Windows 10: MS store license problems after hardware upgrade

Hi im having tons of trouble with windows after installing a new motherboard. Windows would not activate with my old key at all, so I bought a new one spent an hour last night on the phone with MS trying to activate my new product key and finally did. Problem today is I cant install any non microsoft apps from the store. Cinebench, Netflix, Twitter etc... It gets stuck at activation and gives me error 0xC0EA000A. I have tried the store reset and I dont know what else to do. I have alot of games downloaded so I would rather not reinstall windows.

:)

 

SOLVED: Reactivating W10 license of an "Upgraded" W7 Retail licensed systems after a major hardware change

Hi folks,

the scenario above has been widely posted here. I also had the problem. I could solve it with help from gregrocker. Let me share my experience with you.

First some basics:

The scope of the old license is taken over by the upgrade process. These three types of licenses are mostly used:

• Retail licenses: the customer buys them at a store and receives the binaries and a license key. The usage rights are licensed to the buyer and entitles him to install and use the product on
  one device. The buyer can transfer the product to another device. During this process, MS sees new hardware and deactivates the license. It can simply be reactivated by entering the license key again.
  
• System Builder (also called OEM) licenses are intentionally sold to people who build PCs an sell them bundled with Windows. The license is coupled to the hardware it is installed first. The license documentation doesn't say anything about broken hardware.
  I have no information how hardware changes can be handled by the system builder. He has one specific license key for each PC he sells and he has to affix a license sticker at each device, too. I believe that the user of such systems cannot simply reactivate
  its license after a hardware change.
  
• "Bundled" PCs (the standard case I presume) carry "system builder" licenses may be in different flavors according to the size of the vendor.

So for System Builder licenses the vendor or "builder" of the box has tools to handle such cases. MS offers system builder tools for installations to buyers of a each system builder license as part of the license contract text.

The problem to handle after an automatic upgrade to W10 is, that also retail licenses don't have a license key that is marked as "portable license". But fortunately Gabe Aul, the Windows VP at Microsoft has publicly committed licenses blocked by hardware
changes can be reactivated by MS Support.

This is what I have done to get an activated Windows 10 after a major hardware change:

• On my "deactivated" machine I opened the "Contact Microsoft Support" app. You need a Microsoft account to sign in to this app.
• I opened the "Chat ..." alternative. After a few seconds a technician answered.
  
• I wrote my complain and was requested to send some details like the deactivation code, my name and the like. The technician was well aware of the problem. I insisted that I was upgraded from a retail W7 license and the Gabe Aul has committed handling hardware
  changes by MS support.
• The technician told me that she was not allowed to handle such a case but she will elevate/escalate my claim to second level support.
• We settled a date and a time span for a call-back of second-level support.
• Precisely at the settled time, an engineer
  from MS called and we started to fix the problem. She ask me to allow her to take over my desktop and after a few checks to present to her my W7 license key.
• She asked for a little time and after 5 minutes she was back and installed me a new license key. The new key was generated by her manager, she told me.

Now I'm activated again and I have a retail license key for W10 in my hands.

I hope this helps a little. Comments are very welcome.

 

Potential upgrade to AMD Ryzen

There are two types of Windows licenses...

• Retail
• OEM

Retail licenses of Windows can be legally transferred between hardware because it's a retail license. Upgrade licenses if it was an upgrade from a retail license maintains the same license freedoms that the original license held, Windows 10 upgrade licenses are the only exception to that rule. OEM licenses however cannot be transferred from hardware to hardware. Upgrades from OEM licenses of course have the same restrictions that the original OEM license had.

However, right now Microsoft is still accepting old licenses of Windows as an upgrade to Windows 10. All you have to do is type in your old key and it will accept it. Why Microsoft is still allowing this I have no idea but my thoughts are is that Windows 10 adoption numbers are so damn low that they need all the help they can get. *Laugh :laugh:

 

How does a Windows 10 'digital license' activate the OS?

source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12440/windows-10-activation

Does MS digital license 'fingerprint' hardware information during the free upgrade / activation and store it (at Microsoft) , so that the next re-install queries MS for the fingerprint and activates Windows 10?

Thought the disk drive may change, I expect that none of the other fingerprinted hardware will change.