Question Basic OS Questions

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If you buy a computer with Windows pre-installed, having OEM license that is linked to the motherboard and is not transferrable from one computer to another, does that mean you will lose your Windows activation if you replace the old motherboard with new one?

Is there a way to prevent that, so you can still have activated Windows, even when you replace the failed motherboard with new one?
 
For an OEM license, the license dies as soon as motherboard dies. So essentially it is non-transferable. If that is the case you need to get a new license. I am not sure of a way to prevent it from happening.
 
TheFlash1300 said:
If you buy a computer with Windows pre-installed, having OEM license that is linked to the motherboard and is not transferrable from one computer to another, does that mean you will lose your Windows activation if you replace the old motherboard with new one?

Is there a way to prevent that, so you can still have activated Windows, even when you replace the failed motherboard with new one?
Click to expand...
  1. Verify the license is linked to your MS account.
  2. MS is not the heartless beast everyone thinks it is. Motherboard fails DO happen, and they know this. A direct replacement, if activation fails, can almost certainly be activated by talking to a human at MS.
 
any Windows license is transferrable from one platform to another.
upgrading the base components, etc.

MS will discontinue any previous configuration and transfer the existing license to any new configuration using the same login credentials.
 
JohnBonhamsGhost said:
any Windows license is transferrable from one platform to another.
upgrading the base components, etc.

MS will discontinue any previous configuration and transfer the existing license to any new configuration using the same login credentials.
Click to expand...
I suspect you will find the big OEM still have non transferable licenses. But for everyone else, you right.
 
JohnBonhamsGhost said:
any Windows license is transferrable from one platform to another.
upgrading the base components, etc.
Click to expand...
Pre Win 10, that was not the case.

You could purchase a System Builder or OEM license, which WAS tied to that initial hardware set.
The slightly more expensive Retail license was transferable.

With Win 10, the OEM thing has gone away, except for something preinstalled.
Any Win 10 license you purchase it transferable to new hardware.
 
USAFRet said:
  1. Verify the license is linked to your MS account.
  2. MS is not the heartless beast everyone thinks it is. Motherboard fails DO happen, and they know this. A direct replacement, if activation fails, can almost certainly be activated by talking to a human at MS.
Click to expand...
Does Windows 7 have an option for log in to Microsoft account and making verification if the activation?

I want to verify and protect OEM license for Windows 7.
 
JohnBonhamsGhost said:
any Windows license is transferrable from one platform to another.
upgrading the base components, etc.

MS will discontinue any previous configuration and transfer the existing license to any new configuration using the same login credentials.
Click to expand...
As far as I know, only Retail license is transferrable, while other types of licenses are not.
 
as written on earlier posts, its an motherboard, bios and drivers combo, you may miss usb drivers, ata / sata, lan, wifi ports/peripherals in some instances

You may have more luck on INTEL platfoms than AMD in some cases

And VMware based machines nowadays are secure and efficient when configured properly, and you can save them into ''files'' and use them when needed, i have a win95, a win98, an xp, even had to use an win2000 few years ago ??

If not loll try to find 'old' computers to suit your needs .... i had to get one to run a very peculiar program, an hp vectra p3-800 MHz with an 1 MB video card .... oh boy
 
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If you buy a dell and the mb is replaced because it is damaged, you would probably have to contact MIcrosoft to fix activation. Maybe. Not sure about big OEM, they use volume licences and if mb is same, it might just keep working
If you buy a dell and put a new non dell MB in it, its likely you need a new licence.

Big OEM don't let you move licenses.
 
I'm planning to buy a new computer with Windows 11 pre-installed. However, I have a Retail key for my Windows 10, and I want to use it on the new computer, too.

The Windows 11 license is OEM. The Windows 10 license is Retail.

I will uninstall the Retail license from my laptop, before I try to install it on my new computer.

Here is what I want to do. The computer will come with a HDD Windows 11 is installed on. I don't want to install my Windows 10 on the same HDD. Instead of this, I will connect the HDD Windows 10 is installed on, to the same motherboard Windows 11 is installed on. Then I will enter the activation key. There will be two different HDDs with two different OSs with two different types of activations.

My question is, can two activations co-exist on the same motherboard, or will they be not compatible and conflicting, causing errors and problems to the system?
 
TheFlash1300 said:
Then how do I verify and protect the license of Windows 7?
Click to expand...
After the motherboard dies and you get an exact replacement, you call Microsoft.
Seeing as Win 7 is long off the support list, they may or may not help.

Or, you go through the unspeakable horror of spending actual money to replace the license for a piece of software that is 13 years old.
 
TheFlash1300 said:
Instead of this, I will connect the HDD Windows 10 is installed on, to the same motherboard Windows 11 is installed on.
Click to expand...
That operation has a strong likelihood of fail.

Win 10 is better than previous OSs at moving between hardware, but by NO means 100%.

Possible outcomes:
  1. It works.
  2. It fails completely.
  3. It "works", but you're chasing issues for weeks/months.
I've personally seen all 3.

And this drive is coming from a laptop to a new desktop?
I expect #2.
 
From my past experience with moving Win10 installation, there are two types of issue that need to be solved.

1. The new motherboard has its own drivers package, this drivers package must be ready on the HDD for installing when the network is not active yet.

If the motherboard is old and there is no drivers available, Win10 will try to use generic drivers, I have installed Win10 on a couple of computers that the manufacturers stopped releasing drivers after WinXP/2000. All of those computers worked fine for years without problem.

2. You must re-validate your Windows 10 installation each time you change the motherboard, you can do it when the system is up and running.
 
Is this an academic question, or, do you have a particular OS and hardware in mind?
If so, the details will get you better answers.

The purpose, originally, of an operating system was to translate higher level commands to be executed by the hardware it is running on.
As such, the OS needs to be aware of the specifics of the hardware it runs on.
 
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