Is the Win 8 upgrade key tied to a particular machine?


Recommended Posts

I am going to do a new build in December.

If I purchase the upgrade now, and install it on my current machine, can I re-install it on my new machine?

After I build the new machine, I plan to re-install the original Win 7 Home Premium on the current machine and donate it to the primary school I used to attend,

As long as 8 is removed from the other PC first then yes. You shouldn't have any problems. :)

OK, then. It isn't tied to a particular machine like an OEM copy.

Great. I'm all set.

If I purchase the upgrade now, and install it on my current machine, can I re-install it on my new machine?

According to this article:

Can I transfer my copy of Windows 8 to another PC?

You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you. You may not transfer the software to share licenses between computers.

You may also transfer the software (together with the license) to a computer owned by someone else if a) you are the first licensed user of the software and b) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement. To make that transfer, you must transfer the original media, the certificate of authenticity, the product key and the proof of purchase directly to that other person, without retaining any copies of the software.

So the answer is, yes.

According to this article:

Can I transfer my copy of Windows 8 to another PC?

You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you. You may not transfer the software to share licenses between computers.

You may also transfer the software (together with the license) to a computer owned by someone else if a) you are the first licensed user of the software and b) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement. To make that transfer, you must transfer the original media, the certificate of authenticity, the product key and the proof of purchase directly to that other person, without retaining any copies of the software.

So the answer is, yes.

Thanks. However, I have a new problem:

I use the Upgrade Advisor, and everything goes well until I click "Buy".

I get this:

"We couldn't process your order. Please check your payment Info"

What gives?

OK, then. It isn't tied to a particular machine like an OEM copy.

Great. I'm all set.

Even OEM copies that are for systems that you have built yourself no longer have that stipulation either.

There's now a Personal Use license that allows you to transfer the license to another PC or to another person as long as the new user agrees to the Terms and as long as you have removed it from all other PC's.

Thanks. However, I have a new problem:

I use the Upgrade Advisor, and everything goes well until I click "Buy".

I get this:

"We couldn't process your order. Please check your payment Info"

What gives?

That would indicate an issue with the payment method you are attempting to use to pay for the product, or with the address or something like that being used.

Does all your payment information match up 100%, including billing address and such?

Even OEM copies that are for systems that you have built yourself no longer have that stipulation either.

There's now a Personal Use license that allows you to transfer the license to another PC or to another person as long as the new user agrees to the Terms and as long as you have removed it from all other PC's.

That would indicate an issue with the payment method you are attempting to use to pay for the product, or with the address or something like that being used.

Does all your payment information match up 100%, including billing address and such?

Yes, it does. I double, triple and quadruple checked.

It also asks for a "promo code". I have no idea what that is.

Yes, it does. I double, triple and quadruple checked.

It also asks for a "promo code". I have no idea what that is.

The promo code is something optional. Just to check, this is for the normal sale-priced upgrade and not for the upgrade that is ultra low cost for new machines just bought recently correct?

Thanks. However, I have a new problem:

I use the Upgrade Advisor, and everything goes well until I click "Buy".

I get this:

"We couldn't process your order. Please check your payment Info"

What gives?

I had the same problem trying to pay with my credit card, so I had to do it with paypal (using the same credit card)

The promo code is something optional. Just to check, this is for the normal sale-priced upgrade and not for the upgrade that is ultra low cost for new machines just bought recently correct?

Yes. It's for the $39.99 upgrade.

Yes. It's for the $39.99 upgrade.

If you only want the upgrade key then why pay $40 when you can pay $16. Just do the windowsupgradeoffer.com and lie about when you bought the pc. They don't ask for a recipt. I got a key for my laptop (5 months old) and a key for my pc (3 yrs old) for $32.

WHen you get the promo code to get Win8 for $16 with tax you have till January to claim it. If your building in December then it works out fine and you save some money

I am going to do a new build in December.

If I purchase the upgrade now, and install it on my current machine, can I re-install it on my new machine?

After I build the new machine, I plan to re-install the original Win 7 Home Premium on the current machine and donate it to the primary school I used to attend,

I don't think you can use Windows 7 at the same time as your Windows 8 upgrade, so that means you can't give the Windows 7 OS to the school, so i think you would have to buy a system builders Windows 8 costing alot more to still be able to use Windows 7.

If i am wrong i am sure someone will correct me!

If you only want the upgrade key then why pay $40 when you can pay $16. Just do the windowsupgradeoffer.com and lie about when you bought the pc. They don't ask for a recipt. I got a key for my laptop (5 months old) and a key for my pc (3 yrs old) for $32.

WHen you get the promo code to get Win8 for $16 with tax you have till January to claim it. If your building in December then it works out fine and you save some money

Thanks. Trying it now.

Edit: Didn't work. Says I am not eligible for the offer.

Also, Upgrade Advisor now tells me (after the umpteenth try) that:

"We couldn't finish processing your order. Creating a purchase order failed."

Maybe your bank is holding the purchase back. Call them and ask if they are blocking an online purchase.

The license will work on any computer as long as it is the only one with that license. I have used the Upgrade Advisor to buy 3 upgrades in the same computer and I activated 3 different computers with them. One already had the MSDN Windows 8 Pro installed with a generic key.

I have yet to install it on a clean hard drive but my guess it should work. If not, we will need to resort to the registry key that tells Windows it was installed booting from media or from another Windows installation.

Why would you be ineligible. Did you put august 2012 or September 2012 as the purchase date? It has to be a date in the last 3 months.

Yeah, stupid me. Will try again with September. (Used July 1st time).

Update:

Nope. Still Ineligible.

Machine purchased at Best Buy August 2011 (or thereabouts)

Compaq Presario CQ52705 with Home Premium.

Edited by Ice_Blue

Got no idea why Microsoft makes it so difficult to buy Win 8.

If they want it to sell, why put all these hurdles in their online store?

Doesn't make any sense.

Is it worth trying through PayPal?

I've never used it before, so would have to go through another learning hassle.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • Never used the G7 Pro, but I've never had a good experience with that style of d-pad and fighting games.
    • And I just bought a seat cushion for my mesh chair. The chair feels nice but the first time I sat in it with boxers, I realized I don't like the feel of mesh on my legs. 😂
    • "This Dell 27 inch 4K 120Hz IPS monitor is really cheap after a very long time" ... Lol.
    • This Dell 27 inch 4K 120Hz IPS monitor is really cheap after a very long time by Sayan Sen Recently we covered a really good deal on an AMD RX 9070 three-fan model that's available at slightly above its MSRP. If you are looking for a GPU for 1440p gaming that's around the performance of the Nvidia RTX 5070 you should most definitely check it out. Let's say that you are looking for a monitor to pair that up with too. The Samsung 49" G9 curved QD-OLED superultrawide is a good option that can provide an immersive experience. However despite being a very good deal currently (at $855), it may seem unaffordable to you, or you may simply not want to spend as much on a monitor. In that case Dell's S2725QS can be a very good option as it's on sale at the moment for its lowest price in over six months (purchase link under the specs table down below). The big highlight of the Dell S2725QS is its 27-inch IPS panel with a 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD) resolution, offering a high pixel density that can make text appear sharper while also providing plenty of screen space for productivity and media consumption. The display supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz through both HDMI and DisplayPort, making it suitable not only for everyday desktop use but also for smoother gaming and scrolling. AMD FreeSync Premium support is included as well, helping reduce screen tearing during gaming sessions. The screen has fairly good brightness and color accuracy so you can use it for general work purpose, though photo/video editing is probably not going to be the best match for this. The technical specs of the Dell S2725QS are given in the table below: Specification Value Viewable Screen Size 27 in (68.58 cm) Screen Mode 4K UHD Maximum Resolution 3840 × 2160 Maximum Preset Resolution 3840 × 2160 @ 120 Hz Standard Refresh Rate 120 Hz Panel Technology In-plane Switching (IPS) Backlight Technology LED Edgelight System Pixel Density 163 PPI Response Time 8 ms GTG, 5 ms GTG, 4 ms GTG Horizontal Viewing Angle 178° Vertical Viewing Angle 178° Brightness 350 cd/m² (nits) Native Contrast Ratio 1500:1 Color Support 1.07 Billion Colors Color Gamut 99% sRGB (CIE 1931) Adaptive Sync AMD FreeSync Premium HDCP Support Yes Mount Type Panel Mount VESA Mount 100 × 100 mm Maximum Height Adjustment 13 cm Tilt -5° to 21° Swivel -30° to 30° Pivot ±90° Stand Adjustments Tilt, Swivel, Height, Pivot Glass Hardness 3H Horizontal Frequency 27–270 kHz (DisplayPort 1.4 / HDMI 2.1) Vertical Frequency 48–120 Hz (DisplayPort 1.4 / HDMI 2.1) Video Inputs 2 × HDMI 2.1 (HDCP 1.4 & 2.3), 1 × DisplayPort 1.4 (HDCP 1.4 & 2.3) Operating Temperature 0°C to 40°C Storage Temperature -20°C to 60°C Operating Humidity 10%–80% (Non-condensing) Storage Humidity 5%–95% (Non-condensing) Get it at the link below: Dell S2725QS 27-inch 4K 120Hz IPS monitor: $218.49 (Sold and Shipped by Amazon US) (Was: $280) Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      jessse3334 earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Reacting Well
      JuvenileDelinquent earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      flexorcist earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      497
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      243
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      152
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      84
    5. 5
      macoman
      64
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!