Making sure I don't lose my Windows 10 license during major upgrade?

[Harry Voyager]

So rebuild just got accelerated... (Thank you Windows. You are such a helper...)

 

Main thing is, I'm going to be replacing the CPU, Motherboard, and RAM, and adding an additional SSD to a system that is running Windows 10 Pro from a Windows 7 Ultimate license. While, in theory, the Windows 7 Ultimate retail licenses allowed an unlimited number of transfers when I bought the first one, however I discovered that apparently that clause changed, which is why I am running on the second one. I'd rather not come out of this on number three, so I'm wondering what are the best ways to make sure that I can keep this license? I am not versed in the ways of the lawninja.

 

Thank you,

 

Harry Voyager

[berberries]

If I'm not mistaken the best way is to link your product key to a microsoft account by connecting your microsoft account in windows . that way the license is binded to your account.

[GoodBytes]

15 minutes ago, Harry Voyager said:

So rebuild just got accelerated... (Thank you Windows. You are such a helper...)

Don't rush things. If something broke in Windows, seek in repairing it or re-install. Don't buy things that don't satisfice your needs.

 

15 minutes ago, Harry Voyager said:

Main thing is, I'm going to be replacing the CPU, Motherboard, and RAM, and adding an additional SSD to a system that is running Windows 10 Pro from a Windows 7 Ultimate license. While, in theory, the Windows 7 Ultimate retail licenses allowed an unlimited number of transfers when I bought the first one, however I discovered that apparently that clause changed,

Any retail license of Windows has unlimited transfers (but limited per month base and per year base). Motherboard changes requires phone method activation, but it will activate.

 

15 minutes ago, Harry Voyager said:

which is why I am running on the second one.

Second one? What second one? You lost me...

15 minutes ago, Harry Voyager said:

I'd rather not come out of this on number three, so I'm wondering what are the best ways to make sure that I can keep this license? I am not versed in the ways of the lawninja.

The best way to keep your license id to have a Microsoft linked account with your system. Once Windows 10 Pro is clean installed without a product key, you can go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation, and enter your Windows 7 Ultimate key. A phone or chat activation may be required, but it should not cause problems

 

[Harry Voyager]

@GoodBytes The build has been in planning for a while now, I was just holding off until December because some of the software packages I'm using are a pain to reinstall.  But with the reboot problem getting worse, and windows now forcing frequent reboots, it's going to be more trouble and more risk to keep the current install until I'm done with this project than to back everything up and try to do a quick move now, before it decides it's not going to turn back on one day. 

 

Basically multiple paths are heading towards a reinstall of the OS, so I'd might as well do that on the hardware I want to end up on. 

 

The license issue was, when I did the last CPU/MB replacement, the phone revalidation did invalidate my license key, so I ended up needing to go get a second copy of W7U retail. Now that was back in 2013, but it's rather made me leery of doing any OS changes, let's I end up needing to buy it all over again.

 

Frankly it would not surprise me in the slightest to find that one of the terms of doing the W10 upgrade was that it was locked to my current hardware fingerprint. That whole thing burned a lot of trust I had in MS End User Agreements. 

 

@berwynhan What are the impacts of linking it to my MS account? Would other people be able to use the computer with their own accounts? If I have multiple computers, would it be possible to link multiple licenses to my account? Can they be transferred to other users later? 

 

Thank you, 

 

Harry Voyager

[homeap5]

7 hours ago, Harry Voyager said:

What are the impacts of linking it to my MS account? Would other people be able to use the computer with their own accounts? If I have multiple computers, would it be possible to link multiple licenses to my account? Can they be transferred to other users later?

Main impact is that your system will be yours and only yours. That means it will be no longer linked to your hardware, but to you as a person. I think that may cause some legal problems if you want to sell your system. Otherwise (if you don't want to sell it in the future) it's just easiest way to upgrade your pc without problem with reactivation.

[Harry Voyager]

So, I link the license to my Microsoft account, however, it just says it can't activate. That's it. I'm signed in with my Microsoft account, it recognizes that Argo is a Windows 10 Pro machine on my account, and that's it.

 

This is just a complete stone wall here. What the blazes am I supposed to do with that? 

 

What grinds me, in all the times MS has eaten my licensing keys, Iv'e now spent over a thousand dollars for this copy of windows and they cannot even be bother to explain their rules, beyond "insert money here". 

[homeap5]

Do you try troubleshoot button under activate section as Microsoft says?

[Harry Voyager]

1 minute ago, homeap5 said:

Do you try troubleshoot button under activate section as Microsoft says?

Yep.

 

[Harry Voyager]

Also called their phone line. It wanted to know if I has either Windows 1607 or 1511. When I didn't have either it told me to ask for a callback, but their call center is closed.

 

Tried activating it using another device, but it told me it couldn't. I went into my MS account and saw that it the X570 board listed separately from Argo, so tried deleting Argo from my list of devices, but that just seems that have removed the ability to get it to ask to switch from it and fail to do so.

[Harry Voyager]

 

 

 

Earlier that step would show Argo in the list, grayed out, and when I would check it and attempt to migrate, it would tell me that it could not do so.

 

At this point I'm guessing that the migration from Windows 7 to Windows 10 probably involved invalidated the license for any post update changes. I'm also guessing that wasn't terribly mentioned anywhere. I'm just frustrated by it all at this point. The simplest path is just to go buy yet another license from them, but that really feels like all I'm doing is rewarding skeevey behavior.

[GoodBytes]

I have already done system transfer of a Windows 7 retail to 10 upgrade. You need to contact MS via chat or phone, and have your Windows 7 product key ready. They fixed it then. To simplify things, and not make the MS person think that the old computer continues to be used, you can say that your system broke and can't be repaired, so you replaced it. That said, the other system should never be turned on while connected on the Internet until you format the drive, else it will reactivate, and deactivate your current system license, and if they fight for activation, you can black list your license.