Remove windows from desktop and install on laptop

[descendent87]

Having trouble finding an answer to this, I have a desktop (currently running Win 7 x64) and a laptop (currently running Ubuntu) but I'm having loads of problems with the 64bit version of windows on my desktop and I want to switch so Ubuntu is installed on the desktop and Windows 7 (32 bit) on my laptop. I would only be using Windows on 1 pc but obviously it's already been activated on my desktop so would I have any problems activating it on my laptop? Is there a way to "deactivate" my desktop so I can activate it on the laptop or am I going to have to call microsoft and hope they'll allow me to do this?
Thanks

 

[Jonathan_King]

Don't worry about activation, as long as you have the retail license and not the OEM. If it gives you any problems, a quick call to Microsoft will take care of it.

 

[descendent87]

Thanks I posted on the microsoft social answers forum and they told me the same thing, activating it on the laptop will automatically deactivate the copy on my desktop. Sorry for posting in the wrong forum aswell

 

[Jonathan_King]

No, this was the right forum to post in. You got your answer, didn't you?

 

[descendent87]

It was moved here, I posted it in General Discussion

 

[gregrocker]

People worry whether MS will "let" them reactivate. If you bought a retail license then it is migratable to the machine of your choice. MS only checks that it isn't on more than one machine at a time.

Since you can't deactivate by uninstalling or wiping the drive, their activation computers show that activation remaining on the old machine until that hardware config/MAC is overwritten by a new key, or you activate it on a new machine.

This is why you have to do the robocall trading a series of numbers: those numbers deactivate WIndows on the old computer and activate it on the new one. They may ask you how many machines you have it on, and when you answer "one" correctly that is their authorization to deactivate the old machine.

If there is a dispute with someone who has the old machine or claims the deactivated installation was their legitimate one, the user who has the license key insert/package and receipt wins.

They have many methods and other algorythyms for determining who is the legacy owner of that key.