How to Link Microsoft Account to Digital License for Windows 10 Activation
Starting with Windows 10 Anniversary Update and Windows 10 build 14371, you can link your Microsoft account (MSA) to the Windows 10 digital license (formerly called digital entitlement) on your device. This can help you reactivate Windows using the Activation troubleshooter if you make a hardware change later, such as replacing the motherboard.
There is not a concept of a primary administrator MSA on a PC. So any administrator MSA that is verified on a PC will show as having the HardwareID associated with their MSA and the OS digital license associated with that HardwareID. Don't think of the license as attached to the MSA, but instead think of the MSA as having the authority to transfer the license. If you have two MSAs verified on a PC and you use one to go through the reactivation process to transfer the digital license, then if you try it with the other MSA you will get told it's no longer possible.
If you already used an MSA to sign in to your activated Windows 10 Home or Pro PC, your MSA will be automatically linked. You can use this MSA linked digital license to re-activate your Genuine Windows 10 device by running the Activation troubleshooter, if you run into Activation issues caused by hardware changes.
If you sign in to your activated Windows 10 Home or Pro device with a local account and not a Microsoft account (MSA), then you will need to add your Microsoft account to link the MSA to the digital license activated on your PC.
After you add your Microsoft account and link it to your digital license, you can use the Activation troubleshooter to help reactivate Windows after a hardware change.
If you didn’t add your Microsoft account and link it to the digital license on your device, you won’t be able to reactivate Windows after a hardware change using the Activation troubleshooter.
This tutorial will show you how to add your Microsoft account (MSA) and link it to the digital license activated on your Windows 10 PC.
You must be signed in as an administrator to add a Microsoft account to link to the digital license.
Contents
- Option One: Link Microsoft Account to Digital License without Switching Local Account to Microsoft Account
- Option Two: Link Microsoft Account to Digital License and Switch Local Account to Microsoft Account
EXAMPLE: "Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account"
1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Accounts icon.
2 Click/tap on Email & app accounts on the left side, and click/tap on Add an account under Email, calendar, and contacts on the right side. (see screenshot below)
3 Click/tap on the Outlook.com option. (see screenshot below)
4 Enter the email address for your Microsoft account, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)
5 Enter the password for your Microsoft account, and click/tap on Sign in. (see screenshot below)
6 If you turned on two-step verification for your Microsoft account, select how you would like to get your security code for verification, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshots below)
7 Click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)
Do not click/tap on the Microsoft apps only link.
8 Click/tap on Done. (see screenshot below)
9 Your Microsoft account will now be added, and will also now be linked to the digital license of this Windows 10 PC. (see screenshots below)
If you do not see Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account for your activation status like below, then run the
slmgr /ato
command in an elevated command prompt to activate with the current key to refresh the activation status.
10 You can now close Settings if you like.
1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Update & Security icon.
2 Click/tap on Activation on the left side, and click/tap on Add an account under Add a Microsoft account on the right side. (see screenshot below)
You will not see Add an account if you are already signed in to Windows 10 with your Microsoft account since it will already be linked to the digital license.
If you’ve already added your Microsoft account to your device, you’ll see Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account on the Activation page automatically.
3 Enter the email address for your Microsoft account, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)
4 Enter the password for your Microsoft account, and click/tap on Sign in. (see screenshot below)
5 If you turned on two-step verification for your Microsoft account, select how you would like to get your security code for verification, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshots below)
6 Enter the password of your current local account, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)
7 Your local account you sign in to Windows 10 with has now been switched to this Microsoft account to now sign in to Windows 10 with instead, and your Microsoft account is now linked to the digital license of this Windows 10 PC. (see screenshot below)
If you do not see Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account for your activation status like below, then run the
slmgr /ato
command in an elevated command prompt to activate with the current key to refresh the activation status.
8 You can now switch your Microsoft account back to a local account if wanted, or leave it as a Microsoft account.
9 You can now close Settings if you like.
That's it,
Shawn
Related Tutorials
- How to Allow or Block Microsoft Accounts in Windows 10
- How to View the Product Key in Windows 10
- How to Activate Windows 10
- How to Use Activation Troubleshooter in Windows 10
- How to Switch to a Microsoft Account from a Local Account in Windows 10