windows 10 licencing and image backup??

[Pehla]

tomorow im upgrading my system significantly(hope i speel the one right)...
cpu,mobo,ram..
so my question is if i make windows image backup(curently amd platform),can i use it to install it on
new hardware?? its intel this time...

 

[RCoon]

I believe Windows 10 licenses are bound to your motherboard. If you replace that, you'll need another Win 10 key.

 

[darkangel0504]

If I change HDD to a SSD, so I still have the Windows 10 licenses right ?

 

[qubit]

It all depends on how you got your W10 and Microsoft really doesn't make it clear what you can and can't do.

Note that if you upgraded from a retail W7/8 then you can transfer the licence to new hardware. It might mean some faffing around though as it won't activate straight off.

 

[Pehla]

i lost one genuine licence that i got for being a insider..,i added one more ssd to my pc and wanted to do a fresh install in raid 0 but that just didnt work as my pc didnt want to activate,even after talking to a microsoft help desk didnt find solution!! so afterwards i used cracked windows 8.1 and upgraded to windows 10 and that activation is still on my pc,and is still genuine
i wanted to keep that one but i gues its not just motherboard...,its motherboard AND cpu!!!

 

[GreiverBlade]

If I change HDD to a SSD, so I still have the Windows 10 licenses right ?

i did a full clean Win 10 reinstall on my secondary rig (HTPC Alpha in my specs ) after swapping my 5.6k rpm 500gb hdd to a SSHD 8gb NAND 1tb HDD, no issues or any other joyful things on that side.

altho i don't know on "more major" changes since the Alpha is pretty much like a laptop with the only things swap'able being the CPU RAM and Storage and i didn't test it on my main rig (well didn't need to, i should say )

 

[qubit]

If I change HDD to a SSD, so I still have the Windows 10 licenses right ?

Yes, it will remain activated. Things that seem to trigger a reactivation are changing the mobo, network card and maybe the CPU.

 

[darkangel0504]

Yes, it will remain activated. Things that seem to trigger a reactivation are changing the mobo, network card and maybe the CPU.

i did a full clean Win 10 reinstall on my secondary rig (HTPC Alpha in my specs ) after swapping my 5.6k rpm 500gb hdd to a SSHD 8gb NAND 1tb HDD, no issues or any other joyful things on that side.

altho i don't know on "more major" changes since the Alpha is pretty much like a laptop with the only things swap'able being the CPU RAM and Storage and i didn't test it on my main rig (well didn't need to, i should say )

Thank you so much

 

[cdawall]

Yes, it will remain activated. Things that seem to trigger a reactivation are changing the mobo, network card and maybe the CPU.

I have yet to see the CPU trigger it normally its the MAC address change and lack of digital key issue.

 

[qubit]

I have yet to see the CPU trigger it normally its the MAC address change and lack of digital key issue.

You could be right about the CPU. I was only going by comments I'd seen on here suggesting it.

 

[ensabrenoir]

Done this a couple of times. This is my experience. I upgraded all my systems from either windows 7 or 8.1 to 10. I then had a weird power surge that took down every pc that i had. I had to replace motherboards mostly but keeping cpu ssds hdds etc, on each one of these pcs. On the pc in which i kept the windows old file, i had to do nothing. It at first gave me the you must activate windows then when i went on line it activated itself. On the other two pcs on which i deleted my old installation(windows old file) i called Microsoft and they were able to fix one and the other they couldn't for some reason so i had to find my original windows 8.1 key, type it in and it activated. This is my experience.

 

[RejZoR]

You could kinda cheat and call Microsoft and tell them motherboard died and you had to replace it. I had such scenario with Vista system back in the days. I had OEM Vista and mobo needed replacement. Called MS and they re-activated it for me despite being OEM. I had to call MS on every re-activation afterwards though, but it was a possibility. With Win10, I don't think you'd have to since keys are stored with MS, reinstalling Win10 activates it automatically if it finds the license on MS servers.

 

[Drone]

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Useterms/Retail/Windows/10/UseTerms_Retail_Windows_10_English.htm

That's the latest updated license terms. It's a wall of text but these documents are simple and starightforward

 

[Jetster]

I have yet to see the CPU trigger it normally its the MAC address change and lack of digital key issue.

Its the HWID not the MAC address. But its part of it

 

[GreiverBlade]

You could kinda cheat and call Microsoft and tell them motherboard died and you had to replace it. I had such scenario with Vista system back in the days. I had OEM Vista and mobo needed replacement. Called MS and they re-activated it for me despite being OEM. I had to call MS on every re-activation afterwards though, but it was a possibility. With Win10, I don't think you'd have to since keys are stored with MS, reinstalling Win10 activates it automatically if it finds the license on MS servers.

cheating ... nope, automated phone activation call was always an option for me for all my OEM W7 licenses (or any OEM license i still have since XP) on each of my hardware swap, on only 1 case i had to phone MS and get to a "human operator" to get the issue sorted, otherwise i always had to 1. input a series of numbers on my phone keyboard 2. listen carefully to a pre recorded robot assembling a series of numbers ...

funny i have mostly OEM keys but not a lot of them where bought with other computer (and some were even from other computer reinstalled on newer computer )

 

[Jetster]

cheating ... nope, automated phone activation call was always an option for me for all my OEM W7 licenses (or any OEM license i still have since XP) on each of my hardware swap, on only 1 case i had to phone MS and get to a "human operator" to get the issue sorted, otherwise i always had to 1. input a series of numbers on my phone keyboard 2. listen carefully to a pre recorded robot assembling a series of numbers ...

funny i have mostly OEM keys but not a lot of them where bought with other computer (and some were even from other computer reinstalled on newer computer )

Actually it is cheating. But it works. I have an OEM from 2009 I use for benching boards. I bet I've had 15 motherboard changes. The EULA is pretty clear on OEM

 

[RejZoR]

Interesting, I always talked with a real person. Would be easier and faster doing it with a "robot"...

 

[Jetster]

I don't know it takes forever. Its a bunch of numbers. I think it has to do where you live. In the US you get the automated one

 

[Caring1]

Would be easier and faster doing it with a "robot"...

The mind boggles

 

[Moofachuka]

I'm planning to get a new PC next year... guess I won't be able to keep the free Windows 10 by then...