Looking to learn how to transfer Windows 10 license to a new computer? Look no further Microsoft has a strict rule that you can only install and activate a Windows 10 license on one computer at a time.
This is mainly to prevent software piracy. However, we get it, there might be times when you need to transfer your Windows 10 license to a new pc.
This usually arises when you’re building a new system from scratch or if you want to use a license on a new virtual machine.
Fortunately, there is a way to transfer your license to a new system. However, many rules are dictating whether or not you can do it, depending on how you obtained the license in the first place.
So, before you start following the steps below, make sure you can even do it in the first place.
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Can you transfer Windows 10 license to a new computer?
Most likely, you will fall under one of the following scenarios. Depending on that, you can proceed further:
- If you bought a PC that came pre-installed with Windows 10, you likely have an OEM license. This is typically the case for most people. OEM licenses can’t be transferred to other computers. The same applies if you upgraded your Windows 10 from an OEM version of Windows 7, 8, or 8.1;
- If you bought a Retail copy of Windows 10, then you can easily transfer it to other computers as many times as you like. However, you must always deactivate the license on the older computer before transferring it to the new one;
- If you had upgraded your Windows 10 from a retail copy of Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, then you can transfer it to another computer only one time;
- If you upgraded your Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro, using the Easy Upgrade, you can transfer it to other systems. In this case, your product key is converted into a digital license that is linked to your Microsoft account.
How to transfer Windows 10 license
If you’re eligible to move your Windows 10 license to a new computer, you can begin the transfer process. It has two parts.
First, you will need to deactivate the license on your existing computer and then you will need to activate it on the new machine. Let’s begin with the first.
Part I: Deactivating Windows 10 on the old computer
Here, you are uninstalling the license on your existing computer. The steps are:
- Click on the Start Menu button;
- Type “Command Prompt” to search for it;
- Right-click on the very first item in the list and select “Run as administrator” from the options given;

- A new window will open up. There, type “slmgr /upk” without the quotes and hit Enter. This will uninstall the license on your computer;

- As soon as the process is complete, you will see a small window with the message “Uninstalled product key successfully”. If that doesn’t appear, repeat the procedure from the 4th step. You may need to do it several times.
Part II: Activating Windows 10 on the new computer
Now comes the procedure where you activate the license on your new system. Open up your new PC and follow the below steps:
- Click on the Start menu button;
- Type “Command Prompt” to search for it;
- Right-click on the very first item in the list and select “Run as administrator” from the options;

- A new window will open up. There, type “slmgr /ipk” without the quotes, then hit space, and then type your Windows 10 product key. Then hit Enter. This will install the license on this computer;

- As soon as the process is complete, you will see a small window with the message “Installed product key *your product key” successfully”;
- You can even verify that the installation of the license succeeded by typing “slmgr /dlv” without the quotes and hitting Enter. A new window will open up where you can check what it says under “License Status”. If your license was successfully installed, it should say “Licensed”.

Wrap Up
Knowing how to transfer Windows 10 license to a new computer, can be useful in certain circumstances. And more, It might save you some money as you don’t need to buy a new license from Microsoft which can cost hundreds of dollars.
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