New Motherboard, Windows 10 activation

I recently upgraded to a new motherboard on my windows 10 PC. Just recently I noticed in the lower right hand corner it says to activate windows. I have no idea what I need to do about this issue. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Thank you for posting the query on Microsoft Community.

Before changing the Motherboard, was Windows 10 activated?

You just need to activate Windows 10. Refer the link below.

Why can’t I activate Windows 10 ?:

The only hardware changes that can negatively impact activation status once you upgrade to free version are the changes to the:

The following changes are examples of hardware changes that will NOT impact the activation status:

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.

Get help with Windows 10 activation errors:

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.

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How to install Windows 10 on a new motherboard without losing the files?

i am getting a new motherboard and i know i need to reinstall windows if i buy a OEM windows 10 64-bit does it do a clean install and wipe all my stuff? if so i want to know how to install windows 10 without losing my files

Old title: windows 10 help.

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Original Title: Windows 10 license help

i am getting a new motherboard and i know i need to reinstall windows if i buy a OEM windows 10 64-bit license does it do a clean install and wipe all my stuff? if so i want to know how to install windows 10 without losing my files

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I like to inform you that you need to reinstall Windows 10, if you want to connect to new motherboard. Before reinstalling Windows 10, I suggest you to take a back up of the files on your computer.

Hope the above information helps. Reply with necessary information and the result to help you further.

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You do not have to purchase Windows 10 if you have valid Windows 7/8.1/8.

It depends on how you install Windows 10.

If it is clean installation, then you will lose the data. Make sure you backup the data before installation.

We need more information about why you are trying to purchase Windows 10 and on what operating system you are trying to install Windows 10.

Install, upgrade, & activate:

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New Motherboard Cannot Activate Windows 10 RETAIL Full Version

I just installed a new Motherboard and CPU.

Windows keeps telling me that the key is already in use. It’s the same HDD I had in my other computer, the motherboard is sitting in a box.

I’ve read through all the things about using the troubleshooter, but that gives me an error about servers being down, repeatedly.

And of course trying to call any company in this day and age is a ridiculous feat. Nobody wants to have good customer service anymore. Too expensive to do so I guess.

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Doing a motherboard change is considered a new PC for Windows operating system. Also it will depend on the license you originally had if you can reactivate.
Click the link below to follow the steps to see if you can activate.

If that doesn’t work try the Microsoft Chat support.
Unfortunately we don’t have access to the activation servers to directly support you.

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Hello,
Contact Microsoft representative if it were a full retail license.

Activation depends on what type of license you have of Windows 7/8/10.

If Windows 7/8/10 came preinstalled with the computer, that is called an OEM license. For an OEM license, the license dies as soon as Motherboard dies. So essentially it is non-transferable. If that is the case you need to get a new license.

However, this is not same for retail licenses i.e. you purchased the license through Microsoft store. That does carry transfer rights. If that is the case, please see the below steps:
(Not applicable to you)
What you need to do is to grab the key using any Software like Showkey Plus, uninstall that key from older PC and use it on another computer.

Download Showkey Plus:
www.thewindowsclub.com/showkeyplus-product-key-finder

Use the key by Showkey Plus on the newer computer.

Alternatively, there are two more options available other than this:
(Not applicable to you ends)
Contact Microsoft at https://partner.support.services.microsoft.com/. through chat support. They would take control of your PC and activate(might need a proof of purchase)
Use the Activation troubleshooter on the new PC signed in with same MS account.
Go to Settings>Update and security>Activation and run the troubleshooter.
Select I recently changed hardware on this device.

Sumit
Volunteer Moderator- Microsoft Community

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Explained: New Motherboard, CPU. Do I need a new license / reinstall Windows?

Infopackets Reader Steve F. writes:

I will be upgrading my computer to the new AMD Ryzen 1700 CPU (which has 8 cores and 16 threads!) at a fraction of the price of Intel CPUs. I have searched online but I can’t seem to find the answer — can you please tell me: after I install the new motherboard and CPU, can I continue to use my existing Windows installation or do I need to install Windows again? Also is my Windows 10 license still valid or do I need to purchase Windows 10 for my new motherboard and CPU? «

Short answer: It depends on the type of Windows you own and/or whether you are replacing the motherboard with the exact same model / revision.

In general, Microsoft considers a new motherboard upgrade to be a new machine, though if you go with the EXACT same motherboard (with same revision) it may not be flagged as a «new motherboard». Also, whether or not you have to purchase a new license depends on the type of Windows installation you have.

OEM Windows + New Motherboard = New Windows License Required (99% of the time)

For example: If you installed Windows 10 OEM from a «system builder dvd» onto an older system and then decided to replace it with a brand new motherboard and CPU, then you have to buy Windows 10 for that new motherboard and CPU.

If your computer is a Dell, HP, Compaq, etc, then this is an OEM Windows version. OEM stands for «Original Equipment Manufacturer». You can buy «OEM» versions of Windows 10 from Amazon (for example) as a «System Builder DVD» for use with new computer builds.

If you installed Windows 7 OEM and upgraded to Windows 10, it is still considered OEM.

In some cases, if you replace the motherboard with the exact same model and hardware revision as the previous motherboard (if your computer was struck by lightning, for example), you may not need a license, but this is a craps shoot.

Full Retail Windows + New Motherboard = No New License Required

Let’s look at yet another example.

If you purchased a full retail version of Windows 7 or 8 on DVD and you upgraded to Windows 10, then your Windows 10 is still considered a full retail version. Therefore, you can transfer the license to a new machine / motherboard. However, you will still need to reinstall Windows clean because the old Windows installation likely won’t work on the new hardware (I’ll explain more about that below).

In this case, you will most likely have to activate Windows over the phone by calling Microsoft and tell them you’ve upgraded your motherboard. When this happens, your activation code on your old system is revoked and becomes invalid; Microsoft will then provide you with a new activation code for the new system.

«Can I Boot my Old Windows on my New Motherboard and CPU? «

Short answer: MAYBE, but it’s probably not going to work properly and/or crash on you repeatedly. Also, your license may be invalid for reasons I’ve clearly outlined above.

You might be able to get away with booting from your old Windows installation, but chances are it will: fail, not boot at all, won’t be stable, or it will produce strange error messages. That’s because each installation of Windows is unique to the computer it’s being installed on and contains specific drivers and hardware settings for that computer. If you change the motherboard, then all of those settings are no longer valid.

There are programs such as Acronis True Image which has «Acronis Universal Restore», which allows you to transfer your operating system onto a new machine with dissimilar hardware, but the process is somewhat complicated and not guaranteed to work.

Migrating Windows from and Old System to New

The best approach when migrating to a new machine is to make a disk image or virtual machine of your existing system before the upgrade, and then copy over your user data from the backup / virtual machine onto the new system.

You will then need to reinstall all your programs on the new system. This is the only 100% sure-fire way of upgrading without running into any of the problems I just mentioned. If you need help with this , I can assist using remote desktop support — described next.

Additional 1-on-1 Support: From Dennis

Based on my experience, migrating Windows from an old machine to a new machine takes many hours to complete, and can sometimes take a few days. If you need help migrating your existing system to another, or need help reinstalling Windows, I would be more than happy to assist you using my remote desktop support service. Simply send me an email briefly describing your message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Got a Computer Question or Problem? Ask Dennis!

I need more computer questions. If you have a computer question — or even a computer problem that needs fixing — please email me with your question so that I can write more articles like this one. I can’t promise I’ll respond to all the messages I receive (depending on the volume), but I’ll do my best.

Activate windows 10 with new motherboard

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Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.

I cannot activate Win10?

Activation of Windows 10 – unable to activate?

For a full list of self-help online categories, please see http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/support

Why my Windows 10 is no longer activated

• «Some preview keys have been deactivated. To upgrade to the final release version of Windows 10, you will need to roll back to your original Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 activated copy and progress to the upgrade process.»
• «We recommend using the Windows Update feature as this will help ensure your system is compatible, you will need to reserve your copy and when it is available you will be prompted to begin the installation process.»
• «Due to the high level of interest, your upgrade may not be available immediately…but rest assured your copy is reserved and is free»
• See customer facing Windows 10 FAQ….section How Do I Upgrade My Existing Device?
• «If you have a technical background or good at understanding computers you may also choose to create an ISO file to USB/DVD and install Windows 10 upgrade. see site http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10»

Hope this information helps and let us know the status of the issue we will be glad to help you further.

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Had the same issue. After talking with Microsoft the only option is to roll back to 8.1, then reinstall Windows 10 or buy a key for $119.

This is ridiculous. My Windows version a a legitimate, licensed version. You would think they could just provide a key.

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Unfortunately you have to go back to 8.1, have the key reactivated, then upgrade to windows 10. Because it is a retail key you have the option to move your Windows from one computer to another computer. BUT even this is not automatic. The key itself is still only good on one computer at a time. Unfortunately changing a mobo is seen as a new computer. But with just a mobo swap, its not necessarily treated as a new computer. So if you actually have an OEM version you would still be able to have the key reactivated.

So Step 1 is to go back window 8.1. Make sure you use the key you already have when you reinstall it.

Step 2, contact Microsoft support, explain the situation as simply as possible («I have a retail version of Win, and I had to do a mobo swap. Please release the key so I can reactivate my computer. «) to have them release the key. Provided you have a legitimate key, they will do this with out a problem. And then they will assist you in making sure that your version of windows is activated.

Step 3 — Update your version of windows. Not sure why but I could not upgrade to Windows 10 until Win7 was fully updated. it took all night for this to complete. Hopefully with 8.1 you will not have as many updates.

Step 4 — Upgrade to Windows 10 again.

I realize that this is a PITA but unfortunately the free version of Win 10 does not have a key. Because of this, tech support, at this time, does not have a tool to release your old profile information to allow the new. But they can release the old key under 8.1. I know, its «stupid» but its also free so we cannot complain too much.

I had a similar problem where on the day up upgraded my computer to 10 my mobo failed. I to had to swap out the mobo and my win 10 would not activate. In the past 2 days I have gone through the process of reinstalling win 7, contacting tech support, updating then upgrading to Win 3 which only completed about 2 hours ago. My Win10 is now fully activated and working fine. The main difference between your situation and mine is I had an OEM version of windows. That’s a good thing for you because retail should have an easier time getting the key released.