Hello,
On the old device, Can you please type cmd in the search on the taskbar and hit enter to launch command prompt, then run the following command:
slmgr /dlv
Then share a screenshot please. Thanks!
Need to transfer Windows 11 Pro retail digital license to a new device (activation fails)
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Mustafa Diaa
0
Reputation points
Hello,
I need help transferring my Windows 11 Pro Retail digital license from my old device to my new one.
Here are the details of the issue and the steps I’ve already tried:
- My old PC had Windows 11 Pro Retail, and it showed the message “Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account.”
- I used the command
slmgr.vbs /upk(as Administrator) to uninstall the product key successfully. - I confirmed the license was Retail by running
slmgr.vbs /dli. - I removed the old device from my Microsoft Account at https://account.microsoft.com/devices.
- My new device originally came with Windows 11 Home Single Language (OEM digital license).
- I upgraded it to Windows 11 Pro using the generic key
VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T. - Before the upgrade, I signed in with the same Microsoft account that holds my Retail Pro license.
- When I try to activate or use the “I changed hardware on this device recently” option, I get this message:
"Unable to activate Windows. We can’t find any devices linked to your Microsoft account that can be used for reactivating the device you’re using right now..."
- I also tried removing and re-adding the old device several times, and even after uninstalling the key, the old PC still shows as activated with a digital license linked to my account.
It seems the activation server still associates my Retail license with the old hardware ID, even though the key has been removed and the device unlinked.
I would appreciate it if you could help me manually transfer and activate my Windows 11 Pro Retail license on my new device.
Thank you!
Windows for home | Windows 11 | Licensing and activation
1 answer
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EmilyS726 232.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor2025-10-20T21:55:55.82+00:00 -
Mustafa Diaa 0 Reputation points
2025-10-20T21:59:46.3366667+00:00 Here's the requested screenshot from the old device, as you can see there is no product key because I have already removed it from the old device.
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EmilyS726 232.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-10-20T22:04:45.4366667+00:00 I suspect that you didn't have digital license.
If it were digital, it would not be uninstalled by slmgr /upk. When you ran the dli command earlier, do you recall what the partial product key was, was it the last 5 of generic 3V66T? If so, that indicates true digital license. If it is true digital license, you do NOT want to remove the old device from your account, because the activation troubleshooter needs to find out where it is installed on "currently" so it can transfer it from there to your new device.
How did you obtain your license initially?
If you purchased it, did you purchase from Microsoft, or from third party?
Is it originally a Win7/8 key?
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Mustafa Diaa 0 Reputation points
2025-10-20T22:12:17.1533333+00:00 do you recall what the partial product key was, was it the last 5 of generic 3V66T?
No, it returned a partial product key consists of 3 segments that does not include 3V66T.
How did you obtain your license initially?
I have obtained my license during my internship at Microsoft head office in 2015, they've installed Windows 8 or 8.1 (cant remember exactly) and connected it to my personal email, since then I have used it to upgrade Windows till Windows 11 Pro without any issues.
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EmilyS726 232.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-10-20T22:15:03.74+00:00 Ok, if the last 5 wasn't 3V66T, then it is NOT digital license, that explains why the upk command worked to remove it.
If it was originally a Windows 8 license, you can no longer use it to reactivate Windows 11. This is a policy change in late 2023. Sorry.
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Mustafa Diaa 0 Reputation points
2025-10-20T22:24:08.0166667+00:00 I have to mention that I have previously tried to check the partial product key years ago on the same machine and same M
icrosoft account and it returned the following:
Name: Windows R Professional Edition
Description: Windows (R) Operating System, RETAIL Channel
Partial Product Key: 3V66T
License Status: Licensed -
EmilyS726 232.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-10-20T22:46:51.3766667+00:00 So you are saying at one point you were on digital license? If you upgraded your Windows 8 to 10, that should switch it to digital. I don't know how you ended up with the non-generic last 5 later. Perhaps you used the old Windows 8 25-digit key at one point? Before Sept 2023, you could use old Windows 7 or 8 25 digits key to activate Windows 10/11. But no anymore.
Regardless, let's say this is indeed a digital license, but you removed the old device from your Microsoft account, so you cannot run the troubleshooter. Your only way is to contact Microsoft support. But they will not do so if they realized it was originally a Windows 8 key.
I am afraid you would have to get the upgrade license from the store app.
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Mustafa Diaa 0 Reputation points
2025-10-20T22:54:19.83+00:00 I would like to clarify that the 3 segments of the product key that was showing up were related to the Microsoft Office not Windows 11 Pro, when I run the command
slmgr.vbs /dlvnothing shows up, given that I only tried to run this command years ago and it returned the output mentioned in the previous reply screenshot, and I just run it few hours ago after the upk command but it returns nothing at all, not sure what might be the reason, maybe because it is tied to a digital license or because the upk command removed the product key.
But yes 100% my windows was a digital license, even after the upk command the Windows 11 Pro is still activated on my old machine.
I have another issue right now, which is that I upgraded the new machine from the activated Windows 11 Home SL OEM to Windows 11 Pro (which is not activated due to the digital license fail to transfer) and I want to revert back.
I appreciate your help. Thanks!
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EmilyS726 232.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-10-20T23:04:19.9033333+00:00 Yeah, to revert back, you would need to do a clean install. There's only inplace upgrade, but not inplace downgrade. This process will automatically install Home as it will pick up the OEM license automatically.
The following steps should be done on a working Windows computer:
Download the Windows Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's official website. https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11 click on the "download now" button under "Create Windows 11 Installation Media"
Run the tool and select "Create installation media for another PC."
Choose "USB flash drive" as the media to use for the installation and select "Next."
Connect a USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of free space to your computer.
Select the USB flash drive you want to use, and then select "Next."
The tool will then download the required files and create the installation media.
=====================================================
Now these steps will be done on your problematic computer:
Go to the computer's BIOS boot menu to have it boot from the USB drive.
Follow the on-screen instructions to install Windows 11, making sure to choose "Custom install" and select the option to delete all existing partitions.
Once the installation is complete, you'll have a clean installation of Windows 11 on your computer.
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Mustafa Diaa 0 Reputation points
2025-10-20T23:09:43.1133333+00:00 Thank you for the help!
I am exactly following your steps to do a clean Windows 11 install on the new device to restore back the activated Windows 11 Home SL OEM.
I would like you to confirm if that I tried to reinstall Windows 11 Pro on the old machine so that I can connect it back to my Microsoft Account, would this help by any mean in transferring the digital license between the old and new device? and what do you suggest me to do right now? Thanks.
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EmilyS726 232.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-10-20T23:15:49.05+00:00 You are welcome.
I am not entirely positive if you can get Pro activated again on the old device. I am seeing many old Windows 11 (from Windows 7/8) activation got kicked off after reinstall, and transfer definitely is very challenging. You can try, but there's no guarantee. Sorry.
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