Windows 10: Windows 10 change hardware (re)activation issue

I have an issue with activating Windows 10 on new hardware and it seems as if I'm not alone. I have a PC at home that has been activated (since long). Version at time of hardware change was Windows 10 Pro 1803 (digital license linked to a Microsoft account). The reason for the hardware change was bad hardware, a change of a faulty motherboard (and the components that follows a motherboard change such as CPU and RAM).

I've been trying to reactivate for months now. Running the activation troubleshooter ends up with a message the has been telling me that it isn't possible to activate and that I should try again later. (Before that I had a long sequence of messages telling that the Microsoft activation servers wasn't available even though I had a fully working internet connection from the machine). Now that message has changed into displaying a completely different message saying that Windows was not activated before upgrading to Windows 10 and can't therefor be activated. This is a total forgery though since it truly has been activated and has been a properly licensed and activated Windows product for years before the hardware change.

Searching the Microsoft community shows nothing new to try other than the fact that there are a lot of people experiencing the same kind of problem.

Windows 10 has already bricked one OS installation on a PC at home due to upgrade problems and I don't need yet another one go down the drain.

So... how do I get my Windows copy activated after the hardware swap? There has to be a way since I have everything set up for it as it is a digital license that I have linked to a Microsoft account since long.

:)

 

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.

 

Unable to activate Windows after hardware change

Hi,

Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.

Usually the error code 0xC004F213 comes when there is a hardware change done on the computer (like Motherboard or Hard drive). The Windows license is associated with the device hardware. If there is any significant hardware changes, such as replacing
motherboard or hard drive, Windows won’t be able to recognize the license.

I suggest you to try the troubleshooting steps from the article
Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change and see if Windows gets activated.

If you are using an OEM computer that came with Windows 7, and the motherboard has not been changed, then you can follow the steps to retrieve the product key that came with your OEM computer. To retrieve the product key follow the steps mentioned
below:

1. Type Command prompt in the search bar, that is on the taskbar.
   
2. Right click on Command prompt icon and select Run as administrator.
   
3. Type the command and press on Enter: wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
   
4. You will find the product key.
   

Hope it helps.

Please reply with the status of the issue, we will be glad to help you further.

Nikhar Khare

Microsoft Community - Moderator

 

ACTIVATION ISSUE

Hi,

Activation issues with Windows 10 devices are usually caused due to some hardware changes. For us to provide an effective resolution, we would need you to answer the following questions:

• What changes have you made to your devices before this issue occurred?
• Are your computers connected to a domain?
• What troubleshooting steps have you done so far?

In the meantime, we suggest visiting these links. These can be used as a reference on how to activate Windows 10:

• Activation in Windows 10.
• Find your Windows product key.

We are looking forward to your response.