The OEM Windows license updated automatically after the boot drive upgrade on my prebuilt system.
The OEM Windows license updated automatically after the boot drive upgrade on my prebuilt system.
I just upgraded the Corsair One i160's boot SSD. When cloning failed, I thought I'd have to buy a new Windows license. However, I didn't actually need to. My original system came with Windows 10, which I installed first so I could get the Solidworks version I'm authorized for. Later, when switching to Windows 11, it appears my OEM license automatically transferred to the new Windows install on the updated drive. It's not an issue for me since I no longer have licensing costs, but I'm curious about what exactly happened and if this is typical.
Prebuilt/laptop models keep the license information in the BIOS file. You can reset everything and upon Windows setup it will recognize it automatically. This becomes clear during installation since you don’t have a selection of editions—Windows picks the one tied to the BIOS license itself.