How To Easily Link Your Windows 10 License To Your Microsoft Account

Anytime you install Windows 10 on your PC, you are always asked for a given license key. The operating system can actually be downloaded from the Microsoft server via the help of Media Creation Tool however, it needs activation. If you bought a new PC that came preloaded with Windows 10 already installed, then you have an OEM license, which means it is tied to your device’s motherboard.

OEM based license are somewhat impossible to lose unless your motherboard got spoilt and you changed it. A fresh installation will be successfully installed and Windows 10 always automatically find the product key of the PC without you needing to input it. A soft key which is the one you buy online and it’s not hardware specific i.e. it is not embedded in your motherboard is much easier to lose.

If you mistakenly misplace the file with the product key, then you won’t be able to activate Windows 10 after a fresh install. Well, to help prevent users losing their licenses, Microsoft has made Windows 10 Anniversary Update in such a way users can connect their Windows 10 license with their Microsoft account. If by mistake you lose your Windows 10 license, you can simply add your Microsoft account to Windows 10 and it will automatically activate the OS. See how you can connect it now so you would be able to benefit from it later.

Link Your Windows 10 License To Your Microsoft Account

Open the Windows Settings app and click on “Update & security” section of settings. In this section, go to the Activation tab. We assume you’ve already done the activation on your Windows 10. If not, you might want to activate it first with a genuine license and proceed with the next step.

At the button of this tab, you will see an option that says “Add a Microsoft Account”. Click the plus ‘+’ button below it to add your Microsoft Account. You will be prompted to sign in to your Microsoft account and your current user profile will automatically switch from a local account to a Microsoft Account. If you rather prefer to use a local account instead of your Microsoft Account to login to your current user, we suggest you create a new user account and use it instead of the Microsoft Account profile. You don’t really have a choice here, though.

If you see that the option to add an account is inactive, this means you do not have system administrative rights. Sign into the administrator account and the option should become active. As soon as your account is connected, the add an account section will automatically disappear. It won’t give you any other indication that you have connected your account.

Anytime you do a clean or fresh installation of Windows 10, and it doesn’t the OEM license automatically, or you couldn’t find your software license key, simply sign in with your Microsoft account to deal with it. The “Activation” tab will guide you through the whole process.