Windows 10: Re activate windows 10 Pro after hardware change

I changed my motherboard cpu and ram today and can't reactivate windows 10.


Image below is my activation screen in settings. My product key appears to be correct based on the last few digits that is shows and what i have written down in my files before i changed hardware.


I originally had Windows 7 Pro and used the free upgrade to get windows 10 pro when they made it available.

My copy of windows 7 was retail and was not pre-installed on my computer when i bought it.


If you look at the bottom of the image i provided, it says the last product key i provided can't be used with this copy of windows, but the number it provides (that i have blacked out) is a product id and does not match the one listed at the top of the image.


i have tried following the guide (https://www.windowscentral.com/how-re-activate-windows-10-after-hardware-change) but when i click the troubleshooter it just shows the following.





When i enter my product key under the "change product key" option it shows the following.





Before changing any hardware i used the following guide (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change) from Microsoft support and linked my Windows 10 license to a Microsoft account. I then checked to make sure it said "Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account" on my activation page, which it was. I also signed into my microsoft account in the users page of which i am the only user account and set to administrator. I also logged into my microsoft account through their website to check my computer had registered with the correct details, which it had.

After i changed the hardware i booted into windows with no problems. i then went to the activation page and did all the above. i have checked all 3 error codes you can see in the images above at (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/10738/windows-10-get-help-with-activation-errors) but nothing there provided a working solution. I logged into my Microsoft account through the website and it has registered my hardware changes and shows in My devices (Image Below). It is the only device listed as the changes seem to have overwritten my original set up i had when i linked my license to my microsoft account.

Any help or suggestions on how to get my activated windows 10 back would be really appreciated.

:)

 

Activating WIndows 10 after hardware change.

Before replacing my hardware on my main computer, I logged into my Microsoft Windows account. Once logged in, I saw that the name of the PC that I was upgrading was in my list of PCs that were activated for Windows 10 Pro. So after reviewing how to reactivate
after a HW changed, I went ahead and upgraded the motherboard, CPU and memory in that PC.

Now, when it is time to reactivate, the PC in question is still listed in the hardware list on my MS account but it will not allow me to activate Windows. I followed the instructions online and ran the troubleshooting tool. It then gave me the following
response:

Unable to activate Windows

We can’t find any devices linked to your Microsoft account that can be used for reactivating the device you’re using right now. Make sure you’re signed in with the same Microsoft account you linked to the
Windows 10 digital license on this device or try again later.

See other devices linked to your Microsoft account

So why would it not find the license that was for this PC when it had the old hardware installed? My assumption, albeit may wrong, was that the PC was activated because it was in the list. It was also activated as a Windows 10 Pro edition.

Anyone have any suggestions on this type of issue?

 

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?

 

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.