Computers and notebooks are not indestructible and, inevitably, the day comes when we will have to replace them. If we have purchased a Windows 10 license, we can avoid purchasing another for the new PC, by transferring the user license from the old computer to the new one, in a safe and legal manner. In this guide we will show you all the steps to follow to transfer a Windows 10 license to a new computer, so that you can continue to use it without problems. Obviously, we only consider the transfer of license if we personally assemble our desktop computer or choose a laptop without an operating system: if we focus on a pre-assembled or classic notebook, the Windows 10 license is already included so it doesn't have much way to transfer the old one.
Article Index
- Licenses that can be transferred
- Recognize the type of Windows 10 license
- Copy Windows 10 license to old PC
- Install Windows 10 license on new PC
Licenses that can be transferred
Not all license keys for Windows 10 can be transferred from one computer to another: those compatible with the transfer are those identified as Retail licenses, ie the licenses for free sale in online stores and shopping centers; here we can find an example of a Retail license -> Windows 10 Home (145 €).On preassembled computers we often find Windows 10 already activated and functional, but in this case they take advantage of the OEM licenses (provided exclusively to computer manufacturers) and it is indissolubly linked to the motherboard used during the installation: if we try to install this license on a new computer, it will not be recognized and we will only get an error message.
On company computers or belonging to a business network we often find computers with volume licenses, with a single key valid on several different installations: on paper these licenses can be transferred without problems, but if the license is revoked or compromised, all PCs with Windows 10 that use it will no longer work, requiring a new user license.
To follow the steps that we will show you in this guide, it is essential to recognize the type of license we have, so as to avoid wasting time and transferring a license that we cannot use on the new PC.
Recognize the type of Windows 10 license
To recognize the type of license in our possession, we start the old computer to be decommissioned, click on the bottom left of the Start menu then search for Command Prompt, opening the homonymous program. Once the prompt is opened, we type the following command
slmgr.vbs / dlv
then press the Enter key on the keyboard; a window will open with all the information on the type of license in use.
To understand the type of license, just look at the Channel Key Product Key string, in which we will be told what we have.
If we find Retail, we can transfer the license to any PC without problems.
READ ALSO: Move the Windows license and deactivate the product key from the old PC
Copy Windows 10 license to old PC
Now that we have found out the type of license, let's copy the license from the old computer. To do this we must use a free program like ProduKey, available for free download from here -> Nirsoft ProduKey.
Once the compressed file has been downloaded, we extract the files to a folder of your choice and start the executable program; we will immediately show the active license key on our computer, under the Product Key field.
We take note of the sequence of characters, including the dashes, on a sheet of paper or on a notepad (even digital, perhaps using the phone for the occasion).
Now that we have copied the code, we can also decide whether or not to remove the license from the old PC: this move could be useful if we have to resell the PC and we want to prevent someone from using our license. To remove the product key associated with the old computer, open the command prompt with administrator permissions (right click on the icon -> Run as administrator ) directly from the Start menu in the lower left, then use the following command:
slmgr.vbs / upk
Press Enter on the keyboard and restart the computer to make the changes effective; to also delete the key from the Windows registry, run the command:
slmgr.vbs / cpky
Now the computer of the absence of a license key and will ask us to buy it or to insert a new one.
Install Windows 10 license on new PC
After recovering the license key, we start the new PC with Windows 10 and proceed with its installation. We can follow two methods: the first involves the use of network connectivity, the other allows you to install the license offline, without the need to be connected to the Internet (which is still useful for checking the license, which will be done automatically on the first connection).
Activate Windows 10 online
To install and activate Windows 10 online using the old recovered user license, we open the command prompt again with administrator permissions (right click on the icon -> Run as administrator ), then use the following command:
slmgr.vbs / ipk ##### - ##### - ##### - ##### - #####
Instead of the asterisks, we insert the product key recovered from the old computer, then press Enter to confirm the insertion. Now that the key is inserted, we will have to activate it online: to do this, connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi or via Ethernet cable, then launch the following command from the prompt seen above:
slmgr.vbs / ato
A confirmation window will open as soon as the Windows license is confirmed by the Microsoft server: we can now use our new computer without worrying about the license.
Activate Windows 10 offline
To activate Windows 10 without an Internet connection, we will have to obtain the ID code of the operating system used on the new PC and make a call to Microsoft Customer Service. We immediately retrieve the ID code by running the following code in the command prompt:
slmgr.vbs / dti
We take note of the code provided and call Microsoft Support at 800-531042 . We follow the instructions in the help item and provide the operator who will answer us with the ID code obtained from the previous command and the Windows 10 license that we intend to activate.
We will obtain an activation ID from the operator, to be kept for the duration of the process; first of all, install the license on the new PC, launching the command previously seen (always with the prompt in administrator mode):
slmgr.vbs / ipk ##### - ##### - ##### - ##### - #####
Then we proceed to offline activation by running the following command:
slmgr.vbs / atp ACTIVATION CODE
We replace the word ACTIVATION CODE with the code provided by the operator during the call.
We restart the computer and check that the license is active by running the command from a prompt:
slmgr.vbs / dlv
If everything went correctly, our new computer with Windows 10 will be active even if we don't have an Internet connection yet.
READ ALSO -> Buy the Windows 10 Pro and Home license for a few Euros
