Share via

OEM Windows 11 Licenses Invalid After Being Unused

Mohammed Othman Esmail 40 Reputation points
2025-12-11T09:21:26.59+00:00

Hello Community,

We purchased 10 Dell desktop PCs without an OS and then bought 10 OEM Windows 11 licenses from an authorized reseller. The PCs were kept in stock and never activated until today. When we tried to activate, all licenses showed as invalid. The reseller claims Microsoft removes unused licenses after 3 months, which sounds unbelievable. From what I know, OEM licenses should be perpetual and tied to the hardware.

My questions:

  1. Does Microsoft have any rule that deactivates unused OEM licenses after a certain time?
  2. What is the best way to restore or validate these licenses? 3. Should we escalate this to Microsoft Support or the reseller?

Thanks In advance

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Licensing and activation
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
  1. DaveM121 814.5K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-12-11T09:55:04.5266667+00:00

    Windows licences do not expire, Microsoft do not deactivate the product keys if they are not used within a specific time period.

    Download the free ShowKeyPlus app from the Microsoft Store.

    On the that app, click 'Check Edition', then enter a product key into that app.

    Please provide a screenshot of that app window and please hide the product key in the screenshot.

Answer accepted by question author
  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-12-11T09:21:39.06+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more
    1. Microsoft does not have a specific rule that deactivates unused OEM licenses after a certain time. OEM licenses are generally considered perpetual and are tied to the hardware they are installed on. However, if the licenses were not activated within a reasonable timeframe, there could be issues related to the reseller's policies or the specific licenses provided.
    2. To restore or validate these licenses, you should first ensure that the licenses are indeed OEM licenses and that they have not been previously activated on another device. If they are valid OEM licenses, you can try activating them again. If activation continues to fail, you may need to contact Microsoft Support for assistance in validating the licenses.
    3. It would be advisable to escalate this issue to Microsoft Support if the reseller cannot provide a satisfactory resolution. Microsoft Support can help verify the status of the licenses and determine if there are any issues that need to be addressed.

    References:

    0 comments

0 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.