Clean install Windows 10 and MS Account

M

MarmotWhistler

New member
Hi, having just received a new PC from PC Specialist I'm giving my old PC Specialist PC to my grandson. Done clean install all OK. Activated via my MS Account OK

However, I want to delete the PC from my MS account and allow my grandson to have his own MS account. Will that maintain the Windows 10 digital licence on the new account?

Sounds simple query but NO-ONE confirms this on the internet (that I can find). No hardware or any other PC changes.

Thanks.
 
D

Deleted member 17413

Guest
The way windows 10 licences work means the licence is tied to your account... I dont believe you can transfer licences from one microsoft account to another?

When using your microsoft account, the licence is a digital signature on your account and it ties it to the machine spec (think the motherboard/BIOS...would have to check), so you can transfer it from machine to machine and just say its a hardware change, but its always still tied to that microsoft account.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
sibun1 said:
The way windows 10 licences work means the licence is tied to your account... I dont believe you can transfer licences from one microsoft account to another?

When using your microsoft account, the licence is a digital signature on your account and it ties it to the machine spec (think the motherboard/BIOS...would have to check), so you can transfer it from machine to machine and just say its a hardware change, but its always still tied to that microsoft account.
Click to expand...
This is absolutely right. You can’t transfer the license to another account.
 
D

Deleted member 17413

Guest
Theres only one thing I can think of, and I dont think you could do the same thing unless you had upgraded windows rather than buying a Win 10 to start with.

I upgraded windows versions to win 10 for free a while back, but my original copy was activated with a product key.
I had a little difficulty when transferring my copy of win 10 to a new system, so had to find a work-a-round, so I used command prompt to call up the product key number, copied it down and then used command prompt to remove the product key.

I then used that product key to activate windows on the new machine.

SO....theory is... Go into your microsoft account and remove the computer from your devices.
Open command prompt as administrator and type: wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey

This should display your product key, write it down

Then, you want to remove the product key, type: slmgr.vbs /dlv
Write down the Activation ID from the info it shows you

Then type: slmgr /upk (Activation ID) Remove the (Activation ID) and put what you got from the previous step in its place.
This should then tell you its done it, do a complete fresh instal of windows and manually enter the product key when it asks... (if at any point it asks for your windows account tell it you want to use a local account)
 
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D

Deleted member 17413

Guest
Now.... I dont know if that will work, im thinking it should cos it did for me, but I flipped back to my microsoft account afterwards anyway, I never -changed- microsoft accounts...which is where it might trip up...

But i'm thinking its worth a shot, once all installed and activated on the local account using the product key, once youve done all your updates etc, create a microsoft account for him and try switching to that, and then see if it will associate the licence with his account...
Or just leave it on the local account anyway.
 
Bhuna50

Bhuna50

Author Level
Could you not just:

- add local user with admin rights
- log in with local user
- remove account that has the license attached to it
- add new user account with admin rights (this being the other persons)
- log in as new user - it will then attach that this user is using this license?
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
I could be wrong, but in my head this is over-complicated where it doesn't need to be.

The license is activated and the hardware configuration is logged in the M$ server. This is what actually allows the system to activate from then on, without having to re-confirm the key etc.

For convenience, you can add that "link" to your M$ account... so that you can simply use your login to activate the PC after any hardware changes, reformats or etc.

With that being the case, I think you can simply delete the association in your M$ account and then remove your user account from the PC.

Once this is done, your Grandson can then create a M$ account, login on the PC and then link the PC/License/etc to his account.

I can't think of any reason this wouldn't be allowed. The license is tied to the hardware..... not the person.
 
NoddyPirate

NoddyPirate

Grand Master
I think Bhuna50 is right ultimately. My understanding is that the digital licence is not directly related to you account. The hardware ID is stored on the Microsoft activation servers. Linking your account simply registers your account to that activation so that you can log in to a computer with a fresh install and copy that licence over to the new machine - or following a hardware change either.
 
NoddyPirate

NoddyPirate

Grand Master
Bloomin' 'eck I do like crossing with other posters lately!

I think @Scott is spot on here. Assuming you are not trying to turn a single purchased licence into two Windows installations, then there shouldn't be any issues. Revert to a local account and your grandson should be able to do whatever he wants from there.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Scott said:
I could be wrong, but in my head this is over-complicated where it doesn't need to be.

The license is activated and the hardware configuration is logged in the M$ server. This is what actually allows the system to activate from then on, without having to re-confirm the key etc.

For convenience, you can add that "link" to your M$ account... so that you can simply use your login to activate the PC after any hardware changes, reformats or etc.

With that being the case, I think you can simply delete the association in your M$ account and then remove your user account from the PC.

Once this is done, your Grandson can then create a M$ account, login on the PC and then link the PC/License/etc to his account.

I can't think of any reason this wouldn't be allowed. The license is tied to the hardware..... not the person.
Click to expand...
But that’s the point. A digital license isn’t tied to the hardware, it’s tied to the user account.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Scott said:
I could be wrong, but in my head this is over-complicated where it doesn't need to be.

The license is activated and the hardware configuration is logged in the M$ server. This is what actually allows the system to activate from then on, without having to re-confirm the key etc.

For convenience, you can add that "link" to your M$ account... so that you can simply use your login to activate the PC after any hardware changes, reformats or etc.

With that being the case, I think you can simply delete the association in your M$ account and then remove your user account from the PC.

Once this is done, your Grandson can then create a M$ account, login on the PC and then link the PC/License/etc to his account.

I can't think of any reason this wouldn't be allowed. The license is tied to the hardware..... not the person.
Click to expand...
I'd agree with this.

I think the 'extract key... use key on other machine' is a dead duck with OEM Windows 10 because they key you extract us a generic key, not a real key.

As @Scott says, once initially activated the hardware id is stored on the activation servers, so as long as the hardware doesn't change it will always activate.
 
NoddyPirate

NoddyPirate

Grand Master
SpyderTracks said:
But that’s the point. A digital license isn’t tied to the hardware, it’s tied to the user account.
Click to expand...
I’m not so sure Spyder. It’s tied to the hardware - but associated with the account. That allows you to use your account to re-assign the hardware registration to new hardware if you wish.

That’s my understanding.
 
D

Deleted member 17413

Guest
ubuysa said:
I'd agree with this.

I think the 'extract key... use key on other machine' is a dead duck with OEM Windows 10 because they key you extract us a generic key, not a real key.

As @Scott says, once initially activated the hardware id is stored on the activation servers, so as long as the hardware doesn't change it will always activate.
Click to expand...
Even when its a upgraded version that originally used a key to activate?
 
NoddyPirate

NoddyPirate

Grand Master
sibun1 said:
Even when its a upgraded version that originally used a key to activate?
Click to expand...
If it wasn't a W10 install to start with then yes I think the extract and re-use can work - and it did for me in th past - for a W7 (or 8 - I can't rememeber now) install that was upgraded to W10, before moving the licence manually to another machine as you suggest.

I think @ubuysa is just clarifying that you can no longer extract an original W10 licence (that has not been upgraded from an earlier version of Windows) from a machine and transfer it that way now.

I do think it sounds to me like the OP already has two activated copies of Windows up and running - and is just asking if he de-associates one of those with his MS account will it still remain activated - and I think the answer is yes.
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
SpyderTracks said:
But that’s the point. A digital license isn’t tied to the hardware, it’s tied to the user account.
Click to expand...

I don't think they are. If they were, you would literally need a M$ account to activate Windows. You don't, at least on my last check you didn't.

I didn't have a M$ account until I bought my Surface.... then I thought it was about time I had one.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Scott said:
I don't think they are. If they were, you would literally need a M$ account to activate Windows. You don't, at least on my last check you didn't.

I didn't have a M$ account until I bought my Surface.... then I thought it was about time I had one.
Click to expand...
No, only if it’s a digital license, ie it’s been tied to your Microsoft license to be ported to another device. In that case I believe it’s then tied to the MSA account rather than the hardware.

There is a workaround in the link above but your digital license will become unpaired with your Microsoft account meaning any hardware change and you lose it, unless you turn the login again to the MSA account it was registered with.

This is definitely something I need to read more about.
 
Bhuna50

Bhuna50

Author Level
I think it works something like this:

1617887859971.png


(Just realised as well - bottom right hand box should also say that it removes license from previous hardware it was associated with.)
 
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