With theslmgrcommand, it’s possible to deactivate your old PC and then activate a new one.

Deactivate an Old PC Instead of Buying a New License

Windows licenses are expensive.

And it’s not a good idea tobuy cheap keys from sketchy websites.

iPhone 16e with iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro in hand against grey wall.

Theslmgr commandmakes this reasonably straightforward, but you’ll want to keep in mind a few limitations.

Otherwise, you’ll have to take some extra steps.

If you have a product box or digital receipt, grab it from there.

Be Quiet CPU cooler with RGB RAM and PC fan inside a gaming computer.

To deactivate your old PC, you’ll need to open an elevated Command Prompt.

Having an administrator account isn’t enough.

Then press the “Run as administrator” option to the right.

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It isn’t strictly necessary to deactivate, but it’s a good idea to protect your key.

You’ll be in the same state as installingWindows without a product key.

Again, this will only work if the key exactly matches to the OS you’re using.

Windows search for command prompt, with Run as administrator option highlighted

But if the plan is to decommission, then save some money and transfer your existing license.

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