Windows 10: Confluence of issues preventing Win 10 activation after hardware changes

I upgraded Windows 7 Home to Windows 10 many year ago - while the upgrade was still officially being offered, not a later "loophole" upgrade - and have been using it on the same machine since. That motherboard finally died and I've replaced it along with most of the major components, since not much Windows 7 era hardware is compatible with contemporary motherboards. As expected I was prompted to re-activate Windows as a result of the major hardware changes, but it can not find the key to the install within the device and the automated troubleshooters have failed, sending me along to Microsoft

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Activate Win 10 after changing the hardware (OS re-installed)

Hello,

Can anybody help me with the following issue. I've re-installed Win10 Pro after changing the hardware (motherboard, CPU, SSD etc.). An OS on the same PC previously was activated after it had been updated from Win 7 to Win 10 Pro. I've signed in to my account.
Tried to choose my PC from the list of proposed but got an error. Then I've deleted my PC with old hardware info from the device list in my account with preliminary changing the upgraded PC name. Now this PC is not available in the device list when I try to
re-activate the OS. Are there any actions, except for purchasing the new license, to re-activate my Win 10?

Thanks in advance.

 

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?:

Why can't I activate Windows? - Microsoft Support

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?

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Hope this helps in resolving the issue. If the issue persists, do get back to us. We will be happy to assist you.

 

ACTIVATION ISSUE

Hi,

Activation issues with Windows 10 devices are usually caused due to some hardware changes. For us to provide an effective resolution, we would need you to answer the following questions:

• What changes have you made to your devices before this issue occurred?
• Are your computers connected to a domain?
• What troubleshooting steps have you done so far?

In the meantime, we suggest visiting these links. These can be used as a reference on how to activate Windows 10:

• Activation in Windows 10.
• Find your Windows product key.

We are looking forward to your response.