o license to new computer

Question

I ran windows 10 pro partitioned on my apple macbook pro and have switched to a pc. I understand my windows 10 should allow me to upgrade to windows 11 pro on my new computer, which unfortunately runs windows 11 family edition (ugh). however, i can't find a key anywhere in the registry editor. I can't remember how I got windows 10 on the machine: it was years ago. How to proceed?

Answer 1

Windows 10/11 activation depends on how the original license was obtained. There are two main possibilities for the old Windows 10 Pro on the MacBook Pro:

1. It was a digital license (no unique key stored in the registry)
2. It was a product key (Retail/OEM) that is no longer visible or accessible

Key points from the documentation:

• For Windows 10/11, activation is done either with a 25‑character product key or a digital license. Without one of these, the new PC cannot be activated or upgraded to Pro.
• If Windows 10 was originally obtained as a free upgrade from Windows 7/8.1 or as a Pro upgrade from the Microsoft Store, it likely used a digital license tied to the Microsoft account used at the time, not a visible key in the registry.
• If Windows was bought as a full license (box, digital download, or preinstalled on a PC), the product key is found on:
  • COA sticker or device/packaging (for a new PC running Windows)
  • Label or card inside the Windows box (authorized retailer)
  • Confirmation email or digital locker (digital purchase from Microsoft or an authorized retailer)

Because the new PC currently runs Windows 11 Home, the old Windows 10 Pro license from the MacBook can only be reused if it was a transferable Retail license and the product key or digital license can be recovered. OEM licenses tied to the original hardware generally cannot be moved.

Recommended steps:

1. Check for a digital license in the Microsoft account used on the old MacBook installation:
   • If the Windows 10 Pro license was linked to that account, signing in with the same Microsoft account on the new PC and going to activation may allow automatic activation/upgrade to Pro using the digital license.
2. Check original purchase sources for a product key:
   • If Windows 10/11 was purchased from an authorized retailer (physical or digital), locate the key on:
     • Box label/card
     • Purchase confirmation email
     • Retailer’s digital locker
   • If it was purchased from a Microsoft website or the Microsoft Store app, check the confirmation email and the Microsoft account Order history.
3. If the license came preinstalled on a different PC (not the MacBook) and was later used in Boot Camp, the key would be on that PC’s COA or packaging and may not be transferable depending on license type.
4. If no product key or digital license can be found and the old MacBook installation is no longer available to boot and query, a new Windows 11 Pro license must be purchased to upgrade the new PC from Windows 11 Home to Pro.

There is no supported way to “extract” a transferable Pro license from the new PC’s Windows 11 Home installation, and Windows does not store a usable retail key in a simple registry location for recovery.

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References:

• Find your Windows product key
• Activate Windows
• Why can't I activate Windows?