Forum Discussion

NicolasMonteiro's avatar
NicolasMonteiro
Iron Contributor
Aug 24, 2025

windows 11 upgrade + hardware upgrade

Hi , so my current pc is not supported by windows 11, so im running windows 10 currently .

 

im currently looking to upgrade my pc to an 11th gen i5 and equivent motherboard.

 

how will this work in regards to keeping windows activated moving to windows 11 ,

 

am i best to try to use one of the workarounds for systems with no tpm or supported cpu ( i do have secure boot ) and then upgrade the hardware .

 

or should i switch my current ssd into the new hardware.

 

any thoughts or expereiences would be helpful as i really dont want to have to fork out another £100 ish for a new license

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4 Replies

  • Drakeka's avatar
    Drakeka
    Brass Contributor
    Mar 24, 2026

    You retain your current Windows license, and if it's already activated, it may remain active after hardware changes.

  • Harodman's avatar
    Harodman
    Silver Contributor
    Mar 23, 2026

    There are software tricks to help you upgrade to Windows 11 on incompatible devices. This is more considerable.

  • Rantana's avatar
    Rantana
    Copper Contributor
    Mar 23, 2026

    Windows 10/11 licenses are generally linked to your hardware via a digital license. If your current Windows 10 is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account, replacing the motherboard and CPU might cause Windows to lose activation temporarily, but it can often be reactivated afterward.

  • ArthurHarvey's avatar
    ArthurHarvey
    Bronze Contributor
    Mar 20, 2026

    Install the old SSD directly into the new hardware, sign in with your Microsoft account, and run the “I changed the hardware on this device” option in the Activation Troubleshooter to transfer the digital license.