Can you move a Windows licence to a new PC?

Whether you can move Windows depends on the type of licence, not on the edition.

Updated October 2026

Retail vs OEM

  • Retail licence: bought separately. It can be moved to another PC, as long as it's only used on one PC at a time.
  • OEM licence: came pre-installed on a PC. It's tied to that PC and can't be moved.

To see which you have, run slmgr /dli. The description says RETAIL or OEM.

How to move a retail licence

  1. On the old PC, run slmgr /upk as admin to remove the key.
  2. On the new PC, enter the key in Settings › System › Activation › Change product key.
  3. If activation fails because the key was used before, run the Activation troubleshooter and choose I changed hardware on this device recently, or contact us.

Replaced a part, not the whole PC?

If your licence is linked to your Microsoft account, sign in after the change and run the Activation troubleshooter. A motherboard swap usually counts as a new PC.

Keys mentioned in this guide

Still stuck?Send us a screenshot and your order number on the contact page. If a key we sold you won't activate, we fix it or send a replacement.