Reusing Windows 10? (OEM DVD 64bit)

[nicholasnewsom577]

I have been researching this mania for quite a while now, and I feel like the people at tom's hardware can solve it.

I have a custom-built computer, running Windows 10 64bit OEM DVD, that I have installed on my SSD. Since windows is dependent on all of the drivers that have been cling onto your motherboard, no upgrade is possible for the mobo or cpu.

I have already used the product key, and I was wondering in the future, that if I could nuke (reinstall and keep files and settings) my windows 10, and start out almost fresh. Would my Windows 10 copy that I bought off of newegg still work? Will the activation key fail? Am I violating any sort of End User License Agreement when I have opened the package? What was in that sort of the phonebook-of-a-kind contract that I agreed on?

Documentation on these copy's of windows 10 OEM PC DISK is just fake news from a page with a lot of ads on it.

Im not sure what to do. Im worried that I will have to re-buy windows. At the time I bought it, there were no Windows 10 USB's or downloads that I could have burned to a disk. The only thing I could buy is a OEM PC Disk, or buy some Russian copy that only got 2 reviews.


Please help me.

 

[Colif]

The only option that lets you keep files and settings is a reset, and it doesn't ask for license codes, so you won't have any activation problems.

Since you bought an OEM DVD of Win 10, your license will always work on that current PC, you needn't worry about it as even if you clean install on same PC, it will still work. You don't need to buy it again, just download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB/DVD

Win 10 is never tied to drivers, windows never was. It could be tied to your current motherboard or it might be tied to your email address. Win 10 is actually easier to move than previous versions, you can move the license to a entirely new PC if you want to (though it can only be installed on 1 PC at a time)

Have a look in settings/update & security/Activation

if it says windows is activated with a digital license, then it is currently tied to your motherboard.
If it says Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account , then it is tied to the email address you have linked to your login

The registration key you used the 1st time to install Win 10 isn't needed anymore. It is stored on a server at Microsoft's end along with details of the PC and possibly an email address

When you install win 10 on a PC it has already been on, and get to screen asking for a licence, you choose "I don't have a key" and win 10 will continue the install and then check the same server it recorded those details on when you 1st installed win 10, to make sure its okay to activate.

If its tied to an Microsoft Account, you may need to do extra steps to activate once installed - Activating win 10 on new hardware

 

[USAFRet]

I have been researching this mania for quite a while now, and I feel like the people at tom's hardware can solve it.

I have a custom-built computer, running Windows 10 64bit OEM DVD, that I have installed on my SSD. Since windows is dependent on all of the drivers that have been cling onto your motherboard, no upgrade is possible for the mobo or cpu.

I have already used the product key, and I was wondering in the future, that if I could nuke (reinstall and keep files and settings) my windows 10, and start out almost fresh. Would my Windows 10 copy that I bought off of newegg still work? Will the activation key fail? Am I violating any sort of End User License Agreement when I have opened the package? What was in that sort of the phonebook-of-a-kind contract that I agreed on?

Documentation on these copy's of windows 10 OEM PC DISK is just fake news from a page with a lot of ads on it.

Im not sure what to do. Im worried that I will have to re-buy windows. At the time I bought it, there were no Windows 10 USB's or downloads that I could have burned to a disk. The only thing I could buy is a OEM PC Disk, or buy some Russian copy that only got 2 reviews.


Please help me.

Reinstalling in the same hardware? No problem.
Reinstalling in the same hardware, just on a new drive? Again, no problem.

Changing hardware? Maybe.
The line between OEM and Retail is significantly blurred with Win 10.
Read and do this before you change any parts:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3164428/windows-build-1607-activation.html