Help needed on windows 10 activation after hardware change

freebooter

freebooter

freebooter

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I have just got a new mb/cpu/ram and want to transfer my current win 10 to the new kit.

My win 10 started as a win 8 pro retail license and was upgraded to win 8.1 and then win 10. In Settings it shows as Win 10 Pro v 1803 and the activation page says 'Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account'.

I read a help page at Microsoft that said I should be able to run the activation troubleshooter, select 'upgraded hardware' and select the previous install to swap the license over from the previous build. However, when I did this it said there wasn't a license suitable.

I know that when I started using win 10 I first set up a different Microsoft account to the one I am now using and wondered if the digital license had been attached to that account instead. I set up that account and tried as above but with the same result. If I look at the activation page in settings while logged into the old account back on my previous hardware build it says the same as with my current account 'Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account'? Surely the installed windows can only be linked to one account? I also have a local account that just says 'Windows is activated with a digital license'.

In 'My account' on the MS site there doesn't appear to be any listing of licenses held. There is 'devices' but from what I understand that is just machines that you have logged on to rather holding the licenses for.

I saw a previous thread on here which said that you could now install a fresh win 10 and just put in the original win 8 serial no? I downloaded produkey and that showed a different serial no to my original win 8 key. Did win 10 assign a new serial no during the upgrade? On the MS help page for installing new hardware it said that you either have a digital license or a prod key. I assumed that as my activation page said I had a digital license that it had changed to that at some point when I upgraded.

If using the above method of a fresh install with the win 8 key how does win disable the old install and recognize the new? I seem to remember in the past when windows had an online activation system but without the MS account that you either had to ring MS to do that or run a cmd to deactivate the old install before activating the new one.

Looking at this forum I have found out that I was trying this process when there was the recent problem with MS activation although the reported problems were not similar to mine.
 
Log back into the one you think the license is linked to and then choose troubleshooting under activation.
 
freebooter said:
I tried that and it just says there is no suitable license and gives a link to the store?
Click to expand...
call MS helpline. they're very helpful.
your issue is that you've changed the mobo, windows licences are tied to the mobo, hence the error message.
MS helpline will solve this in a jiffy - i had the same thing previously, so speaking from experience
 
Had to do the same 2 weeks ago. Complete MB, CPU, SSD and RAM change. Had to call MS because my key tired to my account wouldn't activate.

Showed them proof of purchase of new MB and they give me a new key.
 
Thanks for the replies. I called MS today and it turns out now with recent win 10 versions I just need to enter my original win 8 serial number. Windows is now activated on my new hardware:)

I now have to find the time to do a clean install sometime.
 
Just done the same upgrade last night, and the same activation problems.
In the end I was able to remove my old computer from devices linked to my account (on the my account page on the ms page).
Then under activation in settings I clicked on change product key and entered my old win 8 key (glad I wrote it down years ago) and it's it's now activated and linked to my ms account.
 
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