Deactivating Windows? Help!

[mavan123]

I am in the process of upgrading my computer e.g. motherboard and CPU. I think I have heard somewhere that if I deactivate the product key on my computer I Can USE it again on my new one. Does anyone if this is true. Have you tried it? Another problem is that the computer that im upgrading doesn't work at all. So I can't deactivate from the computer itself. I don;t have the budget to buy windows again for $100. If anyone know please help! Thanks!

-Mr. Mavan

 

[ddpruitt]

If it's an OEM license the license may or may not work on the upgrade. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about it. Most of the time Windows will silently upgrade in the background. Every once in a while you'll have to call Microsoft and they'll activate it under the new configuration. In my experience it's about a 50/50 chance.

Either way you won't have to buy Windows again.

 

[USAFRet]

I am in the process of upgrading my computer e.g. motherboard and CPU. I think I have heard somewhere that if I deactivate the product key on my computer I Can USE it again on my new one. Does anyone if this is true. Have you tried it? Another problem is that the computer that im upgrading doesn't work at all. So I can't deactivate from the computer itself. I don;t have the budget to buy windows again for $100. If anyone know please help! Thanks!

-Mr. Mavan

There is no 'deactivation' that does what you think it does.
Yes, there is a commandline thing to 'deactivate'. But only tells this PC it has no OS license. It does NOT phone home and tell the activation server farm.

What OS?
Where did it come from? Preinstalled, something you bought, WIn 10 Upgraded from something else?

 

[mavan123]

I am in the process of upgrading my computer e.g. motherboard and CPU. I think I have heard somewhere that if I deactivate the product key on my computer I Can USE it again on my new one. Does anyone if this is true. Have you tried it? Another problem is that the computer that im upgrading doesn't work at all. So I can't deactivate from the computer itself. I don;t have the budget to buy windows again for $100. If anyone know please help! Thanks!

-Mr. Mavan

There is no 'deactivation' that does what you think it does.
Yes, there is a commandline thing to 'deactivate'. But only tells this PC it has no OS license. It does NOT phone home and tell the activation server farm.

What OS?
Where did it come from? Preinstalled, something you bought, WIn 10 Upgraded from something else?

The product key i have came from a windows 7 laptop that broke form water damage

 

[mavan123]

I am in the process of upgrading my computer e.g. motherboard and CPU. I think I have heard somewhere that if I deactivate the product key on my computer I Can USE it again on my new one. Does anyone if this is true. Have you tried it? Another problem is that the computer that im upgrading doesn't work at all. So I can't deactivate from the computer itself. I don;t have the budget to buy windows again for $100. If anyone know please help! Thanks!

-Mr. Mavan

There is no 'deactivation' that does what you think it does.
Yes, there is a commandline thing to 'deactivate'. But only tells this PC it has no OS license. It does NOT phone home and tell the activation server farm.

What OS?
Where did it come from? Preinstalled, something you bought, WIn 10 Upgraded from something else?

i have an windows 7 install disk form my last pc build

 

[USAFRet]

The product key i have came from a windows 7 laptop that broke form water damage

That license key is an OEM license. It probably will not activate with all new hardware.
If it does not, you have 4 options.
Try it. Probably won't, but do try.
If that fails to activate, call the phone robot at MS, see if that works
If that fails, call and talk to a human
If that fails, buy a new OS for your new shiny PC.

 

[mavan123]

The product key i have came from a windows 7 laptop that broke form water damage

That license key is an OEM license. It probably will not activate with all new hardware.
If it does not, you have 4 options.
Try it. Probably won't, but do try.
If that fails to activate, call the phone robot at MS, see if that works
If that fails, call and talk to a human
If that fails, buy a new OS for your new shiny PC.

Thanks for the help

 

[mavan123]

The product key i have came from a windows 7 laptop that broke form water damage

That license key is an OEM license. It probably will not activate with all new hardware.
If it does not, you have 4 options.
Try it. Probably won't, but do try.
If that fails to activate, call the phone robot at MS, see if that works
If that fails, call and talk to a human
If that fails, buy a new OS for your new shiny PC.

Sorry i have one more question, i am looking at the product key right now and it says its a "Windows 7 Home Prem OA
what does this mean? not OEM?

 

[USAFRet]

The product key i have came from a windows 7 laptop that broke form water damage

That license key is an OEM license. It probably will not activate with all new hardware.
If it does not, you have 4 options.
Try it. Probably won't, but do try.
If that fails to activate, call the phone robot at MS, see if that works
If that fails, call and talk to a human
If that fails, buy a new OS for your new shiny PC.

Sorry i have one more question, i am looking at the product key right now and it says its a "Windows 7 Home Prem OA
what does this mean? not OEM?

If it came preinstalled on that laptop, it is OEM.

 

[mavan123]

The product key i have came from a windows 7 laptop that broke form water damage

That license key is an OEM license. It probably will not activate with all new hardware.
If it does not, you have 4 options.
Try it. Probably won't, but do try.
If that fails to activate, call the phone robot at MS, see if that works
If that fails, call and talk to a human
If that fails, buy a new OS for your new shiny PC.

Sorry i have one more question, i am looking at the product key right now and it says its a "Windows 7 Home Prem OA
what does this mean? not OEM?

If it came preinstalled on that laptop, it is OEM.

Thanks so much yo da best

 

[bignastyid]

The product key i have came from a windows 7 laptop that broke form water damage

That license key is an OEM license. It probably will not activate with all new hardware.
If it does not, you have 4 options.
Try it. Probably won't, but do try.
If that fails to activate, call the phone robot at MS, see if that works
If that fails, call and talk to a human
If that fails, buy a new OS for your new shiny PC.

Sorry i have one more question, i am looking at the product key right now and it says its a "Windows 7 Home Prem OA
what does this mean? not OEM?

" Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Activation is also known as OA."
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/windows-7-home-premium-what-is-this-oa-in-the/79c56b7c-702b-429b-8282-e594d0427c22?auth=1