Windows 10: Son changed my product key, now i'm Ska-rude

Long story short, bought this Acer ES 15 laptop 2 weeks ago. I come back from a xmas party and my 15yrold son says "i got you win 10 pro on your laptop"............ I've restarted, reset, back to factory settings (supposedly) now I still have an inactivated windows 10 pro......... How do I find my original windows key that came with the computer that gave me win 10 home. looked in the box, manuals and no luck I contacted Acer "we don't keep track of the keys that were installed in new systems". Help

:)

 

Windows 10 activation error code 0xC004C003

Tried that but I'm now getting an error message saying that the activation server reported that he product key is blocked...

This is strange as I've just upgraded from Win 7 which was definitely activated. My son spoke to MS last week as well, they told him the key was fine but he could not have activated Win 7 before upgrading - no idea what I'm supposed to do now...

 

Nokia X6 software update not available

Changed my product key and it works now. No other way I'm afraid ;(

 

Showkey Plus Showkey - Windows 10 Forums Tomcat....

 

The original key is on the COA sticker. That is on the bottom of the laptop or inside the battery compartment.

 

Awesome, f14tomcat. Just what I've been looking for!

 

whs. I tore the bottom off the laptop, looked thru all the paperwork and there is no COA. I've been in panic mode for the 3 days not being able to find the original key.

 

This is how a COA sticker looks like. No PC with Windows can be sold without a COA sticker - that is illegal. I wonder what happened to your sticker.

 

WHS, not to be argumentative, honest, but I bought a Surface Pro 3 from MS about a year ago, pre-installed 8.1, and there is no COA sticker. Anywhere. Maybe lappys are an exception, I don't know.

EDIT: Just scoured all over the case of my desktop. Bought a new Dell 3847 in May, 2015. No Coa sticker. Only thing in common is they both have UEFI and keys are stored there. Dunno.....

 

If worse comes to worse if you reinstall windows 10 Home once you connect to the net your machine will be validated from Microsoft, As long as it is the same motherboard

 

If they are UEFI, then you do not need a sticker.

 

COA stickers died out with Windows 7. Since Windows 8 preinstalled oem keys are bios embedded. I understand that is also the case for preinstallec oem Windows 10 as well based on feedback from other users on this forum.

 

In order to get an activated Windows 10 again you are going to have to do a clean install of Windows 10 Home. Skip entering the product key if you are asked for one. Since you had Windows 10 Home activated on that computer before, it will activate again based either upon a product key stored in bios or by retrieving a digital entitlement from Microsoft activation servers.

Then set your son up with a user level account instead of administrator account and keep your own administrator password to yourself *Zip