How to Transfer Windows 10 License

To transfer a Windows 10 license, first check that it’s a retail license by running slmgr /dli in Command Prompt. If it is, remove the product key from the old PC with slmgr /upk, then enter the same key on the new PC in Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Change product key. If your retail digital license is linked to your Microsoft account, use the Activation troubleshooter on the new PC instead.

Applies to: Windows 10 Home and Pro, and moving a Windows 10 license to a PC running Windows 11. Checked against Microsoft Support on October 9, 2026.

Not every license can move. Licenses that came preinstalled on a PC (OEM) stay with that PC, and work or school licenses are controlled by your organization. A license can only be active on one PC at a time.

Which Windows licenses can you transfer?

• Retail: a copy you bought yourself from Microsoft or a store, as a key or a boxed copy. You can move it to another PC.
• Free upgrade from a retail Windows 7 or 8.1: keeps the retail rights of the original copy, so it can usually move.
• OEM: Windows that came installed on a new PC, or a free upgrade from an OEM copy. It’s tied to the original PC’s hardware and can’t be moved to another computer.
• Volume or work licenses: managed by a business or school. Ask the IT team rather than moving them yourself.

Check your license type

1. Select Start, type cmd, and open Command Prompt.
2. Type slmgr /dli and press Enter.
3. Wait for the Windows Script Host box and read the Description line. RETAIL channel means you can transfer the license. OEM_DM or another OEM channel means you can’t.

Also check Settings > Update & Security > Activation. It shows your edition (Home or Pro) and whether the license is linked to your Microsoft account. To learn more about what that page tells you, see how to find your digital license in Windows 10.

Transfer a retail product key

Use this if you have the 25-character key from your purchase email, receipt, or box.

On the old PC

1. Right-click Start and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Type slmgr /upk and press Enter. A message confirms the product key was uninstalled.
3. Type slmgr /cpky and press Enter to clear the key from the registry.

The old PC now shows as not activated. If you’re wiping or recycling the old PC anyway, you can skip these steps, but removing the key makes it clear the license is no longer in use there.

On the new PC

1. Install the same edition the license covers. A Windows 10 Home key won’t activate Windows 10 Pro.
2. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
3. Select Change product key.
4. Enter the 25-character key and select Next, then Activate.

You can also enter the key from an admin Command Prompt with slmgr /ipk followed by your key, then run slmgr /ato to activate.

Transfer a digital license linked to your Microsoft account

If you never had a key, your retail license may be a digital license linked to your Microsoft account.

1. On the new PC, install the same edition and sign in with the same Microsoft account.
2. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation and select Troubleshoot.
3. Select I changed hardware on this device recently, then sign in if asked.
4. Choose the device from the list, select This is the device I’m using right now, and select Activate.

Microsoft limits how often you can reactivate after hardware changes, and the troubleshooter won’t move an OEM license.

Moving to a Windows 11 PC

A transferable Windows 10 retail license can also activate Windows 11 of the same edition. Enter the key in Settings > System > Activation > Change product key on Windows 11. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, so a new PC should run Windows 11 where possible. Eligible Windows 10 PCs can get Extended Security Updates until October 12, 2027.

Before you hand over or recycle the old PC

• Back up your files to OneDrive or an external drive. Moving the license doesn’t move anything else.
• Sign out of your apps, including Microsoft 365, so the old PC doesn’t count against your app installs.
• Remove the old PC from your Microsoft account at account.microsoft.com/devices once you no longer use it.
• Reset the PC with Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC and choose Remove everything before you give it away.

For moving your documents, photos and settings, see how to transfer data from Windows 10 to Windows 11.

If activation fails on the new PC

• “This product key didn’t work” or error 0xC004C008: the key is still active on another PC or has reached its activation limit. Make sure you removed it from the old PC, wait a few hours, and try again.
• Wrong edition: the key is for Home and you installed Pro, or the other way round. Check the edition under Activation.
• No internet connection: activation needs to reach Microsoft’s servers.
• Still not activated: run slui 4 to see whether phone activation is offered in your region, or contact Microsoft Support with your proof of purchase.

Frequently asked questions

Can I transfer an OEM license?

No. An OEM license belongs to the PC it came with. If you replace that PC’s motherboard because it failed, Microsoft may let you reactivate on the repaired PC, but you can’t move it to a different computer.

Can I use one license on two PCs?

No. A standard license covers one PC at a time. You need a separate license for each computer.

Does running slmgr /upk delete my license?

No. It only removes the key from that PC. Your right to use the license stays with you, so you can enter the key on another PC.

What if I can’t find my product key?

Check your purchase email or your Microsoft account order history. If you bought Windows from the Microsoft Store as a digital license, there may be no key to find; use the Microsoft account method above.

Does a Windows 7 upgrade license count as retail?

Only if the original Windows 7 or 8.1 copy was retail. If Windows 7 came installed on the PC, the Windows 10 license from that free upgrade is OEM and stays with that PC.

Do I need to reinstall apps on the new PC?

Yes. Moving the license only moves Windows activation. Your apps and files need to be moved separately.