Windows 10 re-activation with new hardware

Hi,

A question about upgrading to Windows 10.

Before the free year expires, if I upgrade to Windows 10 from existing Windows 8 Retail on my current PC, upgrade it (new M/B, CPU etc) and then install existing Windows 8 Retail on the new setup, will I still be able to upgrade to Windows 10 again for free?

Thanks.

Yes, you will be able to do that but it should not even be necessary to reload win8, just stay with W10, enter your Win8 retail key and it should accept that or phone MS activation centre and speak to them about what you have done, they may simply reactivate you over the phone. If your change is only to memory, hard disk or graphics card then there will be no re-activation issues.

You also need to remove Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 from the old upgraded (current) system, otherwise, it sounds like you are starting with one Windows 8 license, upgrading it to 10, then reusing the license you have upgraded to magically get 2 installations of Windows 10 from one initial retail licence.

Now if that trick could be performed over and over, nobody would ever have to buy another Windows License again as long as Windows 10 was around.

In the terms of the Windows 10 EULA:

2a. License. The software is licensed, not sold.Under this agreement, we grant you the right to install and run one instance of the software on your device (the licensed device), for use by one person at a time, so long as you comply with all the terms of this agreement.Updating or upgrading from non-genuine software with software from Microsoft or authorized sources does not make your original version or the updated/upgraded version genuine, and in that situation, you do not have a license to use the software.

and

4b. Stand-alone software. If you acquired the software as stand-alone software (and also if you upgraded from software you acquired as stand-alone software), you may transfer the software to another device that belongs to you.You may also transfer the software to a device owned by someone else if (i) you are the first licensed user of the software and (ii) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement. You may use the backup copy we allow you to make or the media that the software came on to transfer the software. Every time you transfer the software to a new device, you must remove the software from the prior device. You may not transfer the software to share licenses between devices.

Yes, you will be able to do that but it should not even be necessary to reload win8, just stay with W10, enter your Win8 retail key and it should accept that or phone MS activation centre and speak to them about what you have done, they may simply reactivate you over the phone. If your change is only to memory, hard disk or graphics card then there will be no re-activation issues.

Ah, that's another way of doing it and would save a lot of time.

You also need to remove Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 from the old upgraded (current) system, otherwise, it sounds like you are starting with one Windows 8 license, upgrading it to 10, then reusing the license you have upgraded to magically get 2 installations of Windows 10 from one initial retail licence.

Now if that trick could be performed over and over, nobody would ever have to buy another Windows License again as long as Windows 10 was around.

Yep, I'd be completely getting rid of the Windows installation on the existing setup before proceeding with a new setup.