Reactivating Windows 10 after changing hardware. Replacing the motherboard without reinstalling Windows. Cloning the operating system. Why does this happen

“Ten” became the most secure system in the history of Microsoft. Increasingly, users are interested in activating Windows 10 and switching to using this operating system. Some are stopped by the many spyware modules included in this OS, but there are also third-party programs that can be used to disable user control.

You can use Windows 10 without activation, but the inability to influence the personalization of your PC, frequent reboots and a banner requiring activation will make using the device unpleasant.

Windows 10 forever

According to Microsoft, Windows 10 will be the last boxed version. Further, all OS will be distributed as a service by updating Win 10. Because of such statements, many users have decided that further versions will be distributed by subscription, charging for subscription use of the OS. However, so far this fact has been confirmed only in the case of the corporate version of the system, which can actually be purchased once or used for a limited time (month, year).

No matter how much you love the Aero interface and privacy of the old Windows 7, after 2020 you will have to switch to a newer OS. It is possible to use Windows 8.1; its extended support will end only in 2023. But later the question of how to correctly and legally switch to the “ten” will become inevitable. Over the course of several years and 2 major updates since its release, Windows 10 has become more stable and faster. It can be used even on weak devices, and in terms of performance and security it is better than the “seven”.

At first, users had problems with drivers, but now they have been resolved.

Is Windows 10 activation required?

Users often ask the question: why do you need to activate Windows 10? Is it possible to use an unactivated one? Similar problems (black screen and periodic reminders) that were in Win 7 could be repeated with 10. However, even Windows 8/8.1 without validation did not work very correctly.

Now, by activating the “top ten”, you protect yourself from many periodic reboots that do not allow you to even complete work with files correctly. This is very unpleasant, as is a large banner that requires activation, the inability to change system colors, desktop wallpaper or icons. A non-activated product does not have official developer support. And I could be wrong, but what can stop the company from doing even more harm to fans of pirated software? This is why Windows 10 activation methods are so popular among users. There are several of them, and all of them allow you to become users of normal “dozens” with a license.

How to activate Windows 10

There are several ways to activate Windows 10 permanently. You can use the 25-digit key from the purchased boxed version. Not so long ago, keys for Windows 7/8.1 were available, which made it possible to confirm the authenticity of the product during the first installation.

It is possible to activate the product using a digital license. It involves activating the system even without entering numbers; the PC, connecting to the corporation’s servers, will receive validation. You only need to enter the key the first time; then activation will be automatic for all subsequent OS installations. The method is relevant for those who switched to Win 10 by updating their “seven” or “eight”, bought a digital license in the Windows Store, or participated in the 2015 promotion, when Insider Preview participants were awarded digital licenses after the release of the OS.

You can be an insider now, but you will have to use a “test” OS, but it’s free and legal. You'll have to get used to the instability of the builds and the high consumption of Internet traffic.

Even on a “slow update cycle” there are often critical bugs that lead to crashes.

Re-activation of the “ten”

Your Windows 10 activation failed and your computer is running very slowly? “Resetting settings” and going through the validation procedure again can help you. But this way you can delete your data and necessary programs. You can simply reinstall the OS, the process will take less time, then connect to the Internet and reactivate the system. But if you used the pirated version, then you will need an activator. There are no other options. You can also go through a lengthy procedure, after which you will not be afraid to reactivate Windows 10. To do this, you will need to obtain a digital license, and in a legal way, without violating the rules and legislation. Take advantage of the update program for people with disabilities and get activation for the new OS for free. Although all deadlines for free upgrades have long passed, a small opportunity remains: you only need an old, licensed and genuine system (you can only use Windows 7 or 8.1). For Windows 8 owners, you need to rush to “update” to version 8.1, and then to 10.

Upgrade to 10 after July 29, 2016

Officially, this free method of “upgrading” from older versions no longer works. But if you already upgraded to Windows 10 before July 2016, don’t despair, your PC data remains on the servers. You can safely install the new version, activation will take place automatically. And it doesn’t matter that you then switched back to Windows 8.1 or 7.

Just download the latest release from the Microsoft website and perform a clean installation or a tool to create a bootable build. On the corporation’s website, select “Download the tool now.” A program will be downloaded that will load the latest version of the OS and create installation media (DVD disk or flash drive).

But how can you activate Windows 10 now if you haven’t done so before? For people with disabilities, the transition from older versions of the OS is unlimited in time. Moreover, the company does not check the fact of “limitedness” in any way, but believes the users. So you get the standard version of the OS. Moreover, after the update, it is better to install again and get Windows 10 without activation by third-party activators.

Activation of "ten" by phone

If during installation of the system you were unable to connect to the Internet, the connection was lost, or Microsoft's servers were too busy at that moment, a failure may occur (sometimes it occurs when installing updates).

Can't activate Windows 10 over the network? In this case, telephone activation is required. Press Win+R, enter “slui 4” and confirm with the Enter key. A window will appear in front of you with a choice of country, indicate yours. Next, a window will open in which you will need to enter the code. Call the specified phone number, following the answering machine prompts, activate the system. But remember, this opportunity is only available to users of a device in which “top ten” was pre-installed (as part of a corporate license or MSDN subscription) with a key or when purchasing it (electronic or physical with installation media).

But what to do if you don’t have the money to buy a licensed device or key, but you don’t want to break the law? What remains is the insiders program or an attempt to update the “pirates” through the program for the disabled.

The method is not the most reliable and only conditionally legal.

Insider Program

For those who do not know how to activate Windows 10 for free, without having a license for an older OS or a key for a new one, there is an opportunity to get a stable and new system without breaking the law. Participants in the Microsoft Preview and Evaluation program get the opportunity to run a licensed version of Windows 10. However, remember that the person who activated the test version agrees to any inconveniences caused by its operation. After all, assemblies are sent not fully developed, but this fact is not significant for the home user.

In the corporate segment, this problem is significant; OS stability in this case is extremely important.

By participating in the Insider program, you can choose how ready your releases are. So, you can choose “early release” - these are the latest builds, which have the most problems. But they offer the most advanced ideas and functions that may not even be included in the final product. If you need stability, you can select “Release Preview”, that is, late access, the so-called “slow update ring”. These builds are the most stable of the test ones, almost ready for mass release.

How to become an insider

No way to get a license? Choose to participate in Insider Preview. You will be introduced to a world of new opportunities and become a legal user of Microsoft products. You can connect the testing program for Windows 10 from an unlicensed version, which has already started asking for activation. To do this, go to: All Settings → Update → Insider → Get Started. Then you need to restart your PC and wait for an update to the insider version soon (it will be legal and activated). But the best way to sign up for the Windows Insider Program is on the Microsoft website. After filling out the data, you will need to download the distribution kit and install it on your PC. During installation, you will need to log in using your Microsoft account. This will activate it and you will have a license. Among the negative aspects of this way of obtaining validation, it is worth noting the watermark at the bottom of the desktop on the right and frequent releases that will require a lot of traffic for updates.

It doesn’t matter how Win 10 is activated, the main thing is that it works.

Can an insider get a full-fledged OS?

Many people think that everyone who used Insider Preview will after some time be assigned a license that is also suitable for regular releases. Such a program worked even before the official presentation of Win 10 to the general public. Then all testers were given a license, but even now the incentive is still in force. The corporation is trying to “promote” its product by any means possible.

Is there a 90-day Windows 10 Enterprise activation that allows you to legally use a Microsoft product? specifically created for corporations. The corporate version has all spyware disabled and no Metro programs. It works well on weak PCs (better than the user version). If desired, you can use the corporate version of the system. However, after 3 months you will need to buy a license, look for a renewal key, or reinstall this “top ten”. In any case, for older PCs the enterprise version is more preferable. In addition, it is possible to update a device on corporate 7 or 8.1 to a new version.

Software activation of Windows 10

Having exhausted all legal activation methods, you have to use pirated programs. And despite the fact that the list is large, only a few actually work; the rest are simply viruses that can harm your device: recognize confidential data or erase it.

Before you activate Windows 10 using activators, you must understand that you are breaking the law and exposing yourself to unnecessary risk. Activators may require payment by phone or credit card. Do not agree under any circumstances; immediately check your PC for viruses after using such an activator.

The most reliable and popular activator is KMSAuto Net for Windows 10. As with 8.1, this activator is the best solution. Using this utility, even offices from Microsoft Office 2010 to 2016 can be activated. The program is universal, but practice has shown that it activates only for 180 days, then the product key needs to be changed. Also a very popular and effective activator is Re-Loader Activator. It is no different from its predecessor, but has only an English-language interface.

With it, your system will be activated in a few clicks.

Before activating Windows, it’s worth finding out whether you have a digital key and whether your PC has been updated to “ten”. Any version of Windows 10 activated once can be re-validated (all information is saved on Microsoft servers).

Users, after activating Win 10, can perform a number of operations that will help make their PC faster. For example, remove all Metro applications. Only Weather, News, Groove Music, Movies and TV are of real value; all the others are not required for a desktop device. But their constant updates greatly slow down the system. In addition, you can make a procedure for disabling automatic updates. With them, weak PCs generally freeze. Third-party antivirus such as Nod32, Avira, Avast, Kaspersky can provide security for Windows 10. There are also instructions online on how to force the system to stop spying on the user. But remember that not all users managed to remove all spy modules from the system, so you will have to put up with sending telemetry to Microsoft servers.

The license in Windows 10 works differently than in Windows 7 and Windows 8. Previously, the user received a key that could be used on any computer, but now activation is tied to a specific device and can fail when you change the hardware on the computer.

Users can still purchase Windows 10 activation keys, but this only happens when you buy a new license (in Russia it costs 7,900 rubles). When you upgrade your computer from Windows 7 or Windows 8.0, you do not have a license key with which you can reactivate.

In Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 there was such a system: no matter what you bought - a license to use the operating system or a new computer - you were given a key with which you can activate Windows. It didn’t matter where you used this key, you could activate one computer, and then (for example, when it became outdated or broken) you could reactivate another device with the same key. This required revoking activation from the first computer.

Now that there may be no activation key in Windows 10, the system for obtaining a license has become more complicated. Each license is associated with your Microsoft account and a unique identification number assigned to the device on which that activation was performed. When changing hardware, the identification number may change, after which Windows 10 will again be inactivated. Different types of devices are assigned different “weights,” which influence the need for reactivation. For example, you can replace the mouse, keyboard and hard drive, and this will not affect activation, but if you change the motherboard or processor with RAM, it will be recalled.

Of course, in such conditions, the system responsible for checking the uniqueness of computers often fails, because the user can replace almost all the components in his computer, this is his right and this is a feature of the PC platform. At the same time, he should not lose his Windows 10 license, even if he received it for free when upgrading from earlier versions of Windows. Microsoft understands this too. Previously, to restore a Windows license, you had to write or call technical support, describe to them the essence of the problem and prove that you did not buy a new computer or try to install the operating system on a completely different device. Now the modified computer is checked automatically.

If, after upgrading your computer, Windows activation has disappeared on it, you need to open the “Settings” system application, go to the “Update and Security” > “Activation” section and click “Troubleshoot”. This function is shown only on a non-activated copy of Windows 10 and only under an account with administrator rights. The automatic system will ask you to indicate the essence of the problem (loss of activation due to a computer upgrade) and select which specific computer we are talking about (if you have several of them). Then it will once again check the hardware installed on your computer and return activation or deny it. The check will be quite thorough, so if you actually try to activate Windows 10 on a computer that was previously activated, the license will most likely come back. Otherwise, you can contact Microsoft technical support by email or phone and try to solve the problem with their help.

The Microsoft website provides an algorithm for solving the problem of reactivating Windows:

If you've recently made a significant change to your device's hardware, such as replacing the motherboard, you may not be able to activate Windows on your computer.

If you linked your Microsoft account to a Windows 10 digital license on your device before changing the hardware, you can reactivate Windows using your sign-in information:

In the troubleshooter, select “I recently changed the hardware on this device” and click Next.
- Enter your Microsoft account and password, and then click Sign in. Additionally, if the Microsoft account you entered is not online, you will be required to enter your local account password.
- From the list of devices connected to your Microsoft account, select the device you're currently using, check the box next to "This is the device I'm currently using," and then click Activate.
- If you don't see the device you're using in the list of results, make sure you're signed in with the same Microsoft account that you connected to the Windows 10 digital license on your device.

If you're signed in with the correct Microsoft account, check for the following additional reasons that might be preventing you from reactivating Windows:

The edition of Windows on your device does not match the edition of Windows you are associated with your digital license.
- The device type you are activating does not match the device type you have associated with your digital license.
- Windows has never been activated on your device.
- You have reached the limit for reactivating Windows on your device.
- Your device has multiple administrators, and another administrator has already reactivated Windows.
- Your device is managed by your organization and the ability to reactivate Windows is not available. For assistance with reactivation, contact your organization's support specialist.

Sooner or later, each of us thinks about a complete upgrade of our computer, or a partial upgrade by replacing its individual components. The main advantage of such a “point update” is that the user does not need to reinstall Windows OS after the upgrade (provided that the user does not change the system hard drive). However, when changing the motherboard, some difficulties may arise, since it is a fundamental link in the operation of the entire PC. Therefore, before upgrading the motherboard, it is necessary to carry out a kind of “preparatory stage”.

What problems does the user face after upgrading the motherboard?

As already mentioned, the motherboard is a kind of “central link” of the entire computer, where data about all devices connected to the PC is concentrated. During the installation of the Windows 10 OS, the motherboard’s “database” receives information about the installed ATA/SATA drivers for hard drives (especially the system one), but during an upgrade this data is lost, which ultimately leads to problems starting the Windows OS. Such as a BSOD error or “blue screen of death”:

How to keep Windows 10 working when upgrading your motherboard

To protect your computer from BSOD errors and ensure Windows 10 starts correctly after upgrading the motherboard, you need to do a little preparatory work - make certain data adjustments in the system registry.

"Preparatory stage" of the Windows registry

To prepare your PC for component upgrades, follow several steps step by step:

1. Open the task bar (WIN+R) and type regedit in it.
   The “task bar” can also be launched through the “Task Manager” of Windows
2. Then in the root directory of the registry, find: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci.
   The directory path is also displayed at the bottom of the registry window
3. In the work field (right column), highlight the “Start” line. Double-click on it with the mouse to open the parameters and set “0” in the “Value” field.
   You can also open the Start parameter settings by right-clicking on it and selecting “Change”
4. Then navigate to the directory: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\pciide.
   It doesn't matter what order you change the registry settings in.
5. Find the “Start” line again, and similarly set the “Value” to “0”, saving the data.
   Even if in the “Value” parameter settings is “0”, still write zero again and save the data
6. Done, you can now exit the system registry.

The “preparatory stage” is over. You can turn off your PC and upgrade the motherboard. The next time you start your computer, Windows 10 should boot without critical errors.

Based on my personal experience in upgrading the motherboard on a PC, I would like to note that even after completing the “preparatory stage” of changing the system registry settings, there is still a small probability of a “blue screen of death” appearing after the upgrade. This can usually happen due to differences in chipset versions on motherboards. A way out of the situation may be to “brute force” the PC startup settings in the BIOS. You just need to load the BIOS and in the Configure SATA As tab (Main category) set the available boot modes one by one. Go through them until the Windows OS boots.

How to restore Windows 10 after replacing the motherboard

Do not forget that it is not always possible to complete the “preparatory stage” before upgrading your computer. What to do if the motherboard has already been replaced and it’s too late to edit the system registry settings? Don’t worry, you can still adjust the registry and “restore” Windows 10 functionality thanks to the “System Restore” mode. All you need to have is this Bootable CD/USB drive with Windows 10 OS.

1. Before starting the PC, insert a bootable CD/USB media into the drive/slot. After turning on the computer, enter the BIOS settings (which button to press is written in the information help of the start window).
   The BIOS settings key depends on the PC motherboard model
2. Next, in the BIOS settings window, select the Boot tab.
   Navigation through the BIOS settings menu is carried out using the arrow keys.
3. In the Hard Disk Drives category, highlight 1st Drive, press Enter and set the value to CD/USB device. Press F10 to accept the changes.
   If the boot device is not a USB drive, but a CD or DVD, then you need to prioritize the corresponding drive
4. After restarting the computer, you will see a black screen with a notification: Press any key to boot from CD/USB. Press Enter.
5. Next, the “installer” will autorun the “Windows Installation Wizard”. Go to the System Restore settings.
   Through the "System Restore" function you can access the offline Windows registry
6. In the subsequent Diagnostics window, go to Advanced Options.
   You don't need to restore Windows 10 itself
7. Click on the "Command Prompt" icon.
   If you accidentally went to the wrong settings section, you can always go back a step by clicking on the “arrow” icon at the top of the window
8. After activating the “command line”, enter the value regedit. Press "Enter".
   Command Prompt automatically runs as administrator
9. In the root directory of the registry, select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subdirectory, click on the "File" tab/"Load hive" option.
   You need to select the entire folder, not individual files.
10. Specify the path to the installed Windows OS on your hard drive, namely: Drive\Windows\system32\config. Open the file system.
    You need to open the system file (refer to the “file type” description), and not its text document
11. Give the new hive a name.
    The name can be anything (in Latin)
12. After this, follow the root directory of the registry to the branch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Name of the created “hive”\ControlSet001\services\msahci. In the properties of the “Start” parameter, set the value = 0.
    To open the parameter settings, right-click on it and select “Properties”
13. Then similarly change the “Start” value in the pciide folder, which is located along the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Name of the created “hive”\ControlSet001\services.
    The path taken through the registry root directory is displayed at the bottom of the window
14. Select the “hive” folder you downloaded, click on the “File” / “Unload hive” tab.
    
    You only need to select the “hive” you created, and not the entire HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder
15. Done, now you can close the registry and restart your PC. After this, your Windows 10 OS should boot.

Restoring a Windows 10 license after upgrading the motherboard

An equally important problem after changing the motherboard may be the “unexpected reset” of the license of your Windows 10 OS, i.e. After booting the system, a notification about the lack of activation will appear on your desktop.

In order to prevent and quickly correct this kind of trouble, you will need to perform a number of specific actions, which can be divided into two stages.

The first stage is “preparatory”. Before upgrading your motherboard, you need to “link” a licensed copy of your “Ten” to your Microsoft account. To do this:

1. In Windows 10's Settings, go to the Update & Security settings.
   You can access Settings through the Start menu by selecting the appropriate tab
2. Next, go to the “Activation” tab, where in the “Add Microsoft account” section, select the line of the same name.
   Make sure your Windows 10 OS is activated with a digital license
3. Then enter your account details in the form provided and click the “Login” button.
   If you do not have a Microsoft account, then create one by clicking on the line “Create one!”
4. Done, now the license (digital key) of Windows 10 is linked to your Microsoft account. You can start replacing the motherboard.
   After logging into your Microsoft account, a message will appear in the OS activation field stating that Windows 10 is activated and linked to your account

The second stage is the restoration of the Windows license after a successful upgrade of your PC components.

1. Go back to Settings/Update and Security/Activation, where you will find and click on Troubleshooting.
   When you change a hardware component, an entry will appear in the activation section warning that your OS version is not activated
2. Wait until the scanning process for problems is complete, and then select the line “Hardware components have changed recently on this device.”
   You will also be prompted to go to the Windows Store to purchase the new version of the OS (you do not need to do this)
3. Next, you will be asked to sign in to your Microsoft account, do so.
   If you are already logged in, this step will be automatically skipped.
4. After successful authorization, select the replaced components (motherboard) from the proposed list and click on the “Activate” button.
   If you changed several hardware components at once, then you must select them all from the list presented.
5. Done, Windows 10 is now activated on your PC again.
   After troubleshooting, a message will appear in the settings indicating that Windows 10 activation was successful.

If you do not have a Microsoft account or you have not previously “linked” a Windows 10 OS license to it before changing the motherboard, then you may have problems re-activating the system. In this case, I will advise you only one way out - contact Microsoft support: either in writing through the official website, or by calling the hotline 8–800–200–8001. You should absolutely not use other solution options, as this may lead to permanent loss of your license.

Upgrading PC components can often bring a number of inconveniences associated with the correct operation of the Windows system. The most “problematic” problem is replacing the motherboard. The result of such an upgrade may be a BSOD error (“blue screen of death”) when trying to start the computer. However, if you approach the replacement of components correctly and first carry out the “preparatory stage”, then such errors and inconveniences will not bother you.

In Windows 10 (version 1607 or later), you can connect your Microsoft account to a Windows 10 digital license on your device.

This can help you reactivate Windows using the troubleshooter if you make major hardware changes, such as replacing the motherboard.

Note: To find out which version of Windows 10 your computer is running, click the Start button, and then select Options → System → Intelligence.

To add a Microsoft account and link it to a digital license:

1. Options → Update and Security → Activation, and then select Add an account. To add a Microsoft account, you must sign in as an administrator and turn on User Account Control.
2. Enter your Microsoft account name and password, and then select Sign in. If this Microsoft account is not associated with the account you are using, you must also provide a password for your local account.
3. After adding your Microsoft account on the page Activations you will see information Windows is activated with a digital license associated with your Microsoft account.

Using the Activation Troubleshooter

After adding the Microsoft account associated with your digital license, you can use the Activation Troubleshooter to reactivate Windows, in the event of a significant hardware change.

Note Note: If you haven't added a Microsoft account and associated it with a digital license on your device, you won't be able to use the Activation Troubleshooter to reactivate Windows after a hardware change.

1. Click the Start button, select Options → Update and Security → Activation, and then select Troubleshooting. You must be logged in as an administrator.
2. The troubleshooter will display a message that Windows cannot be activated on your device. Select Hardware changes have been made to this device, and then select the Next button.
3. Enter your Microsoft account name and password, and then select Sign in.
4. From the list of devices connected to your Microsoft account, select the device you are currently using, check the box next to I am currently using this device, and then select Activate.

If you don't see the device you're using in the list of results, make sure you're signing in with the same Microsoft account that was associated with the Windows 10 digital license on your device.

If you signed in with the correct Microsoft account, Windows may not be reactivated for one of the following reasons:

• The version of Windows on your device does not match the version of Windows associated with your digital license.
• The activated device type does not match the device type associated with the digital license.
• Windows has never been activated on this device.
• The limit on the number of times you can reactivate Windows on your device has been reached.
• The device has multiple administrators, and another administrator has already activated Windows on this device.
• The device is managed by your organization and the Windows reactivation option is not available. For assistance with reactivation, please contact your organization's technical assistance person.

If we touch on the license for the Windows 10 operating system, then its operation is carried out somewhat differently than, for example, this is implemented in versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8. If in the latter the user could use the license key on different computers, then with the “ten” everything is the same somewhat differently - the license only applies to one desktop and can “fly off” when replacing equipment in the PC.

For comparison, in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 the following scheme was in effect: after purchasing a license for the system or a new device, the user received a license key, which actually activated Windows. Moreover, it did not matter what PC the system was running on; for example, after the PC became outdated and broke down, the user, by revoking activation from it, could activate a new device. In the case of the Windows 10 operating system, the situation is different: each license is linked to the user’s Microsoft account, and a unique identification number is assigned, which is associated with one device on which the system was actually activated.

If the user decides to change the equipment on the device, then the identification number may also change, with the Windows 10 system crashing and becoming inactivated again. Moreover, different types of devices “weigh” differently, which in itself affects re-activation. For example, after replacing a mouse, hard drive or keyboard, activation will remain unchanged. But if the motherboard or processor with RAM is to be replaced, then the activation is revoked. Purchasing a Windows 10 activation key is only possible if you purchase a new license, but if the desktop is updated from Windows 7 or Windows 8.0, then the user does not have a license key, nor the possibility of re-activation.

Based on all the specifics of the “ten” activation, it is necessary to note the obvious imperfection of the system that verifies the uniqueness of computers. As already noted, failures often occur if the user wants to exercise his right to replace components on his desktop, as a result of which he may lose his Windows 10 license. Microsoft recognizes the imperfections of its system by introducing automatic verification of modified computers, without the need to contact technical support , which sometimes became a real “headache” when the user was forced to prove that he had not acquired a new computer and was not trying to install the system on another PC.

So, if, after upgrading your PC with Windows 10, after opening the “Settings” system application, you need to go to the “Update and Security” section, then “Activation”, click “Troubleshooting”. This function can only be performed on a non-activated copy of Windows 10 and only under a personal Microsoft account. Next, there is interaction with the automatic system, when the user will have to describe the essence of the problem that arose - for example, that the activation disappeared after the PC was upgraded. After which, the system once again checks the equipment installed on the desktop and returns activation. It should be noted that activation may be denied if the user somehow decided to fool the system. If the computer has already been activated and Windows 10 activation has been lost, then even after a thorough check, it will be returned. However, if something goes wrong, you can always contact Microsoft technical support by email or other method (you can read how to do this in our article about support service).

The official Microsoft resource provides a chain of actions for a possible solution to the problem of lost activation of Windows 10. It is noteworthy that if the user has significantly upgraded his PC, for example, this concerns replacing the motherboard, then with a high degree of probability re-activation of Windows 10 will become impossible. But if the user managed to link his Microsoft account to the Windows 10 digital license before the hardware was replaced, then re-activation is possible with some required information, for example:

In the troubleshooting tools you need to select “I recently changed the hardware on this device.” followed by moving to “Next”;

You must enter your Microsoft account with a password and log in;

Then, from the entire list of devices associated with your account, you need to select the one you need by clicking “Activate”;

If the device from which the activation failed is not displayed in the list, you should compare the account with the one that appears with the Windows 10 digital license on the PC.

If everything was done correctly, but you still cannot reactivate your license, the Microsoft resource provides a list of possible reasons that should be checked:

The version of Windows on PC does not match the one that is tied to the digital license;

The type of device that must be activated does not match the one that is associated with the digital license;

The limit for reactivating Windows on your PC has been reached;

If Windows has never been activated on this device;

If the PC is managed by an organization, Windows cannot be reactivated.