Moving OEM Windows license

ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
I have a PCS desktop that I bought with Win 10 Home, so that's OEM. It uses a local login (not a Microsoft account).

I have a PCS laptop that I bought without an OS and installed a retail copy of Windows 8 Pro on there, since upgraded (free) to Windows 10 Pro (via Windows 8.1 Pro). It uses a local login (not a Microsoft account).

I'm wondering, and for no particular reason, whether I can legally move the Win 10 Pro license and OS to my desktop and move the Win 10 Home license to my laptop?

I think that if I switch to use a Microsoft login on my desktop I can associate my Win 10 Home (OEM) license with my Microsoft account and use that to activate the Win 10 Home (OEM) OS on my laptop (once it's uninstalled from the desktop). Is that correct (and legal)?

I'm pretty sure that I can then simply install the Win 10 Pro system on my desktop, although I may need to contact Microsoft to indicate it's no longer installed on the laptop (I've had to do that before so I know how that works).

I plan to use the same install media to install Win 10 Home on the laptop and Win 10 Pro on the desktop, you don't see any issues with that? I'm concerned that the installer will see the activation code for OEM Win 10 Home in my desktop BIOS and only allow me to install WIn 10 Home?

I really don't need Win 10 Pro on the desktop but since I use the laptop only rarely it' somehow seems a waste having Win 10 pro on there.

What I don't want to do is to get into a situation where one (or both) versions of Windows cannot be activated on either machine. If there is a real danger of that I'd rather leave things where they are....
 
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SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
You’re absolutely right, if you change it to a windows account login for the oem home version, that will legally tie it to that account and then you can use it legally on any other machine (so long as the same license isn’t applied on another machine).

The retail one you can transfer to any other device legally without having to tie it to a Microsoft account.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
SpyderTracks said:
You’re absolutely right, if you change it to a windows account login for the oem home version, that will legally tie it to that account and then you can use it legally on any other machine (so long as the same license isn’t applied on another machine).

The retail one you can transfer to any other device legally without having to tie it to a Microsoft account.
Click to expand...

Thanks, but my concern is that when I attempt to install Win 10 Pro on my desktop the installer will read the Win 10 Home OEM license key in my desktop BIOS and only allow me to install Win 10 Home. Any ideas?
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
T

Tony1044

Prolific Poster
So my laptop has a key for Professional but I've installed Enterprise by allowing Pro to install then changing the key. It didn't require a reinstall, just added the missing features.

But I'd caveat that with saying it was a retail to MAPS (Volume License, effectively) key.

As far as I know, though, as long as the key is valid, there's no problem swapping between versions any more.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
SpyderTracks said:
I see what you mean... found this thread which is worth a look:

https://social.technet.microsoft.co...-are-stored-in-biosuefi?forum=win10itprosetup

I don’t know the answer unfortunately, haven’t come across that one myself.
Click to expand...

That helps, it would seem that I'd need a Windows 10 Pro only installation media for my desktop. Currently if I use the same downloaded install media on both devices, the laptop asks me which version of Windows I want to install (because there's no BIOS key) and then activates automatically later, the desktop immediately installs Win 10 Home (because there is a BIOS key for that).

Thanks for all the advice, but I think that for the moment I'll hold off on trying this out, mainly because I don't need Win 10 Pro on the desktop but also because 'if it ain't broke then don't fix it'......
 
Oussebon

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
You could ask on some of the forums where Microsoft MVPs hang out and see what answers you get.

Giggity.
 
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