Move the Windows key from your HP laptop to a new custom desktop.
Move the Windows key from your HP laptop to a new custom desktop.
My friend's HP Envy M6 came with Windows 8, but he switched to Windows 10 later. There are mixed opinions about whether the Windows key can be used on a different machine. Some say it's tied to the laptop's hardware and won't work elsewhere, while others claim Microsoft can help if you replace the motherboard. You can still try using the key on another computer during a fresh installation, but only once per device. TL;DR: Transferring the key to another PC is possible if you use it separately.
80% chance that key is locked to mobo. 20% chance that its connected to MS account. There are still too much variables and conflicting info to be sure. If your frriend has paid over $200 for GPU, just tell him to stop being cheap and buy retail Win10 for $110. OS will stay the same after 1 or 2 GPU changes.