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Windows activation error

candycane
By candycane
in Windows
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Do you have an Internet connection? Do your NIC and WiFi adapter need drivers?

 

Windows may not activate if you bought an OEM license. Those are supposed to get tied to the hardware they're first activated on.

I sold my soul for ProSupport.

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(some?) Windows activations tie to the hardware. It's SO dumb, but it is what it is. I've replaced a couple mobos in my time and had to reactivate. It's been the better part of a decade, but last time I did it I found out that there was a process to transfer the install to the new hardware. You can only do it, like, 3 times, and it was an absolute butt to do, but it *was* possible. 

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1 hour ago, candycane said:

I just upgraded my whole system, except my storage, which already had windows on it. So all I did was place my old drive in my new system. However my PC keeps telling me I need to activate windows, but when I do I get this error.

Yeh, if the old PC was an OEM PC from the likes of Dell, HP or Lenovo OR you bought an OEM license Windows then you won't be able to activate it on new hardware as OEM licenses are meant to single use.

 

You could try and call the number that pops up when you say you're having trouble activating and play dumb.

 

Only full-fat retail versions of Windows can be transferred from PC to PC after hardware changes.

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3 hours ago, Needfuldoer said:

Do you have an Internet connection? Do your NIC and WiFi adapter need drivers?

 

Windows may not activate if you bought an OEM license. Those are supposed to get tied to the hardware they're first activated on.

it wasn’t an OEM, I built my original PC and this one that I upgraded to was a MSI prebuilt, which I replaced the SSD with.

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19 minutes ago, candycane said:

it wasn’t an OEM, I built my original PC and this one that I upgraded to was a MSI prebuilt, which I replaced the SSD with.

No, I mean an OEM or "system builder" Windows license, as opposed to a "Retail" license. They're different SKUs, the OEM licenses are slightly cheaper and are supposed to ship with hardware. OEM / system builder licenses get tied to the motherboard, Retail licenses are transferrable to new hardware.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windоws-Home-OEM-DVD/dp/B09MYJ1R6L

I sold my soul for ProSupport.

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