Windows 10: Recently changed motherboards and cannot find original key

I get the error that the servers are down and get funneled into buying another $200 copy of windows because I can't find my old windows 8 key. I've looked up what it should be in the registry but it appears to be wrong due to either the hardware change or the upgrade path from windows 8, with the windows 8 key that I probably need not matching what is on file. Would a workaround be reverting my hardware back and then checking the registry or perhaps linking it to my Microsoft account with windows properly activated?


The closest thing I can find to a receipt is an invoice for the original purchase from Newegg, but it was a physical copy. I don't want to use a keygen when I had it working legally just yesterday and I don't want to pay for it again.

:)

 

Recently Changed motherboards.

So I recently changed the motherboard in my pc maybe last Saturday I believe. And now I am having this Activate Windows thing pop up. I've tried to check and see what it and done all this trouble shooting and it's not really helping me much. I can't find
my windows activation key do to the fact my PC came originally prebuilt so I don't have that code at all. I am not very sure what exactly to do now.

 

Recent (Save Files) - Change Default Settings to OneDrive

Hello -
Thanks for the return. Before I undertake changing the Registry, I have a question.
The steps in my Registry, for my version of Windows 10, were a bit different, but I think I eventually got to the right spot.
The last step is to change the number of places you want to list in Recent Places. In my case, the default Max Display listed 50 as the number. So, if I were to change that number, how do I know the Save As page will be one of those places? Or, a similar question, will this registry change delete the tab Recent from my Save As page? This is what I would like to happen.
When I received my computer in Nov. 2016, the Recent tab was not listed in the Save As page. Something caused it to be added over time. Which brings me to this second question. Would there be any benefit in deleting the changed registry listing and reverting back to the default listing? See attachment.
Jerry

 

Activate Windows 10 after motherboard change

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

I built the PC myself and it is\was a retail Windows 8 Pro license upgraded to 10.

The guide listed that I should be able to transfer the license, and following the steps given when selecting "I recently changed hardware" in the activation process it does not list my previous device to select from.

My Microsoft account is logged in on both my old and new motherboard, and my old motherboard is unable to boot at all to deactivate or retrieve any keys.

If my license is indeed available for transfer, how can I proceed from here?

Thanks.