Is there a way to transfer a Windows 11 Pro digital license from a VMware VM to an actual physical machine?

I have a VMware virtual machine with Windows 11 Pro installed, activated & digitally linked to a Microsoft account (separate from the Microsoft account used by the host machine still running Windows 10 Pro). I have purchased a newly assembled computer yesterday on which I plan to install Windows 11 Pro by transferring my digital license from the VMware VM (I will deactivate & delete the VM from the Microsoft account linked devices list as soon as my new computer gets the license transferred). Is this possible? If yes, will the process be the same as the one used for transferring digital licenses (I have a retail license) between two physical machines?

Uninstall the product key – this is the closest to deactivating the Windows License. This method does not inform Microsoft Activation Servers the license is no longer in use on the machine; instead, it will avoid conflicts down the road if Microsoft Activation Servers were to detect the license in use on more than one system.

Press Windows key + X then click Command Prompt (Admin). At the command prompt, enter the following command: slmgr.vbs /upk

This command uninstalls the product key, which frees the license for use elsewhere.[/ICODE]

FreeBooter said:

This command uninstalls the product key, which frees the license for use elsewhere.

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Do Microsoft activation servers differentiate between digital licenses for VMs and physical machines (desktops, laptops, tablets etc)? If I uninstall my product key from the VM, am I free to use it on a physical machine without running into any device type does not match or similar activation error?

ashnole said:

....Is this possible?

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I had a problem when exporting a Hyper-V VM from its old Host machine to a new Host. The VM would not run on the new Host. I creates a new VM on the new Host that used the virtual drive from the VM that wouldn't run, but that of course was not activated as the machine ID was different. I successfully transferred activation from the old VM to the new one using the Activation Troubleshooter.

You may be able to do the same if you clone the OS from your VM to the new PC first. If so, then once the new PC has its own digital licence you could do a clean install.

Bree said:

I signed in to the activated VM on the old host and switched it from a local account to a Microsoft account. Next I shut it down and signed in to the unactivated new VM on the new Host. Running the Activation Troubleshooter and selecting 'I have changed hardware' enabled me to transfer activation to this new clone VM.

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Hyper-V - Preserve virtual machine digital license (activation) - post #27

Hi,
Never know until you try.

I've read ms will activate just using the same ethernet/ wifi card lol

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
Never know until you try.

I've read ms will activate just using the same ethernet/ wifi card lol

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Didn't work for me. I had to call MS and give them a 20+ ID number to which they gave me a 20+ number to enter. After that my Windows 10 Pro was activated.

If deactivation of the license doesn't allow you to activate the physical computer online, the only legit way is to do it by phone. If asked how many PCs you have used the same key, the only correct reply is 1. Anything else will block activation.

@Kari just tried this yesterday. Do not do anything with the VM. Leave it activated and attached to your Microsoft account. Then yes, you can transfer the digital license to a physical computer using the activation troubleshooter

This would deactivate the virtual machine, wouldn't it?

spapakons said:

This would deactivate the virtual machine, wouldn't it?

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No

NavyLCDR said:

@Kari just tried this yesterday. Do not do anything with the VM. Leave it activated and attached to your Microsoft account. Then yes, you can transfer the digital license to a physical computer using the activation troubleshooter

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NavyLCDR said:

@Kari just tried this yesterday. Do not do anything with the VM. Leave it activated and attached to your Microsoft account. Then yes, you can transfer the digital license to a physical computer using the activation troubleshooter

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At one time, you cpuld not transfer between a vm and physical pc but now it seems you can!

spapakons said:

This would deactivate the virtual machine, wouldn't it?

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If you transfer the digital licence from vm to physical pc, you are supposed to remove windows from vm to comply with EULA.

If you run two machines off same licence, that is essentially piracy.

From my experience, when you change computer, as when you upgrade your computer and try to use the same Windows installation, you almost certainly have to activate again. The upgrade can be as little as replacing the mechanical disk with an SSD. So if you install Windows on a virtual machine and then try to boot that installation natively on your computer, you will be asked to activate again. Usually the installation remains activated on the original system as long as you never try to boot it at the same time on the other computer. That is you don't use the mechanical disk on another computer while you use the SSD clone on the original system or vice versa. Of course this violates EULA and you must choose one system and never use the other, unless to restore in case of disaster. Using the same license at both machines sooner or later will deactivate in one or both. The same is true for Office. Unless you never connect to the internet, which is not likely for a modern computer.

spapakons said:

From my experience, when you change computer, as when you upgrade your computer and try to use the same Windows installation, you almost certainly have to activate again. The upgrade can be as little as replacing the mechanical disk with an SSD. So if you install Windows on a virtual machine and then try to boot that installation natively on your computer, you will be asked to activate again. Usually the installation remains activated on the original system as long as you never try to boot it at the same time on the other computer. That is you don't use the mechanical disk on another computer while you use the SSD clone on the original system or vice versa. Of course this violates EULA and you must choose one system and never use the other, unless to restore in case of disaster. Using the same license at both machines sooner or later will deactivate in one or both.

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Your experiene, @spapakons has been different than anything I have ever read about or experienced myself. I have never read nor experienced Windows 10/11 deactivating because of an upgrade from HDD to SSD. I have never heard nor seen the original system deactivating because the new computer and old computer were booted at the same time (assuming a transfer of the digital license from the old computer to the new computer via a MS account - they both just simply remain activated, no caveats, the same is true for simply reusing a retail product key). I have never seen nor heard of using the same license at both machines causing any problems at all so long as Microsoft has issued a digital license for both computers.

Now, whether or not any of the above situations actually complies with the EULA or not is another statement. But I have never seen nor heard of Microsoft revoking a digital license once it is established for a computer for any reason. Move your Windows from a VM to the physical machine - yes, it will require a new digital license (activation) because you are moving the Windows to a new computer. Use an existing HDD or SDD on a new motherboard - yes it will require a new digital license (activation) because you are moving the Windows to a new computer. Upgrade from HDD to SSD on the same motherboard - no. If you lose activation by upgrading from HDD to SSD on the same motherboard it is due to user error, such as not re-install the same edition of Windows 10 if a clean install was performed.

I cloned my Windows 10 installation in order to try upgrading my unsupported PC to Windows 11. I booted the clone and noticed I had to activate again. It might be a coincidence though.

spapakons said:

From my experience, when you change computer, as when you upgrade your computer and try to use the same Windows installation, you almost certainly have to activate again. The upgrade can be as little as replacing the mechanical disk with an SSD.

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No, as Kari explains on Win10.guru the hard drive plays no part in activation.

Note that all HWIDs exclude storage media entirely. Thus, on a PC with Windows 10 activated, you can replace its storage (HDD / SSD) devices with one or more new ones and clean install Windows 10 on a new disk. Even so, the PC will activate automatically based on that machine’s existing digital license.

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