How to Activate Windows 10 After a Hardware Change

Licensing Windows 10 has evolved since its July 2015 debut. Initially, Microsoft delivered Windows 10 as a free upgrade for existing Windows seven and Windows 8 users.

Update: We originally wrote this guide for the Anniversary Update, only it works for current versions, as well.

Licensing Windows x has evolved since its July 2015 debut. Initially, Microsoft delivered Windows ten as a free upgrade for existing Windows 7 and Windows viii users. To qualify for the costless upgrade offer, users upgrading to Windows ten build 10240 had to ensure the installation was initiated from within a genuine, activated Windows 7 or Windows viii installation.

This created some inconvenience for users who initially wanted to perform a make clean install. One time Windows 10 was activated, users were gratis to reinstall and reactivate on the same hardware to their centre's content. Windows x Nov Update or 1511, made the procedure much easier and transparent. Users could skip the ii-step process and perform either a direct upgrade or make clean install; using but their Windows 7 or Windows 8 production key. At present that the Windows 10 free upgrade offer has ended, Microsoft is making product activation even easier by linking your Digital license to your Microsoft Business relationship.

Link your Microsoft Account to Windows 10 using Digital License

Previously called Digital Entitlement, when a calculator is upgraded from a previous version of Windows; it receives a unique signature of the reckoner, which is stored on Microsoft Activation Servers. The Windows 7 or Windows eight genuine license your organisation was previously running is exchanged for a diagnostics key.

With Digital License, in that location is no demand to know your product primal or purchase another production key if you lose it. Anytime you need to reinstall Windows 10 on the same computer, only go along to do and so using whatever of the available options. Windows 10 will automatically reactivate without asking questions. The only exceptions where the license will be invalidated is dependent on the production channel. If y'all were previously running an OEM Windows 10, Windows 7 or Windows 8 license; and so changing the motherboard volition crusade the Digital License to no longer work. This will require purchasing a new license. Transferring licenses upgraded from Windows 8 or Windows 7 under the Windows x gratuitous upgrade is also not allowed under Digital License.

Yous can nevertheless reinstall Windows 10 using a Windows seven or Windows 8 product key or use the reset function. If prompted to enter a production central during setup, click I don't have a central or Do this after.

Setup Digital License

If you recently upgraded to Windows 10 before the complimentary upgrade offer expired, a digital license should exist attached to your device. Microsoft is making the digital license a fleck unique by linking activation non simply to your hardware simply too your Microsoft Account. This will not only make activation easier but troubleshooting common scenarios involving hardware modifications and upgrades.

To begin, click Starting time > Settings > Update & security > Activation.

There are some interesting changes users will come across. The first one is the obvious change from Windows is activated with a digital entitlement to Windows is activated with a digital license. At the bottom is a new option called Add a Microsoft Account.

ClickAdd an business relationship to start linking your account; you volition be prompted to sign in using your Microsoft Account and countersign.

After signing in, Windows 10 activation status volition at present display Windows is activated with a digital licensed linked to your Microsoft account. A mouthful I know, only this is how Microsoft volition reduce the need always to know that 25 alphanumeric product key users are accepted to losing or misplacing.

There are some interesting scenarios where this is especially beneficial. The about obvious is when you need to reinstall Windows ten. The procedure is quite uneventful; I was non even able to try out the troubleshooting selection initially considering information technology works then efficiently. Windows x just reactivates automatically once your hardware signature is detected. I found some other welcome discovery also; Digital License permits activating installations using the aforementioned license in dual kick configurations, on the same auto.

I was able to set some other sectionalisation, install the Windows ten Ceremony Update there and information technology activated without issue. My installation on the boot drive was not affected. This is especially ideal for users who might want to have an extra installation for testing or compatibility. For Windows Insiders, it is especially great if you only take one auto and would like to avert sacrificing a production install to exam the latest Windows 10 builds.

Hardware Modifications and Reactivation

If you exercise come across a scenario where y'all need to reactivate Windows 10 later a hardware modification, here is how it works. Click Start > Settings > Update & security > Activation. Click the Troubleshoot link. Please note, if you made a significant change such equally a motherboard, this might still require contacting chat support or phone activation.

This will launch the Windows Activation Troubleshooting Wizard. After completing diagnostics, Windows Activation should detect a digital license if one exists. Click Activate Windows to reactivate.

Click Next

Click Shut

Resolving Product Edition Issues

A characteristic by design introduced as part of activating Windows 8 product keys, which are embedded in the BIOS Firmware. This fabricated reinstalling and reactivating systems easier. For users who decide to upgrade to Windows x and choose a premium concern edition such as Windows 10 Pro; this can result in issues during reinstallation. If the user performs a factory reset or attempts to reinstall Windows 10 Pro using the Media Cosmos Tool, because the OA3 product cardinal is designed to cull a specific edition during installation, the intended edition is non installed. Users tin can piece of work around this past using the Windows 10 Pro diagnostics primal to upgrade to Windows x Pro.

The troubleshooting wizard in Windows ten Anniversary Update takes care of this by detecting previous Windows 10 Pro licenses attached to the device. The wizard will automatically offering the option to upgrade your installation to right edition.

Of course, this is just ane of many solutions available for activating Windows 10. Conversation support, introduced in Windows 10 also makes it easy to get your Windows 10 license reactivated. If that fails, users can turn to phone support. Take yous been experiencing problems with Windows Activation since upgrading to Windows 10? What exercise you think of the new changes? Let united states of america know in the comments.

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