The Digital License is stored in UEFI on newer systems so a motherboard change will remove the key. If you change your boot drive or motherboard it will. In most cases, adding new hardware will not affect Windows licensing. As the product key has evolved into Digital License, activating your copy is sometimes more trouble than it is worth. Either way, this will involve multiple installs of Windows 10. If you’re a gamer or inveterate fiddler like me, you will regularly change your computer hardware to keep up with the latest gear or experiment for IT tutorials. Reactivate Windows 10 After a Hardware Upgrade There is a PowerShell script that can identify the key in some cases. Some manufacturers have stopped adding these though, I know Hewlett Packard has. If you bought a new laptop or desktop with Windows 10 installed, there should be a sticker on the bottom with the license key. You will need a Microsoft Office product key if you reinstall the platform on a new computer or have to reinstall Windows.

You may need a Windows 10 product key if you upgrade your motherboard and Windows cannot identify your account. As long as you log into your new computer or reinstall with the correct Microsoft account you need never touch a product key again.

This new system means you can add or move Windows 10 relatively freely as long as you don’t exceed the permitted number of installs for your license type. The new system tied Windows 10 to your Microsoft account rather than to an individual product key. As that never really worked, Microsoft introduced an entirely new system in Windows 10, the Digital License. Ever since Windows 3.1, Microsoft has attempted to stem the tide of piracy by using license keys to identify individual copies of Windows.

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