Do You Need a Windows Key When Upgrading a PC?

(Code: ZAC50

[TheHaloM]

Digital key is goated until you forget which account you have it on

[TrustBiripudigha]

It actually depends on the type of key. OEM keys will bind to the motherboard where as retail keys can be transferred. You want a Retail key. Anyone know where to get Retail keys?

[NitrogenYT]

“Do what you want cause a pirate is free, you are a pirate”

[hardtosee]

Makes me remember an old video where Linus get crazy at Microsoft because he keep constantly changing pc part (SSD, mainboard, CPU) until one time the key doesn’t activate anymore.

[osamabadawi]

"(KMS)" *Laughing at the corner* 😂

[DarianRamkissoon]

Just to clear up some stuff. When switching parts, the key will eventually not work because the key is assigned to the activated pc and changing parts can cause it to deactivate. You can call up Microsoft support and they'll transfer over the key or reactivate it (not sure since I've never done it) but they will only do this for a few times before they just say "buy a new key"

[LouMosin]

I never purchased a Windows key in my life and neither should you, look up how to activate Windows with CMD and you're golden

[alphanerd]

It used to be, back in the sticker days, the license key was applied to the computer's case, not its contents. So as long as you used the same case, you didn't need to get a new license. OEM licenses weren't transferrable whereas Retail Box licenses were. In this age of digital keys, all that goes out the Window(s).

[Cptn_Nova]

Here in Austria you can get a windows 11 key for 3 Euros (3.25$) So the PC building shops in Germany and Austria are booming. My Windows 11 Pro key costed 3 Euro and worked as normal

[hovsep]

happened to me, build a whole new pc which was more than 10 years old, swapped the ssd to the newly build pc but still had to buy a windows key.
managed to buy one for 4 bucks tho so it's all good.

[FrEffectsIntroforOffer]

And thanks to this system, I can still use the key from my first custom PC, which was still Windows 7 at the time.

[InfamousAMH]

The answer is simple, but the internet won't tell you it straight for some reason. You can just transfer your old storage device, or use minitool partition wizard to clone all of your data to a new one, then use it on a new motherboard and it will just simply work since the active key is within windows itself, not the motherboard.

[powcod]

Thank you for finally explaining this. I had a version of windows on my Microsoft account from a crappy laptop I noticed on the pc I built that I could activate windows. Turns out that $60 laptop I bought wasn't a waste after all

[Gerton]

Yaay I love Zach videos without proper sponsor labels!

[Salaundre]

I have been using the say key I bought from my copy of Windows Vista in 2009. It’s been getting free upgrades for all these years. It’s tied to my Microsoft account. That method is such a great tool.

[ninetenduh]

Microsoft also offers "I have recently changed my hardware" as a troubleshoot Option.

[JeffreyPresstonBezos]

Nah, I would buy carterpc doing thugshake than buying a windows key

[antonmakarenko]

I replaced my mobo a few months ago. Windows was just like "Something off, hardware is not the same. Move license to this platform?"

[comptvlee]

I honestly never figured out how this worked -- appreciate the quick answer.

[RedPheonix]

This video is going to save me so much time when I get my first custom build done.