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after laptop crashed and restored unable to activate windows. Laptop bought from amazon with preloaded windows 11 pro i cannot find the necessary product key / activation code
Launch Powershell (note, it is not Command Prompt, but Powershell), and run this code to see if you have an OEM license on the motherboard. Don’t share the key just let me if it returns a key
(Get-CimInstance -ClassName SoftwareLicensingService -Property OA3xOriginalProductKey).OA3xOriginalProductKey
Please type cmd in the search on the taskbar. Don't press enter key yet. Instead, choose "run as administrator" to launch Command Prompt.
Then run this command instead:
wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey
Thankyou I got the product key but when I entered it I got this massage
In System activation the last 5 characters shown are the same as what I have from the following your instructions so it seems its there but can't activate. The error code I get before trying the activate is the same as in my last comment when trying to activate it
When I click troubleshoot I'm told to purchase a genuine license
The command reads the OEM key from the motherboard - it is embedded in the motherboard, so it is not meant to be manually input, but to be read by Windows automatically during installation.
I wonder if this key is for Home edition, not Pro.
If you don't mind, Can you please type cmd in the search on the taskbar and hit enter to launch command prompt, then run the following command:
slmgr /dlv
Then share a screenshot please. Thanks!
Here is the screenshot it does appear to be a pro edition key and it is picking the key up but not recognising it as a valid key
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The screenshot shows an OEM licence which is locked with the original hardware.
The last 5 characters are not from a generic key. (which is good)
Get ShowKeyPlus from the windows Store and enter the full key at Check edition. What does it show about the licence. Does it confirm a Windows 10/11 licence, or something else?
Yes it shows Pro in slmgr/dlv but that only means you have Pro installed now, it doesn't mean the OEM license you found on the motherboard is indeed for Pro. I suspect that the OEM key is for Home edition, not Pro.
You can use the ShowKey Plus app recommended by Neil to check your OEM key you saw from command prompt, and see if it says home or pro. If it says home, you will have to do a clean install to start over to get Home installed and activated.
If it says Pro, go to your Windows update history, tell me if you saw a recent BIOS update?
Here is a screen shot of result of checking
There has been 2 upgrades shown as below
This is very odd.
How did you restore exactly? Just want to make sure this is not a 2nd instance you installed on a different partition, if so, that would make sense why it is not activated.
Otherwise, perform a repair install and see if it self corrects.
To perform a repair installation of Windows 11 using the Windows Media Creation Tool:
The following steps should be done on a working Windows computer:
Download the Windows Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's official website. https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11 click on the "download now" button under "Create Windows 11 Installation Media"
Run the tool and select "Create installation media for another PC."
Choose "USB flash drive" as the media to use for the installation and select "Next."
Connect a USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of free space to your computer.
Select the USB flash drive you want to use, and then select "Next."
The tool will then download the required files and create the installation media.
=====================================================
Now these steps will be done on your problematic computer:
Go to the USB drive via File Explorer, locate and run the Setup.exe file. Ideally, you should disconnect all USB and Bluetooth devices other than mouse and keyboard. Disable any 3rd party antivirus program. Disconnect the internet.
Once you run the Setup.exe file, choose the Install option, and the choose the option that keeps your files and apps. nstall
I think you are only likely to resolve this by contacting Microsoft support directly. You can use the Get Help app in windows and type chat with an agent then select Contact Support.
In your initial post you say you restored windows. How did you do that exactly?
There is a chance the activation service is not working correctly. (depending on how you restored)
Before contacting support try the recovery option via Settings > System > Recovery > Fix problems using windows update, then select Reinstall now.
Not sure how it was restored as I took the laptop to a local repair shop. I took it back when I couldn't activate windows but they didn't seem to know what to do hence my reaching out.
Did the repair people change your motherboard?
Try the recovery option. It may fix something and you'll not know until you try it.
If hardware wasn't changed at all. Try the repair install first.
Tried what you suggested but said the installation failed and has been reset to what it was before installation and windows not activated
Can you type winver in the search on the taskbar, and hit enter. When launched, is the version 23H2, or older?
Thanks. Then the version is the the issue here.
I wonder if the hardware ID might have been modified/tampered due to the repair. This is not normal behavior.
Two options -
Contact support, see if they will do a manual activation for you. You want to let them know about the powershell command you ran that returned the OEM license, and the slmgr/dlv results.
To get help, open the "Get Help" app on your computer (just search for it in the Start menu). or go to https://support.microsoft.com/contactus, Type "Billing" and press Enter. On the next screen, click "Contact support" at the bottom of the page, then choose "Windows" > "Manage my subscription". You’ll then see the option to chat with a Microsoft support agent.
Or perform a clean install instead and see if it picks up the key along the way.
Thankyou so much for your help with this, I'm very much an amateur I was using a Chromebook before bought this windows laptop.