Transfer Windows 10 Home OEM license to a new PC

Question

Hi,

I moved my OEM license to my new PC, workes fine, invalidated the old pc activation before.

Now I’ve upgraded my old pc, formatted it, and reinstalled Windows 10 without license and I intend to sell it.

But everytime it boots up into windows, I see windows picking up a digital license online, and activates itself.

I talked to Microsoft’s activation center and they say OEM license is bound to the machine (Mother board if I get it right) and I can’t move it to another pc (unless I disables the old one 😩).

So my options are to throw my old pc or pay for a new license?

Retail license is way overpriced 😡.

Am I missing something, because it’s just feel like a rip off, why can’t I sell my old pc and let the next guy handle activation?

Answer 1

Hi GinningSinger54

The problem seems to be you moved the OEM licence to the new PC, that should not be able to be done, OEM licences are locked onto the original motherboard and cannot be removed from the motherboard at all

Somehow, you seem to have successfully moved that licence to your new PC and it is activated, is that still showing as activated along with the original PC?

Answer 2

An OEM licence is bound to the device it was originally installed on, as it was provided by the manufacturer. It cannot be transferred to a new device, as it seems you have been told.

From what you have said it seems you are saying your old PC still has the original OEM licence activated, which is right. You cannot move this licence to a new PC. Are you saying the new PC is also activated with the same licence.

Answer 3

Hi GinningSinger54

The problem seems to be you moved the OEM licence to the new PC, that should not be able to be done, OEM licences are locked onto the original motherboard and cannot be removed from the motherboard at all

Somehow, you seem to have successfully moved that licence to your new PC and it is activated, is that still showing as activated along with the original PC?

I did nothing but deactivate the old PC and activate the new one with its key.

@neilpzz, It seems for now both computers are activated with the same key, I'll deactivate the new one for now, so the key won't get disabled. 

It's a shame I paid for an OS and now I have to pay for a new one.

Answer 4

That is the limitation of an OEM operating system, although cheaper than a retail product they are not able to be moved to new hardware.

If you are saying you bought a PC with an operating system already installed and provided by the manufacturer then you only ever had it licenced to the original PC as it was supplied with the PC.

You could however buy OEM discs/licences but in theory they are locked to the first device they are installed on, so you shouldn't try to move them to a new device. You are right to deactivate it on the new device though as it could lose activation once the activation servers detect the licence is used on two different devices.