Transfer windows key from microsoft account to pc hardware.

[Jstagzsr]

windows 10 pro x64
Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.836)

I built a new PC. I am selling my old pc to a friend on monday. I always like my windows keys to be on my account because when i log in to a new pc i like it to just automatically activate windows without me having to do anything.. Plus ive had bad experiences in the past where when its attached to hardware, you can be on the same pc but you upgrade too many things and all of a sudden you just lost your key.

But in this case i want the key to be attached to the hardware because when i give him this pc it wont have my account associated with it once i reset the os which will obviously remove all the accounts.. then when HE logs in i want HIM to have the key associated with either the hardware or his account. idc which. as long as it moved from me to him without any issues. i also dont want to lose any of my keys besides the one for this pc in the future if he decides to upgrade anything and so microsoft removes his key then steals one of my good keys from my other pc's to give to him because that pc is associated with my account in some way..

Am i overthinking this? or is it as simple as logging out and removing all accounts and resetting the OS back to stock? or is there something more i have to do?

[PeterPorker3]

4 minutes ago, Jstagzsr said:

windows 10 pro x64
Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.836)

I built a new PC. I am selling my old pc to a friend on monday. I always like my windows keys to be on my account because when i log in to a new pc i like it to just automatically activate windows without me having to do anything.. Plus ive had bad experiences in the past where when its attached to hardware, you can be on the same pc but you upgrade too many things and all of a sudden you just lost your key.

But in this case i want the key to be attached to the hardware because when i give him this pc it wont have my account associated with it once i reset the os which will obviously remove all the accounts.. then when HE logs in i want HIM to have the key associated with either the hardware or his account. idc which. as long as it moved from me to him without any issues. i also dont want to lose any of my keys besides the one for this pc in the future if he decides to upgrade anything and so microsoft removes his key then steals one of my good keys from my other pc's to give to him because that pc is associated with my account in some way..

Am i overthinking this? or is it as simple as logging out and removing all accounts and resetting the OS back to stock? or is there something more i have to do?

Unfortunately, I don't think there is really a way to do this anymore. You may be able to log into that PC, which will activate Windows, and then log off, and the key may stay on that system as long as you don't accentually use it again, but I have never tried this before.

[Jstagzsr]

13 minutes ago, MineParker101 said:

Unfortunately, I don't think there is really a way to do this anymore. You may be able to log into that PC, which will activate Windows, and then log off, and the key may stay on that system as long as you don't accentually use it again, but I have never tried this before.

damn.. ok. thank you.

[Bitter]

Could you do this by creating a local account for that machine and then he could turn the local account into a MS account and perhaps that way the key would them transfer to his microsoft account? I would contact MS support or post on the MS support forum with this question, there's probably a way to make this work.

[Jstagzsr]

Just now, Bitter said:

Could you do this by creating a local account for that machine and then he could turn the local account into a MS account and perhaps that way the key would them transfer to his microsoft account? I would contact MS support or post on the MS support forum with this question, there's probably a way to make this work.

that might work.. that would be awesome if it did!!!

and i looked all through a bunch of forums and google searches before i posted this here.. everything i tried to search lead me to links about transfering licenses from computer to computer. i didnt see literally not one single article or forum or anything talking about my issue. but yeah posting on them or calling MS directly might be the better option. good idea. ty!