Windows 10: BIOS update deactivated Windows - is my license recoverable?

Hey, In short - I recently updated the BIOS on my Gigabyte Z790 motherboard in order to patch the security flaw that was recently found in a vast number of their boards. This caused my copy of Windows to deactivate as this update was registered as a hardware change. Windows will now not reactivate, as it no longer associates the digital license with this machine and my product key is a default one as it started life about a decade ago as a Windows 7 Home key and has since been upgraded twice. I'm going to give a full timeline of the last 6 months just so you have the full picture. - About 6

:)

 

MSFT acknowledges some Win10 Pro licenses being mistakenly deactivated

Source: Microsoft acknowledges some Windows 10 Pro licenses being mistakenly deactivated - Neowin

More:

• Windows 10 Pro goes Home as Microsoft fires up downgrade server - The Register
• Windows suddenly deactivated - Microsoft Community
• Windows 10 activation bug baffles, angers users | ZDNet

UPDATE: You can now run the Windows Activation troubleshooter to activate again.

*Arrow Use Activation Troubleshooter in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials

 

MSFT acknowledges some Win10 Pro licenses being mistakenly deactivated

Source: Microsoft acknowledges some Windows 10 Pro licenses being mistakenly deactivated - Neowin

More:

• Windows 10 Pro goes Home as Microsoft fires up downgrade server - The Register
• Windows suddenly deactivated - Microsoft Community
• Windows 10 activation bug baffles, angers users | ZDNet

UPDATE: You can now run the Windows Activation troubleshooter to activate again.

*Arrow Use Activation Troubleshooter in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials

 

BIOS Update Deactivates Windows 0x803FABBD

Final Update:

Support got back to me to see if the issue was resolved (it wasn't) so some more troubleshooting attempts were made. Support tried to enter some keys using the slmgr utilities. Neither key worked.

So then they went on to taking half a dozen screenshots of my system configuration, proof of purchase, and uploaded these screenshots over their secure file exchange to send off to someone else to approve giving me a new key. After about 15 minutes support gave me a new key that allowed windows to activate (until I need to update my BIOS again).

Statistics

• Time to resolve issue from first call to support: 7 days
  
• Installations of Windows 11: 3 (two as directed by support, one to fix the mess that support made on my computer)
  
• Number of times support stuck around until the end of the Windows install: 0
  
• Number of support personnel spoken with: 5
  
• Phone calls made / received: 5
  
• Time spent on the phone: 3+ hours
  
• Number of times assured "This will work": 6+
  

Overall I'd give the experience an F.

The hours wasted getting my legitimate copy of Windows activated far exceeded the cost of purchasing a new Windows 11 Pro license at $200.

Microsoft clearly needs to figure out Windows activation after a BIOS update. This is a brutal user experience. Here's some examples of other people running into the the same exact issue. Just search for "windows activation after bios update" in Bing!

Redirecting

Windows loses activation after bios update, then refuses reactivation as claims license in use

Reddit - Dive into anything

https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?...tivated-after-bios-upgrade-pro-z690-a.374548/

BIOS update deactivates windows license?

https://forums.evga.com/BIOS-update-causing-Windows-activation-issues-m3585166.aspx

https://forums.evga.com/Bios-Updates-Windows-Activations-m3582933.aspx

https://www.****/threads/windows-activation-after-bios-update.754455/