Question Difficulty in activating Windows 10 after changing motherboard ?

Inet

Distinguished
Apr 18, 2013
211
2
18,695
Hi
I had a motherboard with windows 10 Pro and a retail key. The board died. I bought an used motherboard but I am not able to activate Windows with my key. I have a microsoft account, which has the associated digital license and I have already tried the TROUBLESHOOTING option, logging into the account but it says that the device ( the new board? ) has a windows 10 home digital license associated whit it and that it is running on a device which has windows 10 Pro, which is mine ( I didn't format the PC).

In the option “I CHANGED THE HARDWARE“, after entering the account it says that it is not possible to activate and tells me to enter with the account that is assigned to this new board. How can I activate my license if I couldn't remove my license on the board that died and the old owner of the new board also didn't remove the license from the board he sold to me? I don't know if it's of interest to this case, but I have the key of my retail license.
Thanks
 

Inet

Distinguished
Apr 18, 2013
211
2
18,695
OK. We learn from mistakes. And the lesson I took away from this is: never buy an used motherboard where the previous owner never removed the license; never again turn a retail key into digital.
Talking to Microsoft is quite difficult. I've looked through their entire website and there isn't a single chat or phone option. The only possibility that appeared to me, was them asking me for my cell phone number to call me. I will NEVER pass this information to Microsoft.
I'll think of the best way to resolve the matter.
Thanks
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
The previous owner shouldn't have needed to remove licence. It isn't an activity most people are asked to do when they sell a PC. There is a way to do it but its not essential. It doesn't really help as its still saved on the activation servers.

If you install windows 10 and put that retail key in when installing, it should work. I don't think the activation servers would over rule what you enter.