This is one of the most common questions before buying a Windows licence, and the answer depends entirely on the type of key. Here is what actually happens when the hardware changes.
Short answer
- OEM licence: yes, in practice it is tied to the motherboard. Changing the board amounts to building a new computer, and a new licence is required.
- Retail licence: no. It is transferable, and Microsoft provides a way to reactivate it after a hardware change.
- Exception: if the motherboard is replaced because it is faulty, by an identical or equivalent model under the manufacturer’s warranty, it is not treated as a new computer and the OEM licence remains valid.
Why the motherboard is the reference point
During activation, Windows sends Microsoft a fingerprint of the machine’s components. That fingerprint is then used to recognise the computer: this is what is known as a digital licence, stored on Microsoft’s servers rather than inside the operating system. It is also why a freshly reinstalled Windows sometimes reactivates on its own, without anyone typing in a key.
The motherboard weighs heavily in that fingerprint, because it is the part that identifies a machine most reliably. Other components count for far less.
What does not break activation
You can change the following without worrying, even with an OEM licence:
- the hard drive or SSD, including with a clean reinstall;
- the RAM;
- the graphics card;
- the power supply, the case, the CPU cooler, the monitor, peripherals.
A large number of changes at once can occasionally trigger a reactivation prompt. It is usually settled in a few clicks, with the same key.
Changing the motherboard with a retail licence: how to do it
Microsoft explicitly caters for this case, on one condition: the licence must have been linked to a Microsoft account before the hardware change.
- Before you start: open Settings › System › Activation and check that it says Windows is activated with a digital licence linked to your Microsoft account. If it does not, add the account.
- After the change, sign in as an administrator with that same Microsoft account.
- Open Settings › System › Activation › Troubleshoot.
- Choose “I changed hardware on this device recently”.
- Select the device in the list, then click “Activate”.
Two things to watch: the edition must stay the same (a Home licence will not reactivate a Windows Pro installation), and if activation was done with a product key without a linked Microsoft account, you simply retype that key under Activation › Change product key.
Changing the motherboard with an OEM licence
An OEM licence belongs to the device on which it was first activated. If you replace the motherboard to upgrade or to move to a different platform, Microsoft considers it a different machine: you need a new licence. The only accepted exception is the replacement of a faulty motherboard by an identical or equivalent model under the manufacturer’s warranty terms.
This is not an arbitrary technical limit: it is the counterweight to the lower price of that type of licence. Both options are compared in our guide OEM or retail key: what’s the difference?
Before you touch the hardware
- Note the exact edition installed (Home, Pro, Education): it will have to be the same afterwards.
- Link the licence to your Microsoft account if it is a retail licence.
- Keep the key and the invoice. At CHKey, your key stays available in your customer account, together with the PDF invoice.
- If the computer has no internet access, be aware that the offline activation procedure changed at the end of 2025: see Phone activation for Windows and Office.
If you do need to buy a new licence
For a newly built machine, or a motherboard replaced outside warranty, a new key is required. Our licences are listed by version: Windows 11, Windows 10, and earlier editions in the Microsoft Windows category. If you are unsure which option suits your configuration, write to us at support@chkey.ch before ordering. Delivery is by e-mail, prices are in Swiss francs, and every order comes with an invoice.