You can locate your W11 digital license key by checking the device settings or contacting the manufacturer's support.
You can locate your W11 digital license key by checking the device settings or contacting the manufacturer's support.
I'm checking about upgrading to a larger NVME SSD for your boot drive. Since you moved from Windows 10 to Windows 11, can you confirm if the product key you have still works after the upgrade? Also, since it's a custom-built system, make sure the key is compatible with Windows 11.
To reinstall Windows, just do it and it will restart automatically when you connect to the internet. No key entry is needed during setup. Microsoft has eliminated the requirement to store your keys. No account is necessary. If it doesn’t automatically reactivate, you can enter your Windows 10 license once in the Settings.
Your device usually links the key to its hardware. As mentioned, it will reinitialize itself automatically. Many retrieval apps provide a standard key that may not work for you. Avoid entering a physical key during reinstallation; the system should manage it automatically.
Even if the installation medium differs, I think it wouldn't appear in the BIOS (ACPI tables), since it isn't a ready-made drive and could be incorrect. It's connected via the MAC address and motherboard. You can switch the installation drive without worrying it will trigger any issues, provided you keep the motherboard unchanged. If you've linked your MS account, just log in to it during reinstallation. Otherwise, just connect to the internet—it's essentially the same process.
I definitely don't use the linking MS Account feature. I don't like Microsoft pushing that on people—just let me have a local account.
The license is kept inside the UEFI system, not on the storage device. During earlier UEFI versions or when using UEFI-BIOS, the situation differs. If you're employing NVMe drives, it's usually linked to UEFI. This became common around Intel's 6th generation chips. It shouldn't ask for a license if it's already enabled on the board. In rare cases, you might need to click 'I changed my hardware recently' before being prompted to purchase a new key.