Cannot activate windows after reinstall

NICULL · May 28, 2022

So my boot drive started dying recently so I reinstalled windows, I have an OEM key that I bought it's for 10 enterprise. Before I reinstalled windows I unplugged the old drive and the Ethernet so I didn't activate it in the installation menu I tried doing it in the settings and it didn't work, it didn't say the key was invalid or anything just some weird error code whatever I'm pretty sure these are supposed to be registered in your bios. So I have one question, if I plug the old drive back in, have the Ethernet plugged in and try to do a reinstall on the new drive will it work without issues? I don't want to have to buy a new OEM key again, even if I have to keep the old ssd plugged in I don't care I just wanted to change the windows install to a different drive. Sorry if I'm bothering anyone it's 1 am I can't sleep and I wasted an hour reinstalling everything just go realize that I might have to do it all over again tomorrow.

dizmo · May 28, 2022

You don't need a key go install Windows. Just install it, and see if it bitches about it later. Or run it without a key.

Natsukashii · May 28, 2022

19 minutes ago, NICULL said:

So my boot drive started dying recently so I reinstalled windows, I have an OEM key that I bought it's for 10 enterprise. Before I reinstalled windows I unplugged the old drive and the Ethernet so I didn't activate it in the installation menu I tried doing it in the settings and it didn't work, it didn't say the key was invalid or anything just some weird error code whatever I'm pretty sure these are supposed to be registered in your bios. So I have one question, if I plug the old drive back in, have the Ethernet plugged in and try to do a reinstall on the new drive will it work without issues? I don't want to have to buy a new OEM key again, even if I have to keep the old ssd plugged in I don't care I just wanted to change the windows install to a different drive. Sorry if I'm bothering anyone it's 1 am I can't sleep and I wasted an hour reinstalling everything just go realize that I might have to do it all over again tomorrow.

changing drive shouldn't void your key, motherboard/cpu change might. But you can just activate it again by calling the service line they give you in settings and when they ask you how many computer this key is activated, you say 0, since your previous "computer" isn't around anymore.

NICULL · May 29, 2022

16 hours ago, Natsukashii said:

changing drive shouldn't void your key, motherboard/cpu change might. But you can just activate it again by calling the service line they give you in settings and when they ask you how many computer this key is activated, you say 0, since your previous "computer" isn't around anymore.

Yeah it did not fixed it all today, windows do be just more garbage than usual sometimes. I just plugged in the old ssd, then reinstalled windows with ethernet on and entered the keys in the installation menu, the first one for pro worked and then later in activation settings the second one for enterprise also worked and then i just formatted the old drive and its sitting there in the pc. I will keep it around for whenever i have to reinstall again.

Edited May 29, 2022 by NICULL
I forgot to say that i dont have an officially bought key, its a 2.5 euro OEM key for enterprise from some random site. Who tf is gonna pay upwards of 80 euro for windows lmao.