Activation of Windows

A motherboard replacement is treated as a significant hardware change, so Windows 10 may no longer find the license that was previously associated with the old hardware.

Start here:

1. Open Start > Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
2. Check the activation message and current edition.
3. If Troubleshoot is available, run it. The troubleshooter is available only if Windows 10 isn’t activated.

If Windows was activated before and linked to a Microsoft account:

1. In Activation, select Troubleshoot.
2. If shown, use the option to reactivate after a hardware change.
3. Sign in with the same Microsoft account that was associated with the digital license before the motherboard was replaced.

If a product key is available:

1. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
2. Select Change product key.
3. Enter the 25-character product key and follow the prompts.

Important checks:

• The installed Windows edition must match the license. For example, a Windows 10 Home license will not activate Windows 10 Pro.
• If this is the first time Windows 10 is being activated on this motherboard and there is no valid product key or digital license, a new license may be required.
• If the PC originally came with Windows preinstalled and the motherboard was replaced by the original hardware manufacturer, it should reactivate automatically. If it does not, check for a COA card with a 25-character key.

If error 0x803F7001 appears, it means Windows could not find a valid license. Common causes after a motherboard replacement are:

• the hardware changed and the old license no longer matches
• the wrong Windows edition is installed
• there is no valid product key or digital license available for the current hardware

If the troubleshooter does not resolve activation after the hardware change, contact customer support.

• Activate Windows
• Fix Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001
• Using the Windows Activation troubleshooter