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Windows 10 activation after new hardware (motherboard, CPU & RAM)

Anonymous
2025-07-05T06:44:46+00:00

Hello dear community,

I bought new parts for my PC yesterday and used them straight away. However, I now have a problem with my Windows 10 Pro activation.

I signed in with my Microsoft account, but it did not activate Windows 10 Pro automatically.

I have already tried various things.

I have run the “I have recently changed the device hardware” option via “Troubleshooting” without success.

Strangely, it only shows my Windows 10 Home version of my laptop.

When I log in to Microsoft online, I find Windows 10/11 Pro under my order history. So I actually bought it.

My PC is shown twice under “Devices”. Once with my old PC Share and once with my new PC Share. Should I delete the old one so that Windows 10 Pro is perhaps automatically connected to my PC with new parts?

I don't know what I can do and the support is unfortunately not available by phone over the weekend. Please help me.

Thank you very much!

Kind regards

Dorian

[moved from de-de]

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Licensing and activation

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Neil D 32,725 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-07-07T08:10:27+00:00

    Can you confirm the question from the previous post:

    Have you transferred the previous disk to the new hardware with the exiting Pro installation.?

    If you did then open a Command prompt (Admin) and enter slmgr /dlv [press return] then post a screenshot of the result.

    Was the Home licence you upgraded from supplied by the manufacturer or system builder. (in other words was it OEM)

    It's very difficult for us to offer a solution when Microsoft support do not have the answer. If your Windows 11 Pro licence is showing on your account then you should be able to use it. However if the initial Home licence was OEM (not transferrable) and you upgrade to Pro (even if it is a full licence) then that installation will be OEM.

    So you need to confirm the status using the Command prompt above.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2025-07-06T13:12:10+00:00

    Hello,

    thanks for the quick reply.

    According to my order history, I have directly with Microsoft on January 21, 2021 for Windows 10/11 Pro 121,85 € (148,07$).

    So it's probably the full license.

    I'm not sure though, does it say that anywhere?

    Yesterday I had a live chat with Microsoft support, who said that my number of activations is “maxed out”.

    However, he could not help me any further.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-07-06T13:11:54+00:00

    Hello,

    thanks for the quick reply.

    According to my order history, I have directly with Microsoft on January 21, 2021 for Windows 10/11 Pro 121,85 € (148,07$).

    So it's probably the full license.

    I'm not sure though, does it say that anywhere?

    Yesterday I had a live chat with Microsoft support, who said that my number of activations is “maxed out”.

    However, he could not help me any further.

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  4. Neil D 32,725 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-07-05T17:13:32+00:00

    You shouldn't delete any devices until you activate windows.

    As per the other post did you buy a Pro upgrade licence and was the Home licence you upgraded supplied by the manufacturer or system builder.

    Have you transferred the previous disk to the new hardware with the exiting Pro installation.?

    If you did then open a Command prompt (Admin) and enter slmgr /dlv [press return] then post a screenshot of the result.

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-07-05T15:08:16+00:00

    Hello Dorian,

    Thanks for posting in the Microsoft Community.

    To help isolate the issue more effectively, I would like to ask you a few quick questions

    • Could you please share how Windows was originally activated on your device?
    • Also, may I ask whether you previously purchased a Windows Pro Full license or an Upgrade license?

    Please note that there are two types of Windows 11 Pro licenses:

    • Full License ($199):
      This license allows you to reactivate Windows on a different device, even if you've changed the hardware.
    • Upgrade License ($99):
      This version is tied to the original hardware and cannot be transferred to another device after a hardware change.

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