How Is OEM Windows License Transferred To Different PC Owner?

[zl55lz]

Not sure I am explaining this correctly.

When I get rid of computers, I reset and remove the SSD (and keep) for security reasons and keep the RAM to use the RAM again. As far as I know, that is all which needs to be done (if not, please advise).

However, I have had a couple of computers which I gave to relatives, and left the SSD and the RAM in the device. In those, I did reset the device to where it shows just like when out of the box to get started. I also removed them from my Microsoft Account.

Is there anything else which should be done? Is the OEM Microsoft license tied to the pc itself or to my account somehow? In other words, the new owner just goes through the normal process and activates it in their own Microsoft account? Both computers were basically unused, nothing stored, just activated by me when purchased and then reset.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[jim584672]

I believe it is based on the hardware, that is how it knows about the activation. I haven't read the EULA for the specifics. If you reload Windows fresh it will re-activate based on the hardware.

 

[GenXguy]

Yeah, I always understood it was tied to the hardware and non-transferable.

 

[zl55lz]

I believe it is based on the hardware, that is how it knows about the activation. I haven't read the EULA for the specifics. If you reload Windows fresh it will re-activate based on the hardware.

So, once the device is passed on to someone else, assuming it was "wiped/reset" then when the new recipient sets it up it is theirs with no ties to the previous "owner?"

I suppose this would have to be the case otherwise there would be quite a mess with all the computers wiped/reset and recycled or given away or sold to be used again.

 

[AudiDudi]

OEM license is installed by the Original Equipment Manufacturer like Dell or HP. There are different licenses for retail (you buy a copy of windows) and also educational site licenses ( Volume license agreements).


The hardware is used somewhat to ID the computer it is intalled on. Motherboard type/brand, memory brand/amount, Hard Drive (SSD) etc. It used to be when you reinstalled windows (like due to a HD crash) , you had to call Microsoft and tell them why you were reusing an already used license number. The key code on the PC was typically an OEM key.



Also the media that windows is installed from determines what type of license is valid. When I was in the support business, I would order 25 or so licenses that were all the same (Volume license) and install windows using the same key code on all 25 PCs - same for MSOffice.



If you tried to install windows using an OEM CD and entered a Volume license key or retail key, it would not activate.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

OEM license is installed by the Original Equipment Manufacturer like Dell or HP. There are different licenses for retail (you buy a copy of windows) and also educational site licenses ( Volume license agreements).

The hardware is used somewhat to ID the computer it is intalled on. Motherboard type/brand, memory brand/amount, Hard Drive (SSD) etc. It used to be when you reinstalled windows (like due to a HD crash) , you had to call Microsoft and tell them why you were reusing an already used license number. The key code on the PC was typically an OEM key.

Also the media that windows is installed from determines what type of license is valid. When I was in the support business, I would order 25 or so licenses that were all the same (Volume license) and install windows using the same key code on all 25 PCs - same for MSOffice.

If you tried to install windows using an OEM CD and entered a Volume license key or retail key, it would not activate.

Right, some people build PCs from new parts, and so have to format the HDD and install an OS, but most order from an OEM, even if they "build" their own by customizing it. Unless you ordered new hard drives and installed Windows yourself, you should have an OEM license, which has restore but not install disks, and is pretty much impossible to transfer.

 

[zl55lz]

OEM license is installed by the Original Equipment Manufacturer like Dell or HP. There are different licenses for retail (you buy a copy of windows) and also educational site licenses ( Volume license agreements).


The hardware is used somewhat to ID the computer it is intalled on. Motherboard type/brand, memory brand/amount, Hard Drive (SSD) etc. It used to be when you reinstalled windows (like due to a HD crash) , you had to call Microsoft and tell them why you were reusing an already used license number. The key code on the PC was typically an OEM key.



Also the media that windows is installed from determines what type of license is valid. When I was in the support business, I would order 25 or so licenses that were all the same (Volume license) and install windows using the same key code on all 25 PCs - same for MSOffice.



If you tried to install windows using an OEM CD and entered a Volume license key or retail key, it would not activate.

Sorry, not very tech here. So, when I gave the pc to a relative after resetting it, the OEM Windows 11 which was on the pc at purchase, now belongs to the relative, correct? Microsoft doesn't see that it used to belong to the original owner who activated it on their own Microsoft Account and think the new recipient is not supposed to be using it? It is ok for the new (the relative)"owner" to be using (activating when they set it up on their own Microsoft Account) that same original OEM installed at manufacture, correct?

 

[rk911]

Been using Windows since v3.1. When I get rid of an old PC I, too, remove all hard drives but I leave the RAM in place. But I've never, to my knowledge, have had a MicroSoft account unless one is created upon activation.

 

[AudiDudi]

Sorry, not very tech here. So, when I gave the pc to a relative after resetting it, the OEM Windows 11 which was on the pc at purchase, now belongs to the relative, correct? Microsoft doesn't see that it used to belong to the original owner who activated it on their own Microsoft Account and think the new recipient is not supposed to be using it? It is ok for the new (the relative)"owner" to be using (activating when they set it up on their own Microsoft Account) that same original OEM installed at manufacture, correct?

I've been away fro Microsoft licensing for about 12 yrs so I aM not sure what they are doing now. I am not sure what you mean by "resetting it"?? Is that using the restore to bring it back to the way it was from the factory? There should be a key code on the device case. If you put in a new hard drive (SSD) then you might have an issue with installing Windows ( where will they get it - is there a restore CD included?



When I was building PCs, I had to by a hard drive for each copy of OEM windows I purchsed.

 

[walkinwood]

Sorry, not very tech here. So, when I gave the pc to a relative after resetting it, the OEM Windows 11 which was on the pc at purchase, now belongs to the relative, correct? Microsoft doesn't see that it used to belong to the original owner who activated it on their own Microsoft Account and think the new recipient is not supposed to be using it? It is ok for the new (the relative)"owner" to be using (activating when they set it up on their own Microsoft Account) that same original OEM installed at manufacture, correct?

I don't think you're going to get a definitive answer here, but I believe your thinking is right. Your relative has to create a user on the system & then log into their microsoft account (if they wish). BTW, Microsoft will sunset Windows 10 next year (2025), so there will (may?) not be any more updates to that OS from sometime next year.


For a more definitive answer, go to the Microsoft support site.

Depending on how old your computer is, your memory chips may be out of date for newer motherboards. I don't know if memory chips are backwards compatible, but you would definitely be slowing down a new computer if you use old chips.
https://www.crucial.com/articles/about-memory/difference-among-ddr2-ddr3-ddr4-and-ddr5-memory

Regards the SSD. There are erasure programs available online that will erase everything from your drive (including the OS / boot sectors) and rewrite random data multiple times. Use one of those programs and donate/recycle your drives instead of hoarding old drives with the data still on them.

 

[Sunset]

Sorry, not very tech here. So, when I gave the pc to a relative after resetting it, the OEM Windows 11 which was on the pc at purchase, now belongs to the relative, correct? Microsoft doesn't see that it used to belong to the original owner who activated it on their own Microsoft Account and think the new recipient is not supposed to be using it? It is ok for the new (the relative)"owner" to be using (activating when they set it up on their own Microsoft Account) that same original OEM installed at manufacture, correct?

The license is tied to the computer, not the person. Tied mostly to the motherboard.

So you give computer to someone else, MS doesn't know. It's already activated on the computer.

 

[gwill1010]

I did this recently, but it wasn't OEM. The license key is in the registry. I was able to reinstall on a new HD and gave the machine to my neighbor. Sounds like it's too late for this though.

 

[zl55lz]

I did this recently, but it wasn't OEM. The license key is in the registry. I was able to reinstall on a new HD and gave the machine to my neighbor. Sounds like it's too late for this though.

On mine I did the reset through Recovery which cleans the drive and resets to new out of the box mode (I hope!) but there was literally nothing on them anyway. Brand new, had used them for nothing. Normally I remove the SSD before recycling.

 

[zl55lz]

The license is tied to the computer, not the person. Tied mostly to the motherboard.

So you give computer to someone else, MS doesn't know. It's already activated on the computer.

Thanks for the info, so apparently it is then activated with a digital license through the new owner's Microsoft Account, no longer through mine. These had no product activation code to enter--haven't seen those in years--but did activate via digital license when first setting up.

 

[jim584672]

I don't think you're going to get a definitive answer here, but I believe your thinking is right. Your relative has to create a user on the system & then log into their microsoft account (if they wish). BTW, Microsoft will sunset Windows 10 next year (2025), so there will (may?) not be any more updates to that OS from sometime next year.

If you really love Win 10 the IoT Enterprise LTSC edition has support until 2032-01-13 (IoT Enterprise only).

 

[gwill1010]

On mine I did the reset through Recovery which cleans the drive and resets to new out of the box mode (I hope!) but there was literally nothing on them anyway. Brand new, had used them for nothing. Normally I remove the SSD before recycling.

Well... If you had files on the drive they are still there. Lot's of software can recover them. I don't keep anything super private that's not encrypted.

 

[gwill1010]

On mine I did the reset through Recovery which cleans the drive and resets to new out of the box mode (I hope!) but there was literally nothing on them anyway. Brand new, had used them for nothing. Normally I remove the SSD before recycling.

If you have non-private family stuff you want to get rid of you have to do something like the Hillary clan did - bleachbit.

 

[zl55lz]

Well... If you had files on the drive they are still there. Lot's of software can recover them. I don't keep anything super private that's not encrypted.

Thanks for your comments. These two were literally new machines which I had never done anything on--not even an email, a document, or anything saved. Nothing other than set up and then did the reset and cleaned the drive anyway through Recovery. I removed them from Microsoft Account and changed that password too from another machine. Other machines I do remove the parts, probably more parts than necessary and destroy them.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I always use DBAN on drives when I will no longer be actively using them, just in case, to securely destroy any remnant of data on them.

 

[zl55lz]

I always use DBAN on drives when I will no longer be actively using them, just in case, to securely destroy any remnant of data on them.

Apparently DBAN does not work on an SSD, but supposedly there are other ways, which I personally would not trust. Even physically destroying the SSD can be lacking due to the way they store data. That is why I normally remove them. Supposedly there are places to take them to which grind them up--but I would want to actually watch it be done. I would never just reset/clean in Recovery for a used SSD to recycle. Too risky in my opinion.