Windows 10: Activation following hardware change.

Discus and support Activation following hardware change. in Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade to solve the problem; I changed the motherboard in one of my desktops and am having hangups with re-activation. The original install was confirmed as digitally activated... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade' started by RichardMillerXC, Apr 11, 2019.

  1. Activation following hardware change.


    I changed the motherboard in one of my desktops and am having hangups with re-activation. The original install was confirmed as digitally activated prior to MB changeout. A problem was encountered following changeout in that the SSD containing the original Win 10 installation suddenly became unreadable and would not be recognized. It was recognized by the UEFI on the new MB but would not boot. I looked at it on another computer and windows manager did not acknowledge its existence. Examination using EaseUS Partition Master it appeared normal with the typical array of Windows operating files and responded to an MBR repair without any reported issue, but still would not boot.


    In desperation, I then created a bootable USB using the Media Creation Tool and proceeded first with an attempted repair of the original installation on the SSD and when that failed, proceeded with a new clean install. The installation went without incident and the installer recognized that a previous copy of Win 10 was resident on the disk and it was relegated to the windows.old file.


    The installation has operated well and without further incident except - attempts to activate this installation using the troubleshooting routine in settings-activation- I have a hardware change refuse to activate my installation.


    Anybody have any suggestions on how I can recover my activation?

    :)
     
    RichardMillerXC, Apr 11, 2019
    #1
  2. Nikhar_K Win User

    Unable to activate Windows after hardware change

    Hi,

    Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.

    Usually the error code 0xC004F213 comes when there is a hardware change done on the computer (like Motherboard or Hard drive). The Windows license is associated with the device hardware. If there is any significant hardware changes, such as replacing
    motherboard or hard drive, Windows won’t be able to recognize the license.

    I suggest you to try the troubleshooting steps from the article
    Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change
    and see if Windows gets activated.

    If you are using an OEM computer that came with Windows 7, and the motherboard has not been changed, then you can follow the steps to retrieve the product key that came with your OEM computer. To retrieve the product key follow the steps mentioned
    below:

    1. Type Command prompt in the search bar, that is on the taskbar.
    2. Right click on Command prompt icon and select Run as administrator.
    3. Type the command and press on Enter: wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
    4. You will find the product key.

    Hope it helps.

    Please reply with the status of the issue, we will be glad to help you further.

    Nikhar Khare

    Microsoft Community - Moderator
     
    Nikhar_K, Apr 11, 2019
    #2
  3. Activation problems after hardware changes and reinstallations.

    Hi Meli,

    Thank you for posting the query on Microsoft Community.

    I do appreciate your efforts and time.

    Was Windows 10 activated before re-installing it?

    Along with the suggestions provided by Greg, you can also refer the steps below.



    The only hardware changes that can negatively impact activation status once you upgrade to free version are the changes to the:

    • CPU
    • TPM
    • Motherboard replacement
    The following changes are examples of hardware changes that will NOT impact the activation status:

    • HDD/SSD
    • Video card
    • Adding extra memory
    If you replace the CPU, TPM, or Motherboard you may have to re-activate but this will not require a purchase of Windows 10.

    Why can't I activate Windows 10?:

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/why-activate-windows-10

    Get help with Windows 10 activation errors:

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/activation-errors-windows-10

    Can I clean re-install Windows 10 after upgrading?

    Can I clean re-install Windows 10 after upgrading?

    Hope this helps in resolving the issue. If the issue persists, do get back to us. We will be happy to assist you.
     
    Kalpana Shankarappa, Apr 11, 2019
    #3
  4. Activation following hardware change.

    Do hardware changes affect my Windows 10 activation?

    Hi Alejandro,



    The following changes are examples of hardware changes that will
    not
    impact the activation status:

    • HDD/SSD
    • Video card
    • Adding extra memory


    The only hardware changes that can negatively impact the activation status once you upgrade are changes to the:

    • CPU
    • TPM
    • Motherboard replacement


    Hope this information helps.
     
    Rohit Siddegowda, Apr 11, 2019
    #4
Thema:

Activation following hardware change.

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