Windows 11 is a great operating system. It’s easy to use, fast, and has all the features you need to get your job done. But sometimes you need more. Your computer is getting old and slow, and you want to upgrade to a newer model.
With Windows 11’s license transfer, you can move your license from one device to another. If you get a new computer or need to replace a broken one, Windows 11 makes it easy to transfer your license and its benefits to your new device. When you transfer your Windows 11 license to a new computer, everything that makes your Windows experience unique to you comes along with the license. You will carry on right where you left off with no fuss.
Here’s how it works:
Buy a license for Windows 11
You have a license for Windows 11 Home. The operating system is running on your first PC without any issues.
But you want to use Windows 11 Pro on your second PC. Unfortunately, you can only use the Home version of Windows 11 on one PC at a time. However, there are several ways to move your original license to another computer. In the following article, we will explain two different options for this.
Download the latest version of Windows 11
- Download the ISO file for your version of Windows 11.
- Burn the ISO file to a DVD or USB stick.
- Boot from DVD or USB stick and install Windows 11.
- Enter the product key when prompted during installation and activate Windows 11 by phone.
Install Windows 11 on your primary PC
The Windows 11 license design suits a single PC, but if you want to install it on another PC, select “Custom installation” and use the free product key provided by Microsoft. You can also transfer your Windows license to another computer, but it depends on Microsoft’s licensing requirements.
In both cases, the license is tied to the computer itself, not what OS it is running. It means that changing the OS on your computer does not change the licensing of that computer.
Protecting Personal Data on the Internet
Windows 11 has a built-in VPN client that supports Windows Server, Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP). With Windows 11, the VPN client is part of a larger ecosystem of products and forms part of your Windows 11 license. However, the Windows VPN client isn’t really a VPN service, and as an alternative, experts recommend using one of the recommended providers in combination with the free OpenVPN software. To protect personal data on the Internet, experts recommend using encryption via VPN. However, there are numerous service providers, and you need to research thoroughly.
Enter the license key you received after the purchase
You enter the license key at the appropriate location during installation.
The license key is located on the delivery note or in the e-mail. The license key is always 25 characters long and consists of numbers and letters.
Sign in to Microsoft when you start Windows 11
It’s easy to set up your Microsoft account when you start Windows 11 or in advance. If you aren’t already signed in, sign in when you start the Activation Troubleshooter.
Transfer the license with the activation tool
If you purchased a license and want to transfer it to another computer, you can use the activation tool. The steps described here are the same whether you use Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro.
- Download the tool from Microsoft.
- Run the tool on the PC with your Windows 11 license.
- Follow on-screen instructions to deactivate your current installation.
- Restart your PC and run the activation tool again
- Enter your product key and follow on-screen instructions to activate Windows 11 on the new PC
- You may require an administrator password or confirm that you want to install or make changes. If so, follow along with any prompts until you see a message that says, “Windows is activated.”
Conclusion
The new tool makes it possible to transfer a Windows 11 license to a different PC, although only once and always with the same hardware.
Given the restrictive conditions, it is questionable whether the license transfer makes sense for many users. If you want to use your Windows 11 license on a different PC later but that device does not match the hardware specifications of your current PC, create a new system image with your current Windows 11 version. Then, reloading it onto another PC and activating it with a new product key may be more realistic.
