Can't activate windows with licence

[Kanna]

So I just built a new PC and I wanted to reuse my old windows licence so I linked up my Microsoft account, installed windows home on the new PC but when I was done I couldn't use the old licence. Is this something done wrong on my end or did they remove the feature

[aisle9]

Your old license was probably OEM, and Microsoft doesn't let you reuse those. Plenty of options for getting a new one, including:

• Buy it from Microsoft (don't)
• Find a yard sale and buy an ancient desktop for $5, then use the Windows 7 key that comes with it and do w/e with the rest of the system.
• Visit any of the many and varied gray-market sites selling Windows keys for $15 or less

[Kanna]

5 hours ago, aisle9 said:

Your old license was probably OEM, and Microsoft doesn't let you reuse those. Plenty of options for getting a new one, including:

• Buy it from Microsoft (don't)
• Find a yard sale and buy an ancient desktop for $5, then use the Windows 7 key that comes with it and do w/e with the rest of the system.
• Visit any of the many and varied gray-market sites selling Windows keys for $15 or less

Would a windows 7 key really work?

[aisle9]

4 minutes ago, Kanna said:

Would a windows 7 key really work?

<stares at the sheet of paper with a dozen Windows 7 Home and Pro keys taped to it that he's used a bazillion times>

 

Yes.