Windows reported that the hardware of your device has changed.

Question

Recently I upgraded my ssd because my old one had failed. Now that I have my pc back, it says I need to activate windows. I click on troubleshoot in my settings, I then click on I recently changed hardware on this device and it says we can't find any devices linked to your Microsoft account. I have signed in with the same Microsoft account as I did previously and things like my background and dark mode being enabled have stayed since it recognised the device when I setup windows when I booted up the pc again.

Answer 1

If the Activation troubleshooter says it cannot find any devices linked to the Microsoft account, the digital license was likely not linked to that Microsoft account before the SSD replacement, or Windows is not finding a matching license for this installation.

Try these checks:

1. Verify the installed edition matches the old one.
   Go to Settings > System > About and check Windows specifications > Edition. If the previous license was for Windows 11 Home, the current install must also be Windows 11 Home.
2. Check activation status.
   Go to Settings > System > Activation. If Windows is not activated, the page should show the activation state and any error.
3. Run the Activation troubleshooter again.
   In Settings > System > Activation, select Troubleshoot. Windows activation requires an internet connection, and the troubleshooter is used to reactivate Windows after significant hardware changes.
4. If a product key is available, enter it manually.
   In Settings > System > Activation, select Change product key, then enter the 25-character key.
5. If Windows was reinstalled after the SSD change, confirm the edition was reinstalled correctly.
   When reinstalling Windows, the edition must match the license already associated with the device.
6. If the device still does not appear in the troubleshooter, additional self-service recovery may not be available. In that case, contact Microsoft support for activation help.

A replaced SSD is not described as a motherboard-level hardware change, but if Windows was reinstalled and the license was not linked beforehand, the troubleshooter may not be able to offer the device for reactivation.

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References:

• Activate Windows
• Reinstall Windows with the installation media
• Using the Windows Activation troubleshooter

Answer 2

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, and if so, do you have the product key?

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