How to Convert OEM to Volume License

By Bennett Gavrish

Updated September 28, 2017

You can change the type of Windows licensing on a PC computer.
i cd on cd image by Stephen Kirkby from Fotolia.com

PC computer manufacturers include a single license of the Windows operating systems with the machines that they distribute. These licenses of Windows are considered Original Equipment Manufacturer copies, or OEM, since they will work with only the original computer. If your organization or company decides to purchase volume licensing of Windows, you can deactivate the OEM copy and convert computers to the new volume licensing copy instead.

Log on to the computer as an administrator, hold down the Windows key and the "R" key at the same time and then enter "regedit" into the dialog box that appears.

Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents directory in the registry.

Right-click on the item labeled "ODBETimer" and choose the "Modify" option.

Delete any character in the item's value and replace it with a number from 0 to 9 or a letter from A to F.

Press "OK" and close the Registry Editor tool.

Hold down the Windows and "R" keys again and run the "%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe /a" command in the dialog box.

Select the "Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows" option and press "Next."

Click on "Change Product key," enter the volume licensing product key in the appropriate field and then hit "Update."

Restart the computer to begin using the new volume licensing product key.

×