Windows 10: I Can't activate Windows 10 after hardware change

Yesterday I changed CPU, motherboard and RAM on my PC. Everything works fine as with the previous hardware but a while after turning on the PC I get the Activate Windows watermark. (At the moment of writing this there is no watermark)

NOTE: My system is in Spanish so some messages are probably not exactly as they would be in the English version, I hope my translation is goo enough.

In Settings > Activation I get:

> Edition: Windows 10 Pro
>
> Activation: Windows is not activated
>
> Product ID: My product ID, it is the same one I had before
>
> Product Key: This shows a product key with everything replaced by X except the last segment. It does not match the key I had for installing windows.

Below that there is a red message saying:

> We can't activate windows right now. You can try again later or go to the Store to buy
> genuine Windows. Error code: 0xc004f025


Then below that it says that if I have problems with I should use the troubleshooter.

Then the troubleshooter says:
> We can't activate your windows copy. Make sure you are connected to the internet (I am) and try again. If you are connected and keep seeing this problem contact the system administrator.

Before the hardware change I thing the activation windows said I had a digital license, but I'm not 100% sure. From what I've seen it is what you get with the free W10 upgrade.

Another thing I noticed is that just before the first time the watermark appeared I was playing an online game and I lost connection for a moment and the game went from fullscreen to windowded as if there was something else trying to get the screen focus. Maybe it was a network failure during an activation check?

My windows license was a student W7 license upgraded to W10 (I still have the key for that one).
I used showKeyPlus and according to it the current installed key matches with the one showed in settings>activation. I have no idea where did that key came from.

This is what showKeyPlus shows for the installed key:


> Product Name: Windows 10 Pro

>

> Version: 17134.950 (64-bit OS)

>

> Product ID: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

>

> Installed Key: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

>

> Original Key: MAK key not available

>

> Original Edition: Edition not available

>

> OEM Key: OEM key not present in firmware


This is what it shows for the original key (the one I have):

> ShowKeyPlus - Windows Product Key Information
>
> Original Key: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
>
> Original Edition: Windows 7 All Volume Editions Volume:MAK
>
> EULA Type: Volume

So... what's going on? What are my options?

Is it possible that my license has limited activations?

Where did the installed key come from?

I noticed that in my microsoft account there are now two (the same one twice with slightly different data) devices. There was only one before and after changing hardware.

The "Two" devices' details show the current and former hardware. They also have different windows data.

Here is the old one:

> Edition:
> Windows 10 Professional

> SO compilation:
> 10.0.17134.950

> Serie.
> System Serial Number

> Graphics card:
> Radeon RX 580 Series

> Installed RAM :
> 16 GB

> Version:
> 1803

> System type:
> OSType64BitX64

> Processor :
> Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz

And the current one:

> Edition:
> Windows 10 Professional

> SO compilation:
> 10.0.17134.950

> Graphics card:
> Radeon RX 580 Series

> Installed RAM :
> 16 GB

> Version:
> 1803

> System type:
> OSType64BitX64

> Processor :
> AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core Processor

:)

 

windows activation—hardware changed siginficantly

From time to time on my thoroughbred PC, I get a Windows activation message that says my hardware changed siginificantly and I have to re-activate Windows. My hardware hasn't changed any more than a network card (went from a wireless g card to onboard lan to a wired network card), and the install is legit. Why is it doing this, and how can I stop it?

 

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

 

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.