Product key has stopped working

Question

I recently purchased a new motherboard due to my previous one causing frequent crashes and ultimately wouldn't boot. For a while now I've been just dealing with a non activated windows, however it's began to cause me random problems. I do have a product key with me and when ive previously installed without with my older motherboard the product key did work. But now when i try to activate windows through settings it tells me that my product key is invalid and the "get help" tool through the browser also tells me its invalid. I want to avoid buying a new version of windows 11 pro if I can. What can I do?

Answer 1

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Did you try running the Activation Troubleshooter and see if you can activate Windows?

Go to Start > Settings > System > Activation > Troubleshoot.

If the troubleshooter says 'Windows can't be activated', select 'I changed hardware on the device recently' and follow the steps to activate Windows.

Reference:

Reactivating Windows after a hardware change

If you are still having issues, type slmgr.vbs /dlv on the command prompt window and post a screenshot of the resulting dialog box.

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Answer 2

If your product key is showing as invalid after changing your motherboard, there are a few steps you can take to try to resolve the issue:

1. Check the Product Key: Ensure that the product key you are using is indeed for the version of Windows you are trying to activate. Sometimes, keys are version-specific (e.g., Windows 10 vs. Windows 11).
2. Use the Activation Troubleshooter: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation, and use the Activation Troubleshooter. This tool can help identify issues with activation and may provide options to resolve them.
3. Sign in with Microsoft Account: If your Windows was previously activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account, try signing in with that account. This can sometimes automatically reactivate Windows without needing to enter the product key again.
4. Contact Microsoft Support: If the above steps do not work, you may need to contact Microsoft Support. They can assist in reactivating your Windows license, especially if it was previously linked to your Microsoft account.
5. Phone Activation: Some users have reported success with activating Windows by phone. You can find the option to activate by phone in the activation settings.

If you continue to face issues, it may be necessary to consider purchasing a new license, but contacting support first could help you avoid that expense.

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References:

• Unable to activate windows after hardware update - Microsoft Q&A
• Reactivate Windows 11 - Microsoft Q&A