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Activate Windows after a hardware change

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LeoJouanen Posted messages 14 Status Member -  
LeoJouanen Posted messages 14 Status Member -
Hello, I have currently switched to Windows 10 for about a year now. I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but I changed my motherboard, my processor, and my RAM, and since then I have this message at the bottom right "Activate Windows Go to Settings to activate Windows." I checked in my settings and Windows is not activated... So to summarize, I moved from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 without my license being activated, which is strange. I think it has been deactivated and I don't know what to do. HELP! (I obtained Windows 10 through the free upgrade to Windows 10, but as I mentioned, it got deactivated after I changed my RAM, processor, and motherboard.)

4 answers

  1.
    nadellen Posted messages 11941 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   7 353
     
    Hello
    So the solution is long but it works. I will describe it below.

    First of all, if you didn't know, the activation procedure has changed with the arrival of Windows 10; previously, the serial number was the key to activate it. Since the end of July 2015, Windows 10 analyzes the components of the PC at the end of the installation and, through a series of algorithms, deduces a unique identification number for each PC. This number, which identifies each computer, is stored on Microsoft servers. This is an improvement of the anti-piracy system.

    Since the components of your PC have been modified since the previous activation, it is logical that this activation is deactivated. Microsoft considers it is no longer the same computer!

    This has the disadvantage of invalidating the activation with the slightest change of motherboard, hard drive, or processor. You have to go through the activation process again via the internet or phone or a Microsoft technician.

    But it also has an advantage; if one day, due to a failure, Windows 10 is reinstalled on the same hardware, the activation becomes automatic, because Windows considers that if the activation was legally performed during the first installation of Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1, there is no need to redo the activation check, and you can now install Windows 10 without going through the lengthy installation of Windows 7 SP1 or 8.1 and then upgrading to 10.

    So here is the procedure; back up everything you need to back up on another partition. Especially the Windows folder that contains your drivers in the Windows/System32/ folder.

    Format your system partition.

    Reinstall Windows 8 (then 8.1) with your Windows 8 serial number, install all your drivers, and then perform activation via the internet or phone.

    Once the activation is accepted, proceed to the upgrade to Windows 10. At the end of these two installations (several hours), your system will be automatically activated!

    You can then, if you want to do things more cleanly, format your hard drive and install Windows 10 directly without the previous step of Windows 8; Windows will recognize the components of your computer since your hardware identification number is stored on Microsoft servers in Redmond. And the activation will work, without needing to enter a serial number!
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