When Can You Move a Windows License to a New PC?

[TechLady]

A good rundown of the rules written in plain English.

http://www.howtogeek.com/261053/when-can-you-move-a-windows-license-to-a-new-pc

 

[nlinecomputers]

For most people almost never.

 

[Porthos]

It sucks that so many "techs" find grey areas for work a rounds and downright ignore the EULA it makes us who follow to the letter look like crooks and thieves.

 

[TechLady]

It also sucks that Microsoft makes it rather difficult for the average consumer (let alone techs) to find and understand those rules...

 

[Porthos]

It also sucks that Microsoft makes it rather difficult for the average consumer to find and understand those rules...

What sucks many "techs" don't know or in most cases even care if they did know.

 

[nlinecomputers]

It also sucks that Microsoft makes it rather difficult for the average consumer (let alone techs) to find and understand those rules...

Honestly, the average consumer could care less. They get Windows when they buy a PC. The only time moving Windows to a new machine comes up is when some tech convinces them that their whitebox is a better upgrade path than purchasing a new PC and usually that is in part because said tech is willing to violate the rules and thus "save" the end user money.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Example. In 20 years in business, I think I've actually seen a client with a retail copy of Windows maybe 5 times and that was XP. I've never seen them with a boxed copy of Windows 7.

 

[Porthos]

tech is willing to violate the rules and thus "save" the end user money

Save the user money ya right. More money for the pizza tech.

 

[sapphirescales]

Honestly, the average consumer could care less. They get Windows when they buy a PC. The only time moving Windows to a new machine comes up is when some tech convinces them that their whitebox is a better upgrade path than purchasing a new PC and usually that is in part because said tech is willing to violate the rules and thus "save" the end user money.

I absolutely hate it when this happens. We sell a LOT of custom builds, and almost every custom build that comes through here has no COA, and the user has no disk or licensing materials. It's hard to convince a user to spend $120+ on a Windows license when they've been pirating it just fine for all this time. By the time we replace the hard drive, purchase a new Windows license, and upgrade a couple of obsolete components, it's usually better to just build them a new system unless the unit is relatively new and high end.

 

[Porthos]

I absolutely hate it when this happens. We sell a LOT of custom builds, and almost every custom build that comes through here has no COA, and the user has no disk or licensing materials. It's hard to convince a user to spend $120+ on a Windows license when they've been pirating it just fine for all this time. By the time we replace the hard drive, purchase a new Windows license, and upgrade a couple of obsolete components, it's usually better to just build them a new system unless the unit is relatively new and high end.

I cringe EVERY TIME I see a custom built machine. When they are pirated my clientele WONT spend the money. IF I am lucky I get to sell a refurb. Most leave because they can get so-n-so to bootleg it again.

 

[sapphirescales]

I cringe EVERY TIME I see a custom built machine. When they are pirated my clientele WONT spend the money. IF I am lucky I get to sell a refurb. Most leave because they can get so-n-so to bootleg it again.

Bootleg software hurts everybody. Some people are just too cheap and will NEVER spend even $1 for software. Others are just poor. But whatever the reason, we don't deal in pirated software. They can either buy a legitimate copy from us, or they can go elsewhere.