Do I need to deactivate my Win10 key somehow when selling my PC without the drive it was installed on?

emberfq

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Nov 23, 2017
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So basically I'm selling my PC including my Windows 10. But I am keeping my boot drive. The new owner will then want to install W10 again on a new drive, using that same product key I provided.

Is this possible the way I imagine it, first of all?

And if yes, do I need to somehow uninstall it from my drive first? Because I imagine I can't just take my drive out, otherwise it would be a second activation once the new owner tries to use the key.
What exactly do I need to do?
 
Solution


OK, so you have a digital license, which is tied to the hardware, as well as maybe your MS account.
Go into your MS account, and remove that system/license from your account.

When the new owner install, it will activate, and he can link it to his account as needed.

nobspls

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Mar 14, 2018
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Nah you don't need to do anything so fussy. The key is bound to the motherboard. You won't be able to activate your old license on a new board anyways. If you do, please share you magic. I've experimented with this plenty, and not once did it work, activate on a new motherboard with the old license.

If you are worried about your data, just wipe the drive. They can get the bare metal, and install from scratch themselves. There is nothing more you need to do.
 

Barty1884

Retired Moderator
Do you want to be able to continue using your Windows 10 install *and* sell a system with a Windows 10 license?
Can't be done.

Typically, W10 is tied via "digital entitlement" to the hardware. So reinstalling the same version of Windows, on a new drive will activate when online.
BUT, if you've linked it to your MS account and want to reuse it yourself, it likely won't activate for the buyer of your old system.


You don't really "uninstall" from a drive - your "install" on a new drive, and move the activation over.



https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change

Since Windows 10, things have changed somewhat and you can reactivate, following "significant hardware changes".
I've replaced motherboards and had it reactivate, using the troubleshooter.
I've seen people successfully move their OS to an entirely new build.

It's possible - just not guaranteed. You typically have to live chat with MS (and link it to your MS account, as per the link).

Either way, can't be used in two places at once.
Either the OP is buying a new Windows 10 license for themselves, or the buyer of the old rig will need to buy one to use.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Where did your current Win 10 license come from?
This has implications on how you transfer it to the new owner.
 

emberfq

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Nov 23, 2017
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To clarify, I am buying a new license for myself. The buyer gets the PC and the W10, just not my boot drive.
The license came from a W8 key I bought and then upgraded back in 2015. I don't really remember what kind of W8 key I bought.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


OK, so you have a digital license, which is tied to the hardware, as well as maybe your MS account.
Go into your MS account, and remove that system/license from your account.

When the new owner install, it will activate, and he can link it to his account as needed.
 
Solution

emberfq

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Nov 23, 2017
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Ok I think I found where in the MS account section. It lists all my devices there, including the PC. Do I simply hit "Remove PC"? Does that do it? Or is there somewhere else I need to navigate to to remove the actual OS license?
BwbJUHb.png
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


"Remove PC" is it, I believe.
Your MS account will no longer know about that hardware.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Yes you can.
Read and do this before you change any parts:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3164428/windows-build-1607-activation.html

I've done it. It works.
 

nobspls

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It does not work. I have a bunch of wold windows 7 pro boxes that were upgraded to windows 10 pro during the free upgrade period. But as their motherboards start to fail with old age, old core 2 duos, I can not swap to a modern skylake, kabylake, or ryzen board and get windows 10 pro to activate.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


All I can relate is my personal experience.

For instance, my wife's system.
Going from a Pentium G840 to an i3-8100. Was originally 8.1(?), upgraded to 10 in the initial free period.
Activation in the new hardware worked just fine.
 

nobspls

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Mar 14, 2018
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Are old Dell's treated differently by Microsoft if you replace the motherboard+psu with non-Dell products. Because it sure seems that might be the case with trying upgrade the old dell hardware, that has been successfully transitioned to Windows 10.

Can you really transfer Windows 10 "activated with digital license" license across motherboards that started life as old Window 7 pro OEM licenses?