Windows 10: Reactivating a retail key

Hello,In 2014, I obtained a retail windows 8.1 pro license key for my laptop. That laptop sadly died shortly after the end of the warranty period, roughly in 2017, and I bought a new laptop with an OEM-provided windows to replace it.I'm currently building a new computer and want to reuse the 2014 windows 8.1 pro license key as it is my understanding that 1 retail keys allow that, and 2 this license is upgradeable to windows 11 pro.Problem is, as far as I remember, I never linked the 2014 license key to a Microsoft account and I can't do that on the old computer because it simply does not exi

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Very hard to reactivate windows 10 Retail key to new pc

So microsoft company is very unfair with their Retail key buyer regarding reactivation process. Sometimes the agent from phone call said it can not be activated anymore. This is what i faced with my retail key. I think you(microsoft) should not sale anymore
retail version by higher price and limit the usage to some point. I found that it is very unfair practise

 

Windows 10 reactivation methods

When you go to Settings>Update and Security>Activation what does it say at the top under Activation?

A retail key should also create a Digital License.

Try associating your MS Account following the initial steps in
Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change .

When you change hardware if it needs reactivation, either use the retail Product Key, Contact Support app, Phone activation via running slmgr 4 command to refresh hardware signature, or if it's listed as a Digital License you can run the Activation Troubleshooter.

There should be no problem as long as the Product Key is valid. If this becomes in question you can validate the key via
Customer Service.

Please keep us posted. We're always here.

 

Windows 10 Reactivation after Motherboard : Invalid, despite being on retail channel

Hi - I've just replaced my PC motherboard, and as part of the prep, followed all the KB articles to check that my current licence was (a) valid (b) active & linked to my MS account and (c) digital.

After replacing the motherboard, and following the reactivation prompts, I got the "Windows is not activated etc Error Code 0xC004F211..." message, and clicked on "Troubleshooting" as the KB suggested, then chose the "I changed hardware on this device recently"
option, but then a window launches that says "Unable to activate Windows...we can't reactivate Windows as our servers aren't available etc etc"

I've checked my licence status using the slmgr /dlv and it tells me it's Retail Channel, on Notification, shows partial key, and a Reason of 0xC004F034

I am signed into my MS account on the machine when doing the above.

I've called MS support twice, but am always told I need to provide my original Win8 Retail Licence Key - which, sadly I have no idea where it is. I took the free upgrade to Win10 when it was available - hence the digital licence.

There are a few articles about steps to resolve a 0xC004F034, but I don't want to start changing anything when the steps I've taken in line with the KBs should work. Any thoughts?