Transfer windows 10 to new pc?

[jeremyek]

Im wanting to transfer windows 10 from my old pc to my new pc to save money, however im not sure what the easiest method is.

 

[Multipack]

You will need to reactivate by firstly connecting your Microsoft account with your old system then reinstalling on new one and selecting the hardware upgrade option. You can only have that copy of Win 10 on one PC though.

 

[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]

 

[jeremyek]

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 ^

Do i need to call customer support? I saw someone recommend what you said and they said to call microsoft. Also, will windows show me the product key? Because I do not have the paperwork or disk.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Nope , use Windows to activate like I stated above.

Look at my other post above to create USB media.

Linked a great video too.

 

[Colif]

Do this first, no calls needed: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change

If you do that,m your key is replaced by your email address, so signing in after login and maybe following steps above, should activate PC

 

[USAFRet]

Im wanting to transfer windows 10 from my old pc to my new pc to save money, however im not sure what the easiest method is.

Read and do this first:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3164428/windows-build-1607-activation.html

This links the OS license to a Microsoft account, rather than to specific hardware.

 

[Colif]

lol. i won't help anymore and confuse them

 

[jeremyek]

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]

Nope , use Windows to activate like I stated above.

Look at my other post above to create USB media.

Linked a great video too.

So when installing it will ask for my Microsoft account and pin? I'm making sure because I will be doing all this on monday

 

[USAFRet]

So when installing it will ask for my Microsoft account and pin? I'm making sure because I will be doing all this on monday

During your install, when it asks for the license key, select "I don't have one"
Later, if it does not activate automatically, go through the Troubleshooter.
This is when you tell it your MS account info and allow it to activate.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

So when installing it will ask for my Microsoft account and pin? I'm making sure because I will be doing all this on monday

During your install, when it asks for the license key, select "I don't have one"
Later, if it does not activate automatically, go through the Troubleshooter.
This is when you tell it your MS account info and allow it to activate.

Exactly , like I stated above don't enter key. Activate inside windows after complete install.

 

[jeremyek]

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]

Also, do I select "hardware upgrade" on the old PC or the new one? I'm confused, still learning about all this.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change

 

[jeremyek]

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change

Ok. I have the download tool and linked my account to Windows. Do I do the rest on the new PC? The site made it more confusing for me

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Yes install , skip key entry and activate with account after install is done.

 

[jeremyek]

Yes install , skip key entry and activate with account after install is done.

That's it? Seems really simple. Don't have to uninstall or do anything to the old PC? I'm not taking Anything from the old one, it will be a whole PC still. The old PC is just a spare I have lying around.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

That's perfect , with the account setup , you should be fine.

 

[jeremyek]

That's perfect , with the account setup , you should be fine.

I just installed the non licensed windows and signed in, however it says "Unable to activate Windows
We can’t find any devices linked to your Microsoft account that can be used for reactivating the device you’re using right now. Make sure you’re signed in with the same Microsoft account you linked to the Windows 10 digital license on this device or try again later. "

 

[Colif]

did you go through the steps I gave before you swapped the drive into new PC? If you had, it should have linked your digital entitlement to your email address.

You probably have to contact Microsoft to get it fixed now. there should be contact details either on setting/update & security/activation page or
right click this PC on desktop
choose properties
on next screen, look at bottom of page as it has an activation section here.

 

[jeremyek]

did you go through the steps I gave before you swapped the drive into new PC? If you had, it should have linked your digital entitlement to your email address.

You probably have to contact Microsoft to get it fixed now. there should be contact details either on setting/update & security/activation page or
right click this PC on desktop
choose properties
on next screen, look at bottom of page as it has an activation section here.

It is a completely different hard drive. I did not use the hard drive from the old pc. I have a new hard drive in the new pc and the old one is still in the old pc.

 

[Colif]

So in the old PC, under settings/update & security/activation, what does it say next to Activation in the top right corner?

Did you do this? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change

if its linked to an email address and then you link use same email address on new PC, it should let you swap the activation across. Might need to give it a little time to recognise old PC is linked.

 

[jeremyek]

So in the old PC, under settings/update & security/activation, what does it say next to Activation in the top right corner?

Did you do this? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change

if its linked to an email address and then you link use same email address on new PC, it should let you swap the activation across. Might need to give it a little time to recognise old PC is linked.

On the old pc, on activation it only says
"windows
Edition: Windows 10 pro
Activation: Windows is activated
Product key: Windows 10 on this device is activated with a digital entitlement
Get more info
change product key"

 

[Colif]

So look at the link I showed, it shows how to link that digital entitlement to your email address. It is currently linked to the hardware on that PC.

 

[jeremyek]

So look at the link I showed, it shows how to link that digital entitlement to your email address. It is currently linked to the hardware on that PC.

I do not see "Add an account" on the activation screen though. The link you sent said it would be there

 

[Multipack]

You need to turn off the old PC first. You cant have that copy of Windows on more than one system. You will need to power off if not uninstall the copy on the old system first. Now you may find you have to activate by phone, and get one of their crazy 100 digit activation keys. There is no way to have Windows on old and new systems without buying another key.