Windows activation on new motherboard?


rasmasyean

Active member
Local time
5:40 AM
Posts
61
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Hello,

I installed Windows 11 and it seemed to have activated automatically even though I didn't enter a key in the beginning.
If I change my motherboard, will I still be able to use my Windows 10 license to install Windows 11?

Thanks.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10850K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z490-A
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB), Model: F4-4000C18D-64GVK
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Ventus GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x ASUS VG278QR 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 165Hz 0.5ms
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
    Keyboard
    CORSAIR K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z270 GAMING PLUS
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC 6GB 06G-P4-6163-KR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sceptre U508CV-UMK 50-Inch Glass 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper T2 Compact CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3
Depends whether it's an OEM or Retail licence. OEM is tied to the motherboard, whereas Retail ones can be transferred to a new PC. Using command prompt enter this command to see what you have

slmgr /dli
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-build
    CPU
    Intel I3-10100
    Motherboard
    MSI H410M-PRO
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GT 1030
    Sound Card
    Motherboard default
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27 inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 970 NVMe SSD 256 Gb
    Samsung QVO 870 SATA SSD 2 Tb
    PSU
    ATX 450W
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Internet Speed
    930 Mb down / 120 Mb up
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Microsoft Office 2021 Plus
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-build
    CPU
    Intel i3-8100
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z370 D3
    Memory
    16 Gb
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia GT 720
    Sound Card
    Motherboard default
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27-inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 960 NVMe SSD 256 Gb
    Seagate 2 Tb HDD
    PSU
    ATX 450W
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Keyboard
    Microsoft
    Internet Speed
    930 Mb down / 120 Mb up
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
How does that work? Is it the MAC address that links it to the Microsoft database?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10850K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z490-A
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB), Model: F4-4000C18D-64GVK
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Ventus GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x ASUS VG278QR 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 165Hz 0.5ms
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
    Keyboard
    CORSAIR K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z270 GAMING PLUS
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC 6GB 06G-P4-6163-KR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sceptre U508CV-UMK 50-Inch Glass 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper T2 Compact CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3
It says:
Description: Windows(R) Operating System, RETAIL channel

And it gave me some "partial key" (which doesn't match anything I have on record lol). I suppose I need to find out what the rest of the key is.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10850K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z490-A
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB), Model: F4-4000C18D-64GVK
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Ventus GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x ASUS VG278QR 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 165Hz 0.5ms
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
    Keyboard
    CORSAIR K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z270 GAMING PLUS
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC 6GB 06G-P4-6163-KR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sceptre U508CV-UMK 50-Inch Glass 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper T2 Compact CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3
And it gave me some "partial key" (which doesn't match anything I have on record lol). I suppose I need to find out what the rest of the key is.
As you didn't enter a key, it may be using the appropriate generic key for your edition, Home or Pro. A generic key cannot activate Windows, it will only activate if there is an existing digital licence stored on the MS activation servers for your motherboard's hardware ID. If so, then that implies that this motherboard has previously been used, and that Windows was installed and activated with a key. That is the only way a PC can get a digital licence.


To see the full installed key use ShowKeyPlus. This will also show if there is an OEM key embedded in your motherboard's firmware. If so, then that would be another explanation for the activation.

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
Depends whether it's an OEM or Retail licence. OEM is tied to the motherboard, whereas Retail ones can be transferred to a new PC. Using command prompt enter this command to see what you have

slmgr /dli
Microsoft stopped enforcing the OEM restrictions a long time ago. Any activated Windows 10/11 can be moved to the retail channel simply by changing the product key to the generic for retail.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
As you didn't enter a key, it may be using the appropriate generic key for your edition, Home or Pro. A generic key cannot activate Windows, it will only activate if there is an existing digital licence stored on the MS activation servers for your motherboard's hardware ID. If so, then that implies that this motherboard has previously been used, and that Windows was installed and activated with a key. That is the only way a PC can get a digital licence.


To see the full installed key use ShowKeyPlus. This will also show if there is an OEM key embedded in your motherboard's firmware. If so, then that would be another explanation for the activation.


Right on the money!

" * Default key - requires a Digital License for activation "
" OEM key not present in firmware"
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10850K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z490-A
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB), Model: F4-4000C18D-64GVK
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Ventus GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x ASUS VG278QR 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 165Hz 0.5ms
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
    Keyboard
    CORSAIR K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z270 GAMING PLUS
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC 6GB 06G-P4-6163-KR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sceptre U508CV-UMK 50-Inch Glass 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper T2 Compact CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3
Right on the money!

" * Default key - requires a Digital License for activation "
So your m/board has an existing digital license obtained when Windows 10 was previously installed. This is valid for Windows 10/11.

Should you want to change the m/board in the future, first make sure you sign in on the PC with your MS Account, and that Activation says 'activated with a digital license liked to your Microsoft account'. Then, should it fail to activate after a m/board change, you'll be able to use the Activation Troubleshooter.

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
Wow, that's interesting. Is there a way to check what licenses are linked to your account?
Also, I suppose you can't "transfer" a license to another account (even your own).
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10850K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z490-A
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB), Model: F4-4000C18D-64GVK
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Ventus GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x ASUS VG278QR 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 165Hz 0.5ms
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
    Keyboard
    CORSAIR K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z270 GAMING PLUS
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC 6GB 06G-P4-6163-KR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sceptre U508CV-UMK 50-Inch Glass 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper T2 Compact CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3
Wow, that's interesting. Is there a way to check what licenses are linked to your account?
Also, I suppose you can't "transfer" a license to another account (even your own).
account.microsoft.com/devices
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
What about VOLUME_MAK licenses?

Is this also transferable to new motherboards?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10850K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z490-A
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB), Model: F4-4000C18D-64GVK
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Ventus GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x ASUS VG278QR 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 165Hz 0.5ms
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
    Keyboard
    CORSAIR K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z270 GAMING PLUS
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC 6GB 06G-P4-6163-KR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sceptre U508CV-UMK 50-Inch Glass 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper T2 Compact CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3
What about VOLUME_MAK licenses?

Is this also transferable to new motherboards?
Ask the corporation that issued the volume_mak license, it belongs to them.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
Ask the corporation that issued the volume_mak license, it belongs to them.
It's on a Chinese tablet (Surface clone stuff), that I bought.
I thought maybe I'd get rid of this thing one day but keep the license to be transfered to something else. :p
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10850K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z490-A
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB), Model: F4-4000C18D-64GVK
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Ventus GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x ASUS VG278QR 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 165Hz 0.5ms
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
    Keyboard
    CORSAIR K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z270 GAMING PLUS
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC 6GB 06G-P4-6163-KR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sceptre U508CV-UMK 50-Inch Glass 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper T2 Compact CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3
It's on a Chinese tablet (Surface clone stuff), that I bought.
I thought maybe I'd get rid of this thing one day but keep the license to be transfered to something else. :p
Then it is an illegitimate license that we don't discuss on this forum.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
account.microsoft.com/devices
It appears that simply setting up a Microsoft account login "links" your activation.
So how does this actually work?
Anyone who has MS-loginned on that motherboard can transfer the license to a new motherboard?
Am I missing something here? This sounds strange.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10850K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z490-A
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB), Model: F4-4000C18D-64GVK
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Ventus GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x ASUS VG278QR 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 165Hz 0.5ms
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
    Keyboard
    CORSAIR K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z270 GAMING PLUS
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC 6GB 06G-P4-6163-KR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sceptre U508CV-UMK 50-Inch Glass 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper T2 Compact CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3
Hello,

I installed Windows 11 and it seemed to have activated automatically even though I didn't enter a key in the beginning.
If I change my motherboard, will I still be able to use my Windows 10 license to install Windows 11?

Thanks.
or you could get a free license if it doesnt work or you can find many ways to register windows online. Cant say those things here cause this is NOT a forum for pirates
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro Version 22H2(OS Build 22621.963)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    AMD
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8 Core
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte X570 Aorus Pro WiFi
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    PCI Express 3.0 x16: PowerColor RX Vega 56 Red Dragon
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220 and AMD Greenland - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 - 27 inch Westinghouse
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    2 SSD - 2 TB each
    1 HDD - 2 TB
    Keyboard
    logitech
    Mouse
    logitech
    Internet Speed
    1 GB
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Avast Premium
or you could get a free license if it doesnt work or you can find many ways to register windows online. Cant say those things here cause this is NOT a forum for pirates
Wasn't there a time when Windows and Adobe or something like that were the most pirated software in history? Now those are the names that define the software industry! haha
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10850K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z490-A
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB), Model: F4-4000C18D-64GVK
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Ventus GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x ASUS VG278QR 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 165Hz 0.5ms
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
    Keyboard
    CORSAIR K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z270 GAMING PLUS
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC 6GB 06G-P4-6163-KR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sceptre U508CV-UMK 50-Inch Glass 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper T2 Compact CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3
Microsoft stopped enforcing the OEM restrictions a long time ago. Any activated Windows 10/11 can be moved to the retail channel simply by changing the product key to the generic for retail.
OK so...I found an old motherboard with a VOLUME_MAK and linked it.
I bought a new motherboard and did the "changed hardware" thing on it selecting that old motherboard.
...and it activated and changed it to RETAIL.

So let me get this straight. Anyone with a Microsoft login on an activated PC can transfer that license to an unactivated PC via "changed hardware"?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10850K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z490-A
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB), Model: F4-4000C18D-64GVK
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Ventus GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x ASUS VG278QR 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 165Hz 0.5ms
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
    Keyboard
    CORSAIR K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z270 GAMING PLUS
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC 6GB 06G-P4-6163-KR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sceptre U508CV-UMK 50-Inch Glass 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper T2 Compact CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3

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