Switching OS on my laptop

Hey there.
I just picked up a laptop that came pre-loaded with Windows 10. To be honest, I’m not a fan of the OS, so I’m planning to wipe it completely and install Ubuntu instead. Before I pull the trigger, though, I want to back up my current Windows 10 installation onto a DVD and grab the serial number. That way, if I ever decide to go back, I actually have the means to do it.
My main question is about that process: how do I get this specific Windows 10 setup onto a DVD, and if I do, will I be able to just reinstall Windows 10 later using that same serial number?
Thanks in advance for any help.

Look, if your Windows 10 is already activated, you don't even need to sweat about finding a product key for a reinstall because Bill basically has it on file for your specific setup, so the next boot will just trigger automatic activation without you lifting a finger. Honestly, why are you making this so complicated when you could just set up a simple dual boot and be done with it?

Bryan Rivera83 said:Look, if your Windows 10 is already activated, you don't even need to sweat about finding a product key for a reinstall because Bill basically has it on file for your specific setup, so the next boot will just trigger automatic activation without you lifting a finger. Honestly, why are you making this so complicated when you could just set up a simple dual boot and be done with it?

That would eat up another 5 GB of my drive for no reason. I have zero intention of actually booting into Windows 10 anymore, but since I already paid for it, I'd like to at least have it on a disc somewhere. So, does that license only work once? Am I stuck if I want to install it on a different machine later?

Look, this is just the OEM version the manufacturer ships with—it's baked in. Microsoft basically has your key burned right into the UEFI BIOS somewhere... it’s a one-time thing, you can't just go in and wipe it out. Honestly, Windows shouldn't give you any grief if you swap out the motherboard, but since this whole configuration comes bundled under warranty, the license is supposed to stay attached to the hardware too.
Down the road, when you eventually install Windows 10, the system will just recognize your specific setup automatically.

I think I read somewhere that licenses might eventually be tied directly to the individual—not necessarily right now, but maybe later on. The idea is that once you sign in with your Microsoft account on a different machine (like a brand-new PC), it pulls all your settings over, including the license you already paid for, so you can keep using it until it expires. We'll have to wait and see how that actually plays out once they roll it out... If you buy a Windows 11 license today, say it's good for maybe 2 or 3 years, you could supposedly keep using it for free after that, though you wouldn't get those extra updates or perks that Microsoft usually pushes out. It would technically be the cheaper route, like paying $67 for a 3-year period.

They’re messing up the business side of things again, especially with corporate clients who are the biggest targets for piracy. Are they actually going to tie the license to the legal entity—the actual company—which is the only way this makes sense? And how would the settings work? Would you have to register both the firm and the employee?
If an employee leaves the company, do they take their custom settings with them, or does the system require that specific combo of company plus user to function?
You can't have your cake and eat it too...
Why don't they just set a realistic price for the OS? If it were fair, hardly anyone would mess around with piracy. Honestly, I'd happily buy a license for every single computer I own for life and promote them for free... but nope, instead they’re just messing with our heads using these subscription models. They're acting even more thick-headed than those big telecom companies, constantly breaking everything with "updates" to half-baked products and dreaming up new ways to squeeze money out of us for the exact same OS...

Andrew Peterson2 said:Look, this is just the OEM version the manufacturer ships with—it's baked in. Microsoft basically has your key burned right into the UEFI BIOS somewhere... it’s a one-time thing, you can't just go in and wipe it out. Honestly, Windows shouldn't give you any grief if you swap out the motherboard, but since this whole configuration comes bundled under warranty, the license is supposed to stay attached to the hardware too.
Down the road, when you eventually install Windows 10, the system will just recognize your specific setup automatically.

I think I read somewhere that licenses might eventually be tied directly to the individual—not necessarily right now, but maybe later on. The idea is that once you sign in with your Microsoft account on a different machine (like a brand-new PC), it pulls all your settings over, including the license you already paid for, so you can keep using it until it expires. We'll have to wait and see how that actually plays out once they roll it out... If you buy a Windows 11 license today, say it's good for maybe 2 or 3 years, you could supposedly keep using it for free after that, though you wouldn't get those extra updates or perks that Microsoft usually pushes out. It would technically be the cheaper route, like paying $67 for a 3-year period.

Thanks for the info. I had no idea a Windows license was locked to the hardware config. I thought I could just slap the same version onto multiple PCs. Oh, well...

You can grab a retail version at any store if you want. The one that came pre-installed on your laptop won't work for that...

If you’re really over it, you could always try asking Microsoft for a refund. Honestly, people were debating this on the Linux forums ages ago back when Vista was still a thing... I don't know if they even bother with that anymore, and even if they do, don't expect much—it’s an OEM version, after all. The laptop manufacturer basically scored a discount because they buy them in bulk

What would be the actual grounds for requesting a refund, though? Like, what’s the basis for that...

http://www.linuxzasve.com/kako-do-po...stene-windowse. Just some insights from a fellow Linux enthusiast over here...

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Thanks for the write-up, I actually had no idea that was an option.

Unfortunately, that's off the table now... if you look at the fine print for Windows 8 and 10, they've completely stripped out the part that actually allowed for that—and yeah, they did the same thing with the warranty coverage too.

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