Windows 10: Unable to activate windows after motherboard change

I am currently using a custom built PC and had replaced the motherboard because it had died due to a short circuit. Upon replacing the motherboard, windows now requires me to buy a whole new licence when I already have one tied to my account. I bought the OS back in 2018. I do not know how to activate windows at this point.


I attempted to use the troubleshoot tool in activation, however I could not find this PC The one I am currently using when it prompted me to select a computer.

:)

 

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.

 

Can't activate windows 10 after changing motherboard

Hello,

I can't activate my windows 10 license after changing my motherboard.

The license I have is a Windows 7 Pro license, that got changed into a Windows 10 license, when the upgrade was free.

Steps I took previous to the motherboard change:

- I linked my Microsoft account with my device, so that my license is registered under my account (it showed up with my mail in the accounts section)

Now, with the new motherboard built in, I can't activate Windows 10 anymore.

I tried the support steps listed by the Microsoft helper (Activation -> Click Troubleshoot), but that did not work.

In the Activitation settings I get the error code: 0xC004F213

Does anybody know a solution for this, as I haven't found one so far.

 

Unable to reactivate Windows after changing Motherboard

Hi,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



I understand that after changing the Motherboard you are unable to activate Windows. I’ll help you with the issue.



However, please let us know:

• What is the error message you receive when you try to activate Windows?
  
• Did Windows 10 come preinstalled on your computer?
  
• Were you using a Microsoft account to login to the computer?
  

Ideally, if Windows 10 comes preinstalled on the computer, the Product key is embedded in the Motherboard. In case Windows is reinstalled on the computer, it should get activated automatically. However, if any hardware changes (such as Motherboard
or hard drive) is done on the computer, Windows will not be able to identify the license.



You may want to refer the troubleshooting steps mentioned in the article

Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change.



If you are receiving an error code, you may want to check the troubleshooting steps as per the error code mentioned in the article

Get help with Windows activation errors.



If you still face issues, do not worry, you can get in touch with our Activation team and they will help you with the issue. Please refer the article

Global Customer Service phone numbers to get the Customer support number as per your country.



Regards,

Nikhar Khare

Microsoft Community - Moderator