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Transfer Windows 10 license to vmware workstation

Anonymous
2020-04-03T20:16:37+00:00

I would like to transfer my license from my laptop to a virtual machine (VMware Workstation).  My hard drive failed on my laptop and I have decided to run Windows 10 under a virtual machine instead fo directly on the laptop. 

I installed Windows 10 on a virtual machine, but it did not find the license (expected).

Is there a way to transfer the license for the laptop to the virtual machine?   Or is there a way to capture the license from the data on the former hard drive?  It appears that some or all of the data is on the hard drive, but the laptop will not boot off of it.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Licensing and activation

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-04-04T17:50:35+00:00

    Technically, a virtual machine is treated as a different machine compared to your computer. Therefore, transferring a license to it is not allowed. You can only use an OEM license on the computer that it came with and not other computers or virtual machines.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-04-03T20:40:32+00:00

    Hi Tim,

    This is Wil, one of the independent advisor, an expert with Windows 10 and a fellow Windows 10 user like you. I understand your concern about transferring the license.

    A Windows 10 license can only be transferred if you are using a retail license. May I ask if Windows 10 came pre-install on your laptop? If your computer came pre-installed with Windows 10, it means you have an OEM license. OEM refers to the license that a manufacturer installs on new devices. If this is your case, the product key isn't transferable, and you can't use it to activate another installation. (Unless you're re-activating a new installation on the same computer.)

    If you need further assistance please do reply back and I will respond as quickly as possible. Have a nice day.

    Thanks,

    Wilfred P.

    Independent Advisor

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-04-04T00:13:00+00:00

    Thanks for the reply, Wilfred.

    It would be an OEM license on the same laptop - new hard drive, but in this case as a virtual machine instead of the main operating system. 

    Two reinstalls on the same device in a 1 year period was my limit, so I'm trying a different approach.

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