[SOLVED] Need some help about windows 10 key for re install

[nvincent_08]

so lately my hard drive seemed to be dying and i planned to swap it with new hard drive soon and add an ssd as the boot up is quite slow sometimes, but i'm a bit confused about the activation key, i bought the laptop with windows 10 pre installed. if i want to re install the windows to the ssd, can i still use the key again? i heard oem key can be re used as long as it is used on the same computer, but just to make sure i contacted microsoft support, the guy that i contacted told me to contact the manufacturer, as i'm using acer laptop, so i contacted acer support, i contacted acer us and the guy told me to contact my country acer support(i contacted acer us because acer support in my country is pretty hard to contact) and after contacting indonesian acer support, the answer is really disappointing, the guy told me to contact microsoft, which makes me really confused as each related brand support pass me back in forth. can anyone please help me with this? seemed like im talking with bot contacting brand support

to simplify my question for those who don't want to read the whole story:
can i re use the activation key that come with the pre installed windows on my acer laptop again for activation after re install?(i'm installing it on different drive as i planned to replace and add ssd but still on the same laptop)

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Do you have your Laptop linked to a Microsoft Account?

 

[drtweak]

Windows WILL know. If your PC has been activated with a key, whether it is a SLP key (Built into the BIOS like Dell Does), was upgraded from windows 7, or came reinstalled, Just reinstall windows and it will auto activate! The only case I think they may not work is if a Volume License MAK key was used. Just Toss in the drive and go.

The whole thing about binding the key to your Microsoft account, and this ONLY works with keys that you bought then activated, is to move that key to another PC that does not have a license, rendering the old PC with no license so the next person will need to buy a new license to use it. So if you were to custom build a PC, then bind that key to your account, and then build a new rig and sell that one, you can keep your key with you.

Otherwise if windows is activated just install. Most OEMs windows will auto detect what version (Home/Pro) so if you install windows and it doesn't ask what version, it picked it for you. If it does ask though make sure you pick the version you had before.

 

[nvincent_08]

Do you have your Laptop linked to a Microsoft Account?

i did have my laptop linked

 

[nvincent_08]

Windows WILL know. If your PC has been activated with a key, whether it is a SLP key (Built into the BIOS like Dell Does), was upgraded from windows 7, or came reinstalled, Just reinstall windows and it will auto activate! The only case I think they may not work is if a Volume License MAK key was used. Just Toss in the drive and go.

The whole thing about binding the key to your Microsoft account, and this ONLY works with keys that you bought then activated, is to move that key to another PC that does not have a license, rendering the old PC with no license so the next person will need to buy a new license to use it. So if you were to custom build a PC, then bind that key to your account, and then build a new rig and sell that one, you can keep your key with you.

Otherwise if windows is activated just install. Most OEMs windows will auto detect what version (Home/Pro) so if you install windows and it doesn't ask what version, it picked it for you. If it does ask though make sure you pick the version you had before.

oaky, so it should be really straight forward, just install and it supposed to auto activate?

 

[Colif]

so lately my hard drive seemed to be dying and i planned to swap it with new hard drive soon and add an ssd as the boot up is quite slow sometimes, but i'm a bit confused about the activation key, i bought the laptop with windows 10 pre installed. if i want to re install the windows to the ssd, can i still use the key again? i heard oem key can be re used as long as it is used on the same computer, but just to make sure i contacted microsoft support, the guy that i contacted told me to contact the manufacturer, as i'm using acer laptop, so i contacted acer support, i contacted acer us and the guy told me to contact my country acer support(i contacted acer us because acer support in my country is pretty hard to contact) and after contacting indonesian acer support, the answer is really disappointing, the guy told me to contact microsoft, which makes me really confused as each related brand support pass me back in forth. can anyone please help me with this? seemed like im talking with bot contacting brand support

to simplify my question for those who don't want to read the whole story:
can i re use the activation key that come with the pre installed windows on my acer laptop again for activation after re install?(i'm installing it on different drive as i planned to replace and add ssd but still on the same laptop)

Support is pretty useless, even lvl 1 MIcrosoft support are clueless.

You don't need key if you reinstalling win 10 on a pc its already been on. When you run installer, just click "I don't have a key" and win 10 will continue install and then check activation servers once its finished. MIcrosoft track activations, they will have a record of current PC, and fact it has a valid Win 10 key. So your PC checks MS servers, and is told, yes Its fine.. and you get activated.

linking to Email address just good practice for future changes, you never know when PC might just stop working. Beats ringing Microsoft to explain why you need to move license, after the fact.

 

[nvincent_08]

Support is pretty useless, even lvl 1 MIcrosoft support are clueless.

You don't need key if you reinstalling win 10 on a pc its already been on. When you run installer, just click "I don't have a key" and win 10 will continue install and then check activation servers once its finished. MIcrosoft track activations, they will have a record of current PC, and fact it has a valid Win 10 key. So your PC checks MS servers, and is told, yes Its fine.. and you get activated.

linking to Email address just good practice for future changes, you never know when PC might just stop working. Beats ringing Microsoft to explain why you need to move license, after the fact.

okay thank you for your help

 

[BringerOfTea]

Support is pretty useless, even lvl 1 MIcrosoft support are clueless.

Spot on Colif, they insisted on me buying a new license... when I last changed motherboard and wanted to activated my windows. Had to run through vast amounts of emails in order to remember the german seller which issued my key.

 

[Colif]

Note: pre installed versions of Win 10 on laptops may not let you link them to Microsoft accounts, as they have special OEM versions of win 10 that can't be installed on any other hardware.

This won't affect you as my process works fine for PC where the license is linked to hardware.

Microsoft split personality, set up process to allow moving licence to new hardware and then not tell their support people about it.