Activation problems after changing Board and CPU

humbug

humbug

humbug

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This was updated from windows 8 when it was free, never had a problem with it, not even when updating from a FX-8### rig to an Intel one.

Now i have changed the motherboard and CPU again i get this crap:

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It never came with a license key, it was a straight upgrade free from windows 8.

when trouble shooting i get this.

123.png


When i click on changed hardware it just says 'again' you cann't activate windows on this device, no explication, just basically no... go away.

234.png


WTF?
 
The W10 license is tied to the original mobo IIRC. Maybe reinstall W8 and then upgrade to W10 to link it to your new system.
 
moogle said:
The W10 license is tied to the original mobo IIRC. Maybe reinstall W8 and then upgrade to W10 to link it to your new system.
Click to expand...

I don't have windows 8 anymore, haven't done for years.

So even tho i paid for windows 8 and was given the Windows 10 upgrade its only actually valid for one motherboard, its been downgraded to one time use only? now i have to buy a new windows license?

At this rate i'm pirating one, or switching to Linux. i'm not paying £150 again for another one time use license, i might upgrade the board again in 6 months. #### that!
 
Use the contact support app and they will remote in and fix it. Or captain hindsight would say if you were using a Microsoft account then you would have been able to restore the licence from that.
 
humbug said:
I don't have windows 8 anymore, haven't done for years.

So even tho i paid for windows 8 and was given the Windows 10 upgrade its only actually valid for one motherboard, its been downgraded to one time use only? now i have to buy a new windows license?

At this rate i'm pirating one, or switching to Linux. i'm not paying £150 again for another one time use license, i might upgrade the board again in 6 months. #### that!
Click to expand...

Don't you keep the license? If you paid £150 for it in the first place I'd guess that it might have been retail so you can reinstall it on another system. OEM would have been a bit cheaper and would have tied the W8 license to the original motherboard, but people sometimes do phone up and get it re-activated on a different system.
 
humbug said:
I don't have windows 8 anymore, haven't done for years.
Click to expand...
So what did you do with it? If you sold it etc, then technically any previous Windows 10 upgrade was in breach of licensing terms.

humbug said:
So even tho i paid for windows 8 and was given the Windows 10 upgrade its only actually valid for one motherboard, its been downgraded to one time use only? now i have to buy a new windows license?
Click to expand...
Upgrade licenses have only ever been valid with an original license - if you still had your Windows 8 license (assuming retail) you likely would have a case to get it reactivated with MS Support.

humbug said:
At this rate i'm pirating one, or switching to Linux. i'm not paying £150 again for another one time use license, i might upgrade the board again in 6 months. #### that!
Click to expand...

It isn't £150 though is it, and it isn't a one time use license - buy a retail license and change hardware as you like.

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £113.69 (includes shipping: £8.70)​
​
 
I'm not buying it again, ^^^^ and then again when i change the motherboard again, if the license key cost me more than the board everytime i upgrade the board.... yey not happening, they can #### off! there are other ways and frankly if that's the situation i don't blame people for doing it, MS are also still the only people who charge you anything let alone stupid money for their OS while also selling the analytics they gain from you through it, MS want their cake and to eat it twice, no!
---------------

Well that was interesting.

I googled MS Support, found a toll free number, they directed me to a web address with an app to download.

It was a remote desktop + chat thing, the woman at the other end of that spent 2 hours doing practically nothing, she opened control panel and diapered for 10 minutes, then performance monitor and diapered again for 10 minutes... after 2 hours of that she turned round and said: for £200 you can have a one time fix, for £300 you can have an annual Microsoft 365 support package.... my immediate instinct was *scam* i closed the chat.....
I looked deeper into the phone number and it turns out it is a 3'rd party company with 'Microsoft Help' Google keywords putting it at the top of the page when what you are looking for is Microsoft support.

I feel like an idiot falling for it.
 
If you have a Microsoft account you may be able to fix it, but I had a similar thing recently and basically had to do the windows 10 recovery thing, I.e. Reinstall windows from windows and it magically fixed everything, I didn't lose much stuff.
 
Slam62 said:
If you have a Microsoft account you may be able to fix it, but I had a similar thing recently and basically had to do the windows 10 recovery thing, I.e. Reinstall windows from windows and it magically fixed everything, I didn't lose much stuff.
Click to expand...

You're probably right, i didn't sign in first time with the account attached to this copy, that's probably why its thrown a wobler.... i might do a reinstall and sign into the account attached to it.
 
Same thing happened to me, but since it was a month away from the beginning of the motherboard RMA and the Fall Creator was released then, I decided to do a fresh install. Activated completely fine, and it was a 7 key.

The fact that you didn't note down your 8 key however... makes it a little more tricky. Maybe do a fresh install anyway, and do the same steps you're doing now to see if it can reactivate?
 
Yup, it was actually really easy... for anyone else with this issue.

# before upgrading Motherboard make note of the Microsoft Account your PC is tied to
# once upgraded and reinstalled select "activate windows"
# click on "trouble shoot" link
# click on "I have changed my hardware"
# It will ask you to sign into your Microsoft Account.
# once signed in it will show you the device linked to your account, select it.
# you are now activated :)
 
humbug said:
You're probably right, i didn't sign in first time with the account attached to this copy, that's probably why its thrown a wobler.... i might do a reinstall and sign into the account attached to it.
Click to expand...

This is exactly why, you have the licence attached to your ms account, and you didn't use that, so it has been unable to activate.
Do it using your existing account, and all should be merry.


-edit glad this worked out, would be irritating to have to rebuy when the login was all that was required!
 
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