How to move a digital account/linked license to a new computer

I never read much of what winston posted, to be honest. I think this
was his problem, but not really sure.

I have never done this because I have the activation tool and have no
need for a MS account. I have always thought that you can activate
windows on a new machine with your account info that is linked to a
retail copy of Windows 10 Pro, no idea about Home. Windows doesn't
know if it's a new computer or a hardware change:


How to activate Windows 10 after hardware changes:

When you have linked your Windows 10 digital license to your Microsoft
account, then you can use the following direction to activate Windows
10 after hardware changes.

Step 1: Click on Start Menu. Then select Settings.

Step 2: Click Update & security.

Step 3: Then click on Activation. If your Windows 10 copy is not
activated and you see a link labeled as Troubleshoot.

Step 4: After that click on Troubleshoot link to open Windows 10
activation troubleshooter and get your copy of Windows 10 activated
after hardware changes.

Step 5: If the troubleshooter fails to activate Windows 10, then you
will see a option as I changed hardware on this device recently.

Step 6: Click on I changed hardware on this device recently link or
option to see a page where you need to enter your Microsoft account
email address as well as password.

Step 7: Then try to select your Windows 10 computer from the devices
list, check the box labeled as This is the device I am using right now
and then click on Activate button to activate your copy of Windows 10.
I have never tried this but I always thought it was true. Never gave
it much thought, to be honest. I can activate Windows in under 1.5
minutes so being somewhat lazy I never tested the above method.

On 09/19/2018 01:39 AM, Johnson wrote:
I never read much of what winston posted, to be honest. I think this
was his problem, but not really sure.

I have never done this because I have the activation tool and have no
need for a MS account. I have always thought that you can activate
windows on a new machine with your account info that is linked to a
retail copy of Windows 10 Pro, no idea about Home. Windows doesn't
know if it's a new computer or a hardware change:


How to activate Windows 10 after hardware changes:

When you have linked your Windows 10 digital license to your Microsoft
account, then you can use the following direction to activate Windows
10 after hardware changes.

Step 1: Click on Start Menu. Then select Settings.

Step 2: Click Update & security.

Step 3: Then click on Activation. If your Windows 10 copy is not
activated and you see a link labeled as Troubleshoot.

Step 4: After that click on Troubleshoot link to open Windows 10
activation troubleshooter and get your copy of Windows 10 activated
after hardware changes.

Step 5: If the troubleshooter fails to activate Windows 10, then you
will see a option as I changed hardware on this device recently.

Step 6: Click on I changed hardware on this device recently link or
option to see a page where you need to enter your Microsoft account
email address as well as password.

Step 7: Then try to select your Windows 10 computer from the devices
list, check the box labeled as This is the device I am using right now
and then click on Activate button to activate your copy of Windows 10.
I have never tried this but I always thought it was true. Never gave
it much thought, to be honest. I can activate Windows in under 1.5
minutes so being somewhat lazy I never tested the above method.

I had the insider version loaded on a desktop. I've been using a laptop
more and more and found little reason to keep using the desktop and
loaded the insider in VirtualBox and had to re-activate it of course.
Not sure what I did, but it's running on totally new hardware since the
VirtualBox software would present a whole new processor, board, drive
etc to the OS.

Al.