how to activate windows following deactivation

Question

Hi

I have a windows 11 Pro licence (purchased more than 7 years ago - I think perhaps it was originally windows 10 Pro) which I use for a hyper-v Virtual Machine.

No information appears on the Microsoft live website for these licences because they were purchased more than 7 years ago, but they were both on the same microsoft live account.

It hasn't been used in a while and I need to replace it because it can't receive windows updates.

I have deactivated windows on the VM, and I have built a new VM. I have logged in to the new VM and, on going to System > Activation I see the error message :

Windows reported that no product key wad found on your device. Error code 0xC004F213,

I have clicked Trouble shoot to resolve this but I observe: We weren't able to activate Windows on this device.

Why can't I activate windows on my new VM? What do I need to do to achieve that?

Thanks

Answer 1

Open the Settings app, then go to System - Activation.

Click the Troubleshoot button, select 'I changed my hardware', then select the previously activated device, that process should move the WIndows licence to the new VM.

If that process is not successful, try using the process they provide on this link to activate Windows.

https://visualsupport.microsoft.com/

Answer 2

To activate Windows 11 Pro on your new Hyper-V virtual machine (VM), you need to ensure that you have a valid product key associated with your Microsoft account. The error code 0xC004F213 indicates that no product key was found on your device, which usually means that the activation process cannot locate a valid license for the installation.

Here are some steps you can take to resolve this issue:

1. Check Your Microsoft Account: Log into your Microsoft account and verify if the license for Windows 11 Pro is listed under your account. If it was purchased a long time ago, it may not show up in the same way as newer licenses.
2. Use the Activation Troubleshooter: Since you've already tried the troubleshooter, ensure that you are logged in with the same Microsoft account that originally purchased the license. Sometimes, re-running the troubleshooter can help if there have been changes.
3. Reassign the License: If your license is visible in your Microsoft account, you may need to reassign it to the new VM. This can sometimes be done through the account settings.
4. Contact Microsoft Support: If you cannot activate Windows through the above methods, it may be necessary to contact Microsoft Support for assistance, especially since your license is older and may require special handling.
5. Phone Activation: As a last resort, you can try activating Windows by phone, which may allow you to enter your product key directly and complete the activation process.

Keep in mind that if the license was originally for Windows 10 Pro, it should still be valid for Windows 11 Pro, but you may need to ensure that the upgrade path was followed correctly.

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References:

• Troubleshoot Windows activation issues
• How it works