and retain the product key or want to reuse a license to activate a virtual machine.
Whatever your reason might be, under the Microsoft rules, you are entitled to transfer a Windows license. But, it all depends on how you obtained the original product key. This guide will walk you through the steps to transfer a Windows 10 product license key to a new computer.
How to Determine Whether You Can Transfer a Product Key on Windows 10
Microsoft uses different channels to distribute Windows 10 licenses, but consumers can only obtain a license through two channels: Retail and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).
Retail License
If you purchased a Retail license of Windows 10, you are entitled to transfer the product key to another computer. If you plan to upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 with a retail copy, you can also move the product key to another device. Generally speaking, you do not have a limit on the number of times you can transfer a license as long as you deactivate the previous installation, so you’re not using the same product key on more than one system.
The only problem is that sometimes, you may still encounter activation errors, which you may not resolve until you contact Microsoft support directly and explain the situation.
OEM License
If you have a computer pre-installed with Windows 10, you are dealing with an “OEM” license. In this case, the product key is not transferable, and you are not allowed to use it to activate another device. Also, if you upgraded to Windows 10 Pro from Windows 10 Home by purchasing the upgrade through the Microsoft Store, you can transfer the license to a new computer because the product key will be converted into a digital license linked to your Microsoft account.
How to Transfer a Product Key to a New PC on Windows 10
On a computer with a retail license of Windows 10, you can transfer the product key to a new device. You only have to remove the license from the system, and then you can apply the same key on the new computer.
Deactivate Old Windows 10 Setup
To remove the product key on Windows 10, use these steps:
1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to remove the current product key and press Enter:
slmgr /upk
Tip: If you don’t see the “Uninstalled product key successfully” message, you may need to run the command multiple times until the message shows up.
4. Type the following command to clear the license from the Registry and press Enter:
slmgr /cpky
Once you complete the steps, you are ready to use the product key to activate the same edition of Windows 10 on a new system.
While the instructions outlined above will uninstall the product key, the process won’t remove the activation from the [Microsoft servers](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/activation-in-windows-10-4c1032e1-3f2b-4f6d-9f0a-c4820e1aef6a). Instead, the process will prevent the detection of the same product key being used in multiple devices, allowing you to reactivate another computer. If the computer is no longer in service or connected to the internet, it’s not necessary to use these steps since you should be able to use the product key on the new system without issues.
Activate New Windows 10 Setup
After deactivating the previous installation, you can use the product key to activate a new installation manually. Or you can contact Microsoft support for assistance if the manual process isn’t working.
Method 1: Install License using Command Prompt
To activate Windows 10 with a previous product key, use these steps:
1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to reactivate Windows 10 and press Enter:
slmgr /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Note: In the command, replace “xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx” with the product key you want to use to activate Windows 10.
4. Type the following command to verify the activation and press Enter:
slmgr /dlv
5. Confirm under the “License Status” section that the status reads “Licensed” to verify that Windows 10 is fully activated.
Once you complete these steps, Windows 10 should activate successfully on the new installation. If the status is set to “Notification,” restart the computer and recheck the status with the command (see step 4), or you can also check on Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
Method 2: Install License using Microsoft Support
Alternatively, you may need to contact the Microsoft support line to complete the activation by providing the installation ID using the slui 4 command. However, there have been reports about the command not working. If this is your case, you may need to contact Microsoft directly and explain the situation to activate the installation. To activate a copy of Windows 10 with support assistance, use these steps:
1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to activate the copy of Windows 10 and press Enter:
slui 4
4. Select your region from the activation wizard.
5. Click the Next button.
6. Use the toll-free number to call Microsoft.
Quick tip: In addition to making a direct call to the support line, you may also be able to use the “Get Help” app to activate the installation. In the app, share the details about the problem and send the “Installation ID” as provided in the wizard. Then the virtual assistant should give you a “Confirmation ID” to activate Windows 10.
7. Confirm the Installation ID number.
8. Click the Enter confirmation ID button.
9. Type the “confirmation ID” provided by Microsoft support.
10. Click the Activate Windows button. After you complete these steps, Windows 10 should activate without major problems.
If you need to migrate not only the Windows registry but also the entire Windows system, along with other software and personal documents, please refer to the next section for instructions on using Renee Becca for system migration.
Use Renee Becca to Migrate Windows 10 System if necessary
Renee Becca is a tool specifically designed for system and hard disk data backup and restoration. It can efficiently back up and restore essential data on your computer, including programs, system configurations, emails, photos, videos, documents, and bookmarks. Additionally, it allows for disk and system data cloning with 3 different cloning methods: hard disk cloning, partition cloning, and system migration. Choose the most suitable method based on your individual needs.
Hot Topic - ADsRenee Becca – Safe and Quick System Migration to SSD
Automatic 4K alignment Improves SSD performance during system migration.
Support GPT and MBR Automatically adapt to the suitable partition format.
Support NTFS and FAT32 Redeploy various files in different file systems.
Back up quickly Back up files at up to 3,000MB/min.
Overall backup schedule Support system redeployment/system backup/partition backup/disk backup/disk clone.
Automatic 4K alignment Improve SSD performance
Support GPT and MBR Intelligently adapt to a partition format
Support NTFS and FAT32 Redeploy files in different file systems
With the help of Renee Becca, it is very convenient to migrate the Windows 10 system to the hard disk of other computers, making it a system disk. The specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Connect the hard disk of other computers to the original computer through an external hard disk box.
Step 2: Download and install Renee Becca on the original computer, and select the “System Redeploy” option in the main interface under the “Clone” column.
Step 3: In the “System Migration” window, choose a new hard disk as the target location and the system partition as the source. Click the migration button to start the process. Wait for the progress bar to reach 100% to indicate successful migration. Install the new hard disk on other computers and set it as the first boot device in the BIOS. Check and adjust the settings in the BIOS if needed.
Tips: The total capacity of the new hard disk needs to be greater than the size of the system to be migrated; in addition, since all data in the target disk will be erased during the system migration, please check whether the target disk exists before the official system migration. Important data, and make file backups in advance. If you want to migrate all the data of the original system hard disk (not just the system partition) to the new hard disk, you can also choose the hard disk clone/clone system hard disk function.
Conclusion
Transferring a Windows 10 license to a new PC or hard drive can save you money and is a straightforward process if you follow the correct steps. Ensure you have a retail license, deactivate the old setup, and activate the new one using the provided methods. Always match the edition of the license with the corresponding Windows 10 version to avoid activation issues.
Hot Topic - ADsRenee Becca – Safe and Quick System Migration to SSD
Automatic 4K alignment Improves SSD performance during system migration.
Support GPT and MBR Automatically adapt to the suitable partition format.
Support NTFS and FAT32 Redeploy various files in different file systems.
Back up quickly Back up files at up to 3,000MB/min.
Overall backup schedule Support system redeployment/system backup/partition backup/disk backup/disk clone.
Automatic 4K alignment Improve SSD performance
Support GPT and MBR Intelligently adapt to a partition format
Support NTFS and FAT32 Redeploy files in different file systems
