How can I reactivate Windows?

Question

I had to reset my computer to factory settings and now Windows won't activate. The product key is no longer valid! What should I do?

Answer 1

1

Where did you get your Windows licence was that pre-installed on the PC or did you purchase a full retail Windows licence from Microsoft or from a 3rd party retailer?

Or is your Windows licence based on a previous Windows 7 or 8 licence?

2

Click your Start Button, type cmd then right click Command Prompt and choose 'Run as Administrator'

Run or paste this command and hit Enter:

slmgr.vbs /dlv

Please post a screenshot of the resulting dialog

3

Download the free ShowKeyPlus app from the Microsoft Store.

On the that app, click 'Check Edition', then enter your product key into that app.

Please provide a screenshot of that app window and please hide your product key in the screenshot.

Answer 2

To reactivate Windows after resetting your computer to factory settings, you can follow these steps:

1. Use the Original Product Key: If you have your original product key, you can enter it during the activation process. If the key is not valid, it may be tied to the hardware configuration of your previous installation.
2. Digital License: If your Windows was previously activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account, simply signing in with that account on the new installation should automatically reactivate Windows without needing to enter the product key.
3. Command Prompt: If you can access your previous installation or drive, you can retrieve the product key by running a command in an elevated Command Prompt. You can use third-party key-finder utilities to extract the key from the registry hive of your old installation.
4. Contact Microsoft Support: If you are unable to reactivate Windows using the above methods, consider contacting Microsoft Support for assistance. They can help you validate your product key or provide a new one if necessary.

Make sure to check if there have been significant hardware changes, as this can affect activation.

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References:

• How to validate the OEM activation key in Windows 10
• Run local reactivation