Windows not activated?

[DeathMetalJedi]

I installed some new parts on my pc (CPU and motherboard) and now it says windows isn't acivated.... how do I re-activate it?

[Amon]

OEM, or system builder licenses are not tranferable across hardware, such as motherboards. If you have a valid retail key it will activate on its own. Might take a week though, depending on licensing servers.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Which OS? ... and also what kind:
- Retail (comes with 2x DVD 1x Key)
- OEM System Builder
- OEM (branded pre-install)
- free Win10 upgrade

[DeathMetalJedi]

Originally posted by Bad-Motha:

Which OS? ... and also what kind:
- Retail (comes with 2x DVD 1x Key)
- OEM System Builder
- OEM (branded pre-install)
- free Win10 upgrade

I bought windows 8 a while back, then got the free 8.1 upgrade, then the free windows 10 update

[Snapjak]

Was it a retail 8 box or an OEM 8 disk?

[DeathMetalJedi]

Originally posted by Snapjak:

Was it a retail 8 box or an OEM 8 disk?

OEM 8 disk

[Snapjak]

An OEM 8 will change to an OEM 10 with the free update. You can try calling MS and see if they'll activate it.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Originally posted by Snapjak:

An OEM 8 will change to an OEM 10 with the free update. You can try calling MS and see if they'll activate it.

As long as he never used his free Win10 and activated that. He can now do so freely; as you only need your qualifying product key from previous OS to do so, u don't need the old OS installed. Just know that the free Win10, will only work on the Board u activated it on, once you do this. Should u change Motherboard later, then you will need to purchase a Win10 key.

As far as his 8 (and I do hope that is 8.1; cause 8 is dead) you can call Microsoft, explain that the previous Motherboard died, and they have steps allowing you to re-activate it. However, they are usually only kind enough to do this method once per product key; except for the free Win10 upgrade, which you can not.

Microsoft OS activation issues & support
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/326851

[Snapjak]

Yeah that's pretty much what I meant. The now-8.1 to 10 key.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

And the 8 product key; nothing happens to that even if you do use your free Win10 off of that; you can still use BOTH OS. Just not on different systems. But if lets say u wanted to dual-boot with both of those; u sure can.

[MancSoulja]

I had this problem with my new PC, I wanted to transfer my Win 10 licence over to it, spent 10 mins on the phone to MS, finally a support person took control of my PC and simply enterd my old Win 8 Pro key into Win 10 and it activated... I was like WTF

[Chompman]

The problem is the oem is linked to the original motherboard you installed it on and the free win 10 upgrade will only register with that current motherboard also as the key is linked to it.

This is one of the reasons oem os's are cheaper.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Originally posted by Chompman:

The problem is the oem is linked to the original motherboard you installed it on and the free win 10 upgrade will only register with that current motherboard also as the key is linked to it.

This is one of the reasons oem os's are cheaper.

Not if he never used the Win10 and activated that. You don't seem to get it.

So for new PC, and u have yet to use your free Win10; download Win10 from Microsoft, boot off that, do a clean install, say u have no key. Once inside the OS, go to Activate, enter key from old OS.

As for the Win8 key; yea u call Microsoft; get it re-activated; I do it all the time for customers; cause their Board died. Tell them that... this is literally all u have to do; via their Phone Support #

[Chompman]

Originally posted by Bad-Motha:

Originally posted by Chompman:

The problem is the oem is linked to the original motherboard you installed it on and the free win 10 upgrade will only register with that current motherboard also as the key is linked to it.

This is one of the reasons oem os's are cheaper.

Not if he never used the Win10 and activated that. You don't seem to get it.

So for new PC, and u have yet to use your free Win10; download Win10 from Microsoft, boot off that, do a clean install, say u have no key. Once inside the OS, go to Activate, enter key from old OS.

As for the Win8 key; yea u call Microsoft; get it re-activated; I do it all the time for customers; cause their Board died. Tell them that... this is literally all u have to do; via their Phone Support #

Your windows 8 key is the code that matters and upgrading to the free win 10 is only there with a registered valid cd code and that code is only valid on the original motherboard as it's a oem disk.

Windows 10 is not free unless you already have such a code to use with it with and because it is linked to the motherboard does not mean he can install it on a second one because it's a oem code thus why it was cheaper.

Here is what we are talking about:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-win_upgrade/will-upgrading-motherboard-after-upgrading-to/a26e93c4-6886-4b44-99cf-7bf49ccba6ee?auth=1

[[LTT] LinusFTW]

When you change the Cpu and motherboard it's recommended that you reinstall Windows from scratch, if you don't then you get blue screens all the time.

[Tywin]

That old win8 license is registered to your old
Motherboard. You have a new motherboard. Need new license for win10