Windows 10: Old computer for someone in need NO hardware change

Hi all,


I'm trying to get someone on low income up to speed with a legit copy of 10.


His old laptop started with Vista OEM + free 7 upgrade presuming also OEM. NO HARDWARE CHANGE HAPPENED. Upgraded to 10 for free but did not connect MS account. Then switched to Linux.


Hated it. Wanted to switch back. Did not write down Win7 product key. Only have Vista key printed on the bottom of the laptop. No recovery partition wiped with Linux install – poor guy. Currently using non-activated 10.


OPTION 1:

Somehow find a legit or not legit copy of Vista, use the legit product key, do the 7 upgrade he still has the included CD, and then hope the free 10 upgrade still works?


Assuming Windows update doesn't work for Vista maybe not even 7 anymore, will I have to download the updates manually via the WU archive? That sounds like a LOT of work.

OPTION 2:

Upon explaining all this and providing photos of the laptop & Vista product key, do you think Microsoft will grant him an OEM license? He did, after all, actually have Windows 10 legitimately at one point. With no hardware change.


OPTION 3:

Any ideas?


I realize this sounds ridiculous and convoluted. Thanks for reading and any help you can provide!

:)

 

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

 

Change Administrator on old computer

Hello,

We appreciate that you post your concern here in the Community. To help you change the administrator account on your computer, you may need to
create a new account first by following the steps provided in this article on how to
create
a local user or administrator account in Windows 10. Once you’re on the page, you may proceed with the steps, and then complete the process. After completing the given steps, you may check if you’re able to create a new user account
on your device.

Furthermore, log in to the newly created admin account and then delete the old one from the
Settings. To do this, you may proceed with the following steps below:

• Click Start > Settings > Accounts > Family & other people.
• Under the Other people section, select the account that you want to delete, and then click the
  Remove button.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
• After completing the steps, you may check if you can properly remove the old account on your computer.

***If you think this was helpful, you may "mark it as an answer" to help those who are facing the same problem.***

If you have other concerns, feel free to post it here in the Community.

 

Overclocking / Undervolting guide for Vega 56 or 64?

Here's a quick laundry list:

List of software to use for overclocking and testing
Examples:
Wattman (and how to find and use it, like an overview, including profiles)
Unigine Valley or Heaven (use this for quick testing while changing settings in Wattman and checking for stability / artifacts) ...just suggesting this
How to monitor cores / mem speeds and temps during testing (I've seen screen overlays, and others using GPUz)

Step-by step overclocking in Wattman
Fan speeds
Power limit
Temp limit
Voltages
Core speeds
Memory speeds