activate software over phone etc.

 

No luck at at all with them!

 

Just buy a cheap cd-key from all those youtubers that advertise windows 10-11 keys. 10-15$. I have never had issue with keys.

 

keys aren't tied to hardware unless you use a MS account. if you just punch it in and use a local account all keys are one-time use.

going through the phone still should have worked given that you lie and say it is a key you never used.

 

keys aren't tied to hardware unless you use a MS account. if you just punch it in and use a local account all keys are one-time use.

going through the phone still should have worked given that you lie and say it is a key you never used.

This is not accurate. You do not need to tie a key to your Microsoft account, doing that has no effect at all on activation. Hardware is the only thing windows keys are tied to.

Your key will not activate because you changed the motherboard. That is a significant enough hardware change to invalidate the key. Usually you can get it to work anyway with the automated phone system if you need to, but if not just buy a cheap new key. I get them from Gamers Nexus for about $5.

 

I was able to re-activate mine after changing hardware.

Step 1: Go to the Settings app and open Update & Security.

Step 2: Navigate to the Activation from the left panel, and you will see Windows is not activated next to Activation.

Step 3: There will be a Troubleshoot option below the error message; click on it.

Step 4: When the Windows Activation window opens, click on the ‘I changed hardware on this device recently’ link.

If you have a MS account and your key is tied to your account, you can select it after you sign in. I don't have an MS account so I forget the exact prompt after Step 4 that I had to do but I'm pretty sure it'll be self explanatory. If not, take a screen shot.

 

🙄 Obviously. Still, what you said about windows activation was not entirely accurate and I'm simply stating how windows activation works. Try to keep up.

I swear some people.

 

This is why I pay the money and buy full retail versions of Windows. The retail version is tied to your Microsoft account and the OEM is tied to specific hardware. The retail version can move through upgrades and even a new system with little issues, not so with an OEM.

 

If you have changed the motherboard and CPU in your computer and are now unable to activate Windows, it's possible that the hardware change has caused Windows to become deactivated. This can happen if the hardware change was significant enough to trigger Windows' activation systems to think that the operating system has been installed on a new computer.
To reactivate Windows, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type "slui.exe 4" into the Run dialog and press Enter.
3. Follow the prompts to enter your product key and reactivate Windows.

If you do not have your product key, you can try to retrieve it by following these steps:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type "cmd" into the Run dialog and press Enter.
3. In the command prompt, type "wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey" and press Enter.

This will display the product key that was used to originally activate Windows on your computer. You can use this key to reactivate Windows after the hardware change.
If you are still unable to reactivate Windows after trying these steps, you may need to contact Microsoft support for further assistance.

 

If you have changed your CPU and motherboard, it is likely that your Windows activation status will be affected. When you make significant hardware changes to your computer, the operating system may no longer recognize it as the same machine and may require reactivation.

If you have a valid office 365 product key, you can enter it to reactivate your operating system. Alternatively, you can try using the automated activation system to reactivate your copy of Windows.

As for Microsoft Office 365, you will need to sign in with your Microsoft account to activate it on the new system. If you have already used up all of your licenses, you may need to purchase additional licenses or subscribe to a higher-tier plan.

 

I'm new to this forum but I just wanted to chime in and offer some help. It sounds like you recently upgraded your CPU and MB and now Windows is asking you to activate it. If you've already tried entering the key and it's not working, you might want to try activating over the phone as it suggests.

 

If you just need to activate Windows, then you would need a Windows key. However, if you also need to access Word docs, then you'll need a Microsoft Office key as well. It can definitely get confusing, so I understand your frustration! One thing you could try before buying a new key is using a tool like kmsauto, which is a Windows and Office activator download. It's worth noting that this tool isn't officially endorsed by Microsoft, so use at your own risk. But it has worked for some people in similar situations.