Activating Windows, serial invalid - PLEASE HELP!

Question

So first of all, I am a Mac user, I need Windows on my Mac for a small but important chunk of my job. Yesterday I took delivery of my new Mac mini with Apple's M1 chip. This means I had to update my Parallels and use the ARM version of Windows. I have everything setup except I cannot activate Windows in order to allow me to add custom fonts. I have a serial for my original version of Windows 10 but that does not work, do I need to purchase a new copy of Windows? Please help, I need to get up and running!

Thanks

Kai

Answer 1

Thanks all for your responses. I did get an answer in the end. Because the license I had was for Windows Home it would not be recognised by the ARM version of Windows (as it is technically Windows Pro), I called both Parallels and Microsoft, Microsoft confirmed (after being bounced to several other departments) that I would need to purchase a license for Windows 10 Pro. I did this last night and all is working as it should.

Kai

Answer 2

@Anonymous
Hi,
If you have one copy of Windows and you installed it on more than one PC, activation might not work. The product key has already been used on more PCs than allowed by the Microsoft Software License Terms.

To activate new additional PCs, you must buy a new product key or copy of Windows for each one.
For your reference:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/why-can-t-i-activate-windows-73ea9956-a4cd-9bc6-17c2-255ec26db204
Hope above information can help you.

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Answer 3

Something here may help with virtual machine licensing.
https://download.microsoft.com/download/9/8/d/98d6a56c-4d79-40f4-8462-da3ecba2dc2c/licensing_windows_desktop_os_for_virtual_machines.pdf

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Answer 4

I have always managed to move the serial from one virtual machine to another in the past

Answer 5

for my original version of Windows 10

If this were an OEM supplied with another pc then the license dies with that hardware.

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