When can a Windows 10 license be moved to another PC?

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On occasion, we may need to move a license we have from Windows 10 to another computer, so it's always good to know when we can and when not. In this sense, Microsoft imposes restrictions which it sometimes does not comply with, so it is often difficult to know whether it is possible to do this or not . For this reason, in Softzone we are going to give you some examples in which transferring the Windows 10 license to another computer is possible.

Most of the time when we change PC, we buy it with a new operating system license, so there is no need to make a switch between one and the other. The reasons why we need to change the license can be varied, although they are generally linked to the creation of a computer to our liking and not obtaining a new license, or when the PC motherboard has been broken. In these cases, Windows considers that when changing the motherboard of the computer, it is a new computer, and it is necessary to switch the license from one to the other.

The first thing to say is that what Microsoft does not allow in any case is to have the same license on two computers at the same time, so if you want to move it, you have to remove it first. on the other by cleaning the hard drive of the computer drive.

This is what Microsoft allows with a license

As we said before, Windows recognizes another computer when we change our PC's motherboard to another. For this reason, we may have problems when license transfer from one PC to another . However, if the motherboard is broken, Redmond will allow the installation of the same license on another motherboard. Of course, we will have to contact them and explain the situation to them so that they can activate it over the phone, because normally the system prevents this.

You can also move the license when we bought a full minor version, which is usually only done when we build our own computer, we installed Windows on a Mac or wanted to use it in a virtual machine. In these cases, Microsoft still allows you to move this license to another PC.

This is what Microsoft does not allow with the license

When we buy a PC with a preinstalled version of Windows, this license will always be linked to the purchased computer and cannot be moved for any reason, except, of course, that the computer motherboard has been broken. Manufacturers pay less for this non-transferable license than for a transferable license, hence the restriction.

Nor can a license be moved when a “digital right” to use it has been obtained. This "digital right" is obtained, for example, when upgrading for free to Windows 10 from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 . Yes, it is true that a new license is not received, but it will be activated when we reinstall Windows 10 on this computer in the future. And yes, it is not transferable, even if the Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 license has been transferred to different computers.

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