WINDOWS 11 ACTIVATION

When you update your hardware, such as the hard drive and motherboard, Windows may require reactivation. If your Certificate of Authenticity (COA) key is not being accepted, you can try the following steps:

1. Check Windows Edition: Ensure that the edition of Windows 11 you are trying to activate matches the edition associated with your COA. For example, if your COA is for Windows 11 Pro, you cannot use it to activate Windows 11 Home.
2. Use the Activation Troubleshooter: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation. If you see an option for Troubleshoot, click it. This can help resolve activation issues related to hardware changes.
3. Re-enter the Product Key: In the Activation settings, you can also try re-entering your product key by clicking on Change product key.
4. Contact Microsoft Support: If the above steps do not work, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for assistance. They can help verify your key and provide guidance on activation issues related to hardware changes.
5. Firmware-Embedded Key: If your device has a firmware-embedded activation key, it should automatically activate Windows during the setup process. You can check for this key using PowerShell commands if needed.

Make sure your device is connected to the internet during these steps, as activation requires an internet connection to validate the key.

References:

• Work with product keys and activation
• Deploy Windows Enterprise licenses (windows-11)

Thanks for sharing the details, Charles! Try to use the “I changed hardware on this device” recovery tool. Most people miss this step, but it is the official way to reactivate Windows after replacing a motherboard.

How to do it:

Sign in with your Microsoft Account (the one you previously used on the PC).

Go to: Settings → System → Activation

Click Troubleshoot (if visible).

Choose “I changed hardware on this device recently”.

Select your old device from the list → Click Activate.

This works ONLY if your Windows 10/11 license was digitally linked to your Microsoft account.

See if this helps. If you need further assistance just let me know.

Best regards,

Kimberly