Motherboard defect

[LetsFailNoob]

Following problem:
My mainboard just died about a week ago, and now I'm thinking on getting a new one.

The thing is: I heard that, if you upgraded to windows 10 with the free upgrade, the windows license is locked with the mainboard.

So if I'm going to get a new mainboard, is there any way that I either

1.) don't have to buy windows again as well

2.) and more importantly, can get my data again?

My pc isn't even starting and I have absolutely no idea how I can get a grip on my data. I've never had any experience in backing up data.

So as far is I understood, if i get a new mainboard, the windows license isn't working anymore, so I can't get my data, since I would need to reinstall windows, but without switching the mainboard, I can't even start my pc.

I've already been to a "Pc-Expert" but he would charge me about 830€ for a complete reperation on my system (which I wouldn't need anyway since I know how to build PCs), and "only" 200€ for saving my data.

 

So my questions are these.

 

1.) Do I really need to buy windows again?

2.) If yes, can I still start my pc, without the windows license (since I'm not quite sure what the license being locked onto the mainboard means) and get all my data and then reinstall it?

3.) If yes, and I can't start my pc again, how am I going to get my data then?

 

[IntMD]

1. You shouldn't need to

2. Licences are about 10-20 euros on amazon.de if 1. doesn't work for some really weird reason, but you could just boot it up and drag whatever you want off it.

3. Plug the drive in to another computer and copy it off.

[LetsFailNoob]

9 minutes ago, Wikiforce said:

Clone your hard drive partition which has windows to migrate to another HDD or SSD. If you are only changing mobo then it should be fine without reinstall.

Just use some official software or third party one to generate license key through windows product ID.

Sorry, but what do you mean by cloning it and then migrating it to another HDD/SSD. Does that mean that I need to switch my storage as well?

 

7 minutes ago, IntMD said:

1. You shouldn't need to

2. Licences are about 10-20 euros on amazon.de if 1. doesn't work for some really weird reason, but you could just boot it up and drag whatever you want off it.

3. Plug the drive in to another computer and copy it off.

So basically I shouldn't need to do anything? But why does everyone I asked say, that the license is stuck with my mainboard?

[LetsFailNoob]

Just now, Wikiforce said:

Just in case you need to change storage, i guess you don't.

And how would that worked?
I really have no clue when it comes to data / data storage / data backup and everything related to that.

[LogicalDrm]

On my opinion best way to do things:

Option A: If you have another desktop or can use one.

1. Move your drives to another PC and backup important stuff to drive you aren't going to use as OS drive. If you have another HDD, use that.
2. Change board, install windows and login to MS account. If your license is connected to account, that should just do it. If not...
3. Try with current license. If its retail, you can move it to another mobo. If not...
4. You need new key. Like said, grey market keys are cheap. Retail ones cost about €120.

Option B: If you don't have another desktop.

1. Change board and boot with live-Linux (like Ubuntu). Backup important data to drive you aren't using as OS drive or external one.
2. Install Windows. You can select to keep data (this works on option A too) which saves it to Windows.old folder.
3. Same as 2-4 on Option A.

You can also just try to boot after changing board. Win10 is nicer with drivers than previous versions. You might need to reset it, but that will only effect on software and core stuff. Your personal files should remain. Also, it only should do things with OS drive.

[LetsFailNoob]

3 hours ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

On my opinion best way to do things:

Option A: If you have another desktop or can use one.

1. Move your drives to another PC and backup important stuff to drive you aren't going to use as OS drive. If you have another HDD, use that.
2. Change board, install windows and login to MS account. If your license is connected to account, that should just do it. If not...
3. Try with current license. If its retail, you can move it to another mobo. If not...
4. You need new key. Like said, grey market keys are cheap. Retail ones cost about €120.

Option B: If you don't have another desktop.

1. Change board and boot with live-Linux (like Ubuntu). Backup important data to drive you aren't using as OS drive or external one.
2. Install Windows. You can select to keep data (this works on option A too) which saves it to Windows.old folder.
3. Same as 2-4 on Option A.

You can also just try to boot after changing board. Win10 is nicer with drivers than previous versions. You might need to reset it, but that will only effect on software and core stuff. Your personal files should remain. Also, it only should do things with OS drive.

Well thank you very much for that detailed explanation. I'll keep you guys updated when something new happens.

 

The reason why I'm so scared, is that the dude I gave my PC to, to check what isn't working, said, that it could happpen, that windows is going to lock (or something like that), and I won't be able to get my data back. I mean at first it really sounded strange and odd to me, that Microsoft would do something like that, and actually it still does sound strange, but I really don't want to run into a situation in which I can't get my data back.

[LogicalDrm]

8 minutes ago, LetsFailNoob said:

Well thank you very much for that detailed explanation. I'll keep you guys updated when something new happens.

 

The reason why I'm so scared, is that the dude I gave my PC to, to check what isn't working, said, that it could happpen, that windows is going to lock (or something like that), and I won't be able to get my data back. I mean at first it really sounded strange and odd to me, that Microsoft would do something like that, and actually it still does sound strange, but I really don't want to run into a situation in which I can't get my data back.

As long as nothing encrypts drive, you can get data back easily with another PC. User files can be tricky, but with Linux you can access those too. Sounds like he's baiting to get paid.

[LetsFailNoob]

3 minutes ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

As long as nothing encrypts drive, you can get data back easily with another PC. User files can be tricky, but with Linux you can access those too. Sounds like he's baiting to get paid.

Okay perfect. 

Yeah that's what I thought as well, luckily there's the internet to get free and probably better information.

[LetsFailNoob]

So I've just finished switching the Mobo and Windows isn't activated anymore. I always get the error code 0x80072efd, and it says: "We can't activate Windows on this device as our activations servers aren't available right now. Make sure you're connected to the Internet and wel'l automatically try to activate Windows when the service becomes available."

So is there any chance, that the root of this error comes from my side?

 

Edit: After disabling my firewall and Anit-Virus Software the error code and message changed: "We can't activate Windows on this device because you don't have a valid digital license or product key. If you think you do have a valid license or key, select Troubleshoor below. Error-Code: 0xC004C003.

 

But if I press Troubleshoot is simply says that windows can't be activated and I should check if I am connected to the internet. 

Im confused

 

Edit 2: Okay, it had nothing to do with me disabling my Anti-Virus and Firewall, the message is changing independently

Also if it's to any importance. I haven't reinstalled windows, I just changed Mobo and left everything how it was, connected my HDDs and everything seems normal, I have all my data, it's just that windows won't activate.