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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallIf Windows 10 stopped activating after a motherboard or other major hardware change, use the Activation troubleshooter while signed in to the Microsoft account linked to your digital license. The installed edition—Home or Pro—must also match the license. If you have a product key instead, enter that key through Activation settings.
Before you start: check the license, account, and edition
- Connect the PC to the internet and sign in to Windows with an administrator account.
- Open Start > Settings > Update & Security > Activation to check activation status. Microsoft says the activation message on this page can indicate whether a digital license is linked to your Microsoft account. See Microsoft’s hardware-change reactivation instructions.
- Make sure the Windows edition installed on the PC matches the licensed edition. A Windows 10 Home installation, for example, will not activate with a Windows 10 Pro license.
If you are preparing for a hardware change, link your Microsoft account to the digital license before the work. The account must be an administrator account. Check Settings > Accounts > Your info for the account you use, then check the Activation page for the linked-license status.
Reactivate with the digital-license troubleshooter
This route applies to Windows 10 version 1607 or later when Windows is not activated and the digital license was linked to a Microsoft account. Use the same account that was linked to the license.
- Open Start > Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
- Select Troubleshoot. The option is available when Windows 10 version 1607 or later is not activated.
- Choose I changed hardware on this device recently.
- Sign in to the linked Microsoft account if prompted.
- From the device list, select This is the device I’m using right now, then choose Activate.
If the PC is missing from the list, confirm you signed in with the account previously linked to the digital license. Microsoft’s complete sequence is in its hardware-change reactivation guide.
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If you have a product key instead
A digital license is an activation entitlement associated with a device; a product key is a 25-character code. If your copy of Windows was activated with a product key, use the same valid key where applicable after the hardware change.
- Open Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
- Select Change product key.
- Enter the 25-character key and follow the prompts.
Microsoft describes this key-entry and activation route in its Windows activation guidance. If you have neither a digital license nor a product key, Microsoft directs users to the Go to Store option on the Activation page to purchase a Windows 10 digital license when available; avoid relying on unverified key sellers.
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What to do if activation still fails
Resolve an edition mismatch
If the license is for Windows 10 Pro but Home is installed, or the reverse, the troubleshooter cannot make the editions match. Install or upgrade to the edition covered by the license, then check Activation again. Microsoft discusses edition mismatch in its activation-error guidance.
Use the current error code
Run the troubleshooter, then note the error code currently displayed on the Activation page. The code can change after troubleshooting, so look up the current one in Microsoft’s activation error help. Some errors involving a preinstalled license require contacting the PC manufacturer; for unresolved activation problems, contact Microsoft support.
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- OEM IS TO BE INSTALLED ON A NEW PC WITH NO PRIOR VERSION of Windows installed and cannot be transferred to another machine.
- OEM DOES NOT PROVIDE PRODUCT SUPPORT | To acquire product with Microsoft support, obtain the full packaged “Retail” version.
Account for an OEM motherboard replacement
For a motherboard replacement by the original PC manufacturer, Microsoft says Windows should reactivate automatically. If it does not, the manufacturer may have supplied a Certificate of Authenticity key. This advice concerns that specific OEM repair case; it does not establish that every motherboard replacement or license can be transferred the same way. See Microsoft’s activation guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Digital license or product key: which route applies?
| Your situation | What to try |
|---|---|
| Digital license linked to your Microsoft account; hardware changed | Sign in to that account and use Troubleshoot > I changed hardware on this device recently. |
| You activated Windows with a product key | Use the same valid key through Change product key, where applicable. |
| Installed edition differs from the license | Install or upgrade to the licensed edition before troubleshooting further. |
| Troubleshooter fails or an error remains | Use the current error code to follow Microsoft’s guidance; contact the PC manufacturer or Microsoft when indicated. |
These routes are not a guarantee that every license can be reassigned to different hardware. The appropriate next step depends on how Windows was licensed, the edition installed, and the error Windows reports.
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