Question about digital Windows licence and Microsoft account

Hakiroto · January 28

Hi, everyone. I bought a Windows 10 Pro license a few years ago and it came in a box with a Windows-branded USB drive. I used that on my PC at the time, and eventually when formatting the PC again I wasn't asked for the key. It looked like the license was then tied to the Microsoft account I was using, and that it just automatically activated once I logged in and was online.

Now, a few years later, I'm building a new PC (mostly new parts over the old one) and I'm wondering if I can somehow still use that Windows 10 Pro license for a Windows 11 Pro license. I believe I could've upgraded the license to a Windows 11 license, but I haven't done that. The last time I used it I was on that Windows 10 PC. Is there a way to keep it or am I out of luck with this new build?

I was hoping to boot the new one using a Windows 11 installer created with the Media Creation Tool, and then cross my fingers that when I log in with that Microsoft account I'll have an upgraded licence. Maybe that's a little optimistic, though.

Thanks in advance.

C2dan88 · January 28

24 minutes ago, Hakiroto said:

he last time I used it I was on that Windows 10 PC. Is there a way to keep it or am I out of luck with this new build?

I was hoping to boot the new one using a Windows 11 installer created with the Media Creation Tool,

Should do. I have reinstalled Win11, it activated from my MS account. I originally used a (grey market) Win10 pro key.

This includes a cpu & motherboard upgrade too.

Alex Atkin UK · January 28

39 minutes ago, Hakiroto said:

Now, a few years later, I'm building a new PC (mostly new parts over the old one) and I'm wondering if I can somehow still use that Windows 10 Pro license for a Windows 11 Pro license. I believe I could've upgraded the license to a Windows 11 license, but I haven't done that. The last time I used it I was on that Windows 10 PC. Is there a way to keep it or am I out of luck with this new build?

Not sure, if you can I'd upgrade to 11 on the existing PC so that the license gets upgraded in your Microsoft account.

Then once installing the new PC you should be able to do so without a key and then just pick the license from your account during activation.

Hakiroto · January 29

11 hours ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

Not sure, if you can I'd upgrade to 11 on the existing PC so that the license gets upgraded in your Microsoft account.

Thanks for the reply. I'd like to do that, but I no longer have that PC. One other option I thought of was installing Windows 10 first on the new build and then trying to upgrade, but I might just try 11 first and hope it works out. It's been a while since I've dealt with Windows license stuff like this.

Alex Atkin UK · January 29

57 minutes ago, Hakiroto said:

Thanks for the reply. I'd like to do that, but I no longer have that PC. One other option I thought of was installing Windows 10 first on the new build and then trying to upgrade, but I might just try 11 first and hope it works out. It's been a while since I've dealt with Windows license stuff like this.

Yeah the license stuff got a lot easier, except for me as I have several PCs and it just lists all the licenses during activation, without telling you which PC name you have them assigned to, a huge oversight on their part IMO.

If you only have one PC, it should be relatively simple. Activation will sometimes fail which can be annoying spending time on the phone to Microsoft, but if you bother they usually will activate it for you, I've even had them give me a whole new license rather than bother trying to fix the old one.