Windows 10: Windows 10 Home Activation (Hardware Change)

Hello, I have had Windows 10 Home edition on my computer since I first booted it around three years ago. I purchased an OEM key on Kinguin and it worked totally fine. Recently, I have upgraded some pieces to my computer, such as the processor and the motherboard. I was aware that this would likely deactivate my copy of Windows, but I cannot reactivate it. I have gone into Settings> Update & Security> Activation and have tried to troubleshoot it with little success. Originally, when I first booted, Windows was still activated, but after my first reboot, it deactivated. I tried to Troubleshoot from there, but it told me that the servers were busy, and to try again in a few minutes. I waited a day before I finally got to a screen to select the device that I wanted to reactivate Windows on, and was then told that my copy of Windows could not be reactivated. I then called customer support after the Get Help AI chat was of no use to me, and was on the phone twice for over an hour. Nothing that either of the people I contacted told me helped me reactivate, mostly because I could not understand them over the phone. I have had these parts for a week now and am tired of seeing that I need to activate Windows. The error code I currently have is 0xC004C060. Please help.

:)

 

windows activation—hardware changed siginficantly

From time to time on my thoroughbred PC, I get a Windows activation message that says my hardware changed siginificantly and I have to re-activate Windows. My hardware hasn't changed any more than a network card (went from a wireless g card to onboard lan to a wired network card), and the install is legit. Why is it doing this, and how can I stop it?

 

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 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.