I'm replacing a motherboard, do I have to get a new windows?

[newbuilder001]

Hi, I'm planning to replace my current dead motherboard with the exact same model; will I have to buy a new copy of windows? The motherboard is the MSI 970 Gaming, and I currently have windows 10 (free upgrade from windows 8 oem). Not sure if this makes any difference: I flashed/upgraded the bios of my current dead motherboard, and the replacement might have an older version.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Setup a Microsoft Account and link your current PC to it , then backup whatever you want to save and perform a clean install on your new setup and activate it with your Microsoft account from within windows. Skip the key entry during setup and activate it from within windows with the registered Microsoft Account.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/
Create a USB installer here ^
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP4sAhmH_Oo"][/video]
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ROoOkPWIM"][/video]

 

[newbuilder001]

Setup a Microsoft Account and link your current PC to it , then backup whatever you want to save and perform a clean install on your new setup and activate it with your Microsoft account from within windows. Skip the key entry during setup and activate it from within windows with the registered Microsoft Account.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/
Create a USB installer here ^
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP4sAhmH_Oo"][/video]
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ROoOkPWIM"][/video]

But right now I have an account linked to a windows 10 (it's my laptop's windows 10). If I use the account on my new build, what will happen to my laptop? Is is not possible to keep my old windows? (If it helps, I have a copy of my old windows 8 pre-update serial key)

 

[USAFRet]

But right now I have an account linked to a windows 10 (it's my laptop's windows 10). If I use the account on my new build, what will happen to my laptop? Is is not possible to keep my old windows? (If it helps, I have a copy of my old windows 8 pre-update serial key)

You can link more than one OS and system to that MS account.

 

[newbuilder001]

But right now I have an account linked to a windows 10 (it's my laptop's windows 10). If I use the account on my new build, what will happen to my laptop? Is is not possible to keep my old windows? (If it helps, I have a copy of my old windows 8 pre-update serial key)

You can link more than one OS and system to that MS account.

That's great news but doesn't that enable people to use windows 10 without buying? BTW, I'm assuming that the windows on my desktop is not recoverable

 

[USAFRet]

But right now I have an account linked to a windows 10 (it's my laptop's windows 10). If I use the account on my new build, what will happen to my laptop? Is is not possible to keep my old windows? (If it helps, I have a copy of my old windows 8 pre-update serial key)

You can link more than one OS and system to that MS account.

That's great news but doesn't that enable people to use windows 10 without buying? BTW, I'm assuming that the windows on my desktop is not recoverable

No. You had to start with two different activated installs and systems.

 

[newbuilder001]

But right now I have an account linked to a windows 10 (it's my laptop's windows 10). If I use the account on my new build, what will happen to my laptop? Is is not possible to keep my old windows? (If it helps, I have a copy of my old windows 8 pre-update serial key)

You can link more than one OS and system to that MS account.

That's great news but doesn't that enable people to use windows 10 without buying? BTW, I'm assuming that the windows on my desktop is not recoverable

No. You had to start with two different activated installs and systems.

So what you're saying is that if I basically perform a fresh start (new HDD, new motherboard), I skip the activation key step, and then I enter my MS account, everything will work out fine? Does that mean that I can change motherboards (to intel)?

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

But right now I have an account linked to a windows 10 (it's my laptop's windows 10). If I use the account on my new build, what will happen to my laptop? Is is not possible to keep my old windows? (If it helps, I have a copy of my old windows 8 pre-update serial key)

You can link more than one OS and system to that MS account.

That's great news but doesn't that enable people to use windows 10 without buying? BTW, I'm assuming that the windows on my desktop is not recoverable

No. You had to start with two different activated installs and systems.

So what you're saying is that if I basically perform a fresh start (new HDD, new motherboard), I skip the activation key step, and then I enter my MS account, everything will work out fine? Does that mean that I can change motherboards (to intel)?

Yes , correct.

 

[USAFRet]

So what you're saying is that if I basically perform a fresh start (new HDD, new motherboard), I skip the activation key step, and then I enter my MS account, everything will work out fine? Does that mean that I can change motherboards (to intel)?

Yes.
It will fail to activate automatically, due to the new hardware.
Then you go into the Activation Troubleshooter.
There will be a link for "I recently made a major hardware change" (or words to that effect).
Do what it says.

 

[newbuilder001]

OK Awesome. That pretty much solves my problem, but can I just bug you guys with two more questions?

If I decide to build a new computer, can't I use the process here to skip buying new windows? It doesn't seem like there's any way for MS to differentiate between computers.

The key I have for my old windows 8 is pretty much obsolete right?

Thanks!

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Windows 8 key is no longer valid , no you can't avoid buying a license for a new setup , you still would need a third legit license.

 

[USAFRet]

OK Awesome. That pretty much solves my problem, but can I just bug you guys with two more questions?

If I decide to build a new computer, can't I use the process here to skip buying new windows? It doesn't seem like there's any way for MS to differentiate between computers.

The key I have for my old windows 8 is pretty much obsolete right?

Thanks!

Oh, they can certainly tell.
License A with hardware spec X.
Try to apply License A to Hardware Spec Z as well as A, and something will choke.

When it goes online and tries to activate, it creates a hash of your system info. Motherboard serial num, NIC, etc, etc, etc.
This, along with the license key, defines your "digital entitlement".

So lets say your current system creates a hash of 123ABC (letters are the OS, numbers are the system info)
New hardware would try to be 123XYZ. Activation server coughs up an error..."You can't do this"

Now...if you tell the activation server that "XYZ" is the computer you're now using....the ABC system is null and void.
Your digital entitlement is now 123XYZ. The digital entitlement of 123ABC goes away.

(it's more complex than that, but that is the general idea)

 

[USAFRet]

Windows 8 key is no longer valid , no you can't avoid buying a license for a new setup , you still would need a third legit license.

Oh I see, selecting activation due to hardware change only works once. Is that right?

No, you can move that to new hardware again, later.
But only one system at a time. Not a whole second system with the one license.

Now...if you try to do that every week, before long they're going to say "hey...wait a minnit"
At which point you'd need to call, talk to a human, and plead your case as to why.

 

[newbuilder001]

Ha, so I'm basically protected against hardware failures; as long as I do this one at a time! (is this only for windows 10? I've read threads where people say that you need to buy new windows, maybe on older versions) Where does my laptop's windows account fit in all this?

edit:
I'm dealing with two windows entitlements here: my laptop, and my broken desktop. So I'm not actually transferring my laptop's liscense to my desktop right?

 

[USAFRet]

Ha, so I'm basically protected against hardware failures; as long as I do this one at a time! (is this only for windows 10? I've read threads where people say that you need to buy new windows, maybe on older versions) Where does my laptop's windows account fit in all this?

Yes, only on Win 10, and only after the Anniversary 1607 release.

Your laptop? I do not think this works with the OEM license in the laptop, if it came with Win 10 initially. A reinstall of Win 10 on that same laptop will (should) activate automatically.
But I do not believe you can move that 'license' to a whole different system.

 

[newbuilder001]

Alright then, that means when I click on hardware change in the troubleshooter you mentioned earlier, I will be modifying my desktop's digital entitlement, not the laptop's. That means they will some how know (or find out during that process of troubleshooting) that I'm dealing with that specific build, maybe through a serial number.

 

[USAFRet]

Alright then, that means when I click on hardware change in the troubleshooter you mentioned earlier, I will be modifying my desktop's digital entitlement, not the laptop's. That means they will some how know (or find out during that process of troubleshooting) that I'm dealing with that specific build, maybe through a serial number.

Yes.
Your PC has a name...whatever you gave it, even it you just accepted the default name. "DESKTOP-NewBuilder001"
In that troubleshooter, it will list whatever 'systems' are linked to the MS account.

Select one...
"I'm using this PC right now"