How to reactivate Windows 10 after a hardware change
Yes, you can reactivate Windows 10 after a hardware change, and here’s how.
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OnWindows 10, if you make significant hardware changes to a computer, such as replacing the motherboard, processor, or main storage drive, the system may not recognize it as the same device, causing the setup to become deactivated (with error 0xC004F213).
In previous versions, if the setup lost its activation after upgrading or replacing some of the hardware components, it was necessary to contact Microsoft directly to reactivate. This solution was less than ideal since you needed to perform different steps, and few users knew about the option.
However, since the original release of Windows 10, the activation process has evolved, and now, you can associate the computer’s digital license to your Microsoft account and then use the “Activation Troubleshooter” to reactivate after a hardware change or clean installation.
In thishow-to guide, I will explain how to use the “Activation Troubleshooter” feature to reactivate a device after a hardware change.
How to check activation before hardware change on Windows 10
To ensure reactivation happens successfully after a hardware change on Windows 10, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, you should see the"Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account"message on the “Activation” settings page. You can now upgrade the computer with the new hardware and use the reactivation instructions below.
How to reactivate license after hardware change on Windows 10
To reactivate Windows 10 after a hardware change, use these steps:
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After you complete the steps, the system will activate again even after the hardware change, and you can start using the device normally.
If the activation doesn’t work, you may need to get another product key for Windows 10.
If the computer does not appear in the “Reactivate Windows 10” list, this could be due to different factors. For example, you are probably using the wrong Microsoft account. However, if you have the correct account, you must troubleshoot the problem to find a solution.
Here are some of the possible problems:
If, after using the Activation Troubleshooter, you can’t reactivate your computer, then the next step is tocontact Microsoft customer supportfor assistance.
Since the initial release of Windows 10, Microsoft has been making many improvements, including changes to the activation process. However, there are still scenarios where you may run into activation problems, which is when the troubleshooter can make things easier to help users upgrade their computer’s hardware without hassle.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
