How to keep license after motherboard changing, on a 7 to 10 free upgrade.

[Vicaris]

Recently my motherboard fried. I had to get a new one. I don't think I ever made a microsoft account linked to my windows 10 license.

Right now I can sort of boot my machine, on the new motherboard, using the old windows 10 install. It starts but once I get to desktop it barely runs. I want to keep my license.

How should I go about doing this? Will a formatting work? Also I don't think I EVER updated my windows 10. Just turned off all updating manually once I saw the problems it was causing to other people back when I made the transfer.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

If you don't have A Microsoft account set one up for the future , then you can proceed in the following manner , you may need to Call their support to activate now.

Setup a Microsoft Account and link your current PC to it , then backup whatever you want to save and perform a clean install on your new setup and activate it with your Microsoft account from within windows. Skip the key entry during setup and activate it from within windows with the registered Microsoft Account.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/
Create a USB installer here ^
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ROoOkPWIM"][/video]
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP4sAhmH_Oo"][/video]

 

[USAFRet]

For the actual operational issues, a clean install is recommended.


For the licensing, since you have already changed the parts, doing this will be of no use:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3164428/windows-build-1607-activation.html

You'll have to call MS, and plead your case.
Generally they are very lenient with a broken and replaced motherboard.

 

[Vicaris]

If you don't have A Microsoft account set one up for the future , then you can proceed in the following manner , you may need to Call their support to activate now.

Setup a Microsoft Account and link your current PC to it , then backup whatever you want to save and perform a clean install on your new setup and activate it with your Microsoft account from within windows. Skip the key entry during setup and activate it from within windows with the registered Microsoft Account.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/
Create a USB installer here ^
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ROoOkPWIM"][/video]
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP4sAhmH_Oo"][/video]

Are you sure it is okay to link my current machine to a windows 10 account? Because I installed windows 10 using a different motherboard. My current machine now runs on a different motherboard than when I installed windows 10. Isn't my license linked to my hardware?

Also, I have another problem. I can't boot it in safe mode because hitting the start button on the taskbar won't work. The only thing that seems to actually open right now on my desktop is the recycle bin.

 

[USAFRet]

Are you sure it is okay to link my current machine to a windows 10 account? Because I installed windows 10 using a different motherboard. My current machine now runs on a different motherboard than when I installed windows 10. Isn't my license linked to my hardware?

Also, I have another problem. I can't boot it in safe mode because hitting the start button on the taskbar won't work. The only thing that seems to actually open right now on my desktop is the recycle bin.

If you go through the links above, you link the OS digital entitlement to a MS account, rather than to specific hardware.
However, since you have already changed the hardware...you will almost certainly have to call MS to get things right.

 

[Colif]

the other problem will be fixed once you fresh install

just make a new installer so it matches all the new features like moving OS - On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB (I just saw sr71 suggested this already... i will just be redundant then)

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

If you don't have A Microsoft account set one up for the future , then you can proceed in the following manner , you may need to Call their support to activate now.

Setup a Microsoft Account and link your current PC to it , then backup whatever you want to save and perform a clean install on your new setup and activate it with your Microsoft account from within windows. Skip the key entry during setup and activate it from within windows with the registered Microsoft Account.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/
Create a USB installer here ^
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ROoOkPWIM"][/video]
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP4sAhmH_Oo"][/video]

Are you sure it is okay to link my current machine to a windows 10 account? Because I installed windows 10 using a different motherboard. My current machine now runs on a different motherboard than when I installed windows 10. Isn't my license linked to my hardware?

Also, I have another problem. I can't boot it in safe mode because hitting the start button on the taskbar won't work. The only thing that seems to actually open right now on my desktop is the recycle bin.

I stated to do this in the future after this one is resolved since you already made the switch.

"If you don't have A Microsoft account set one up for the future , then you can proceed in the following manner , you may need to Call their support to activate now."

 

[Vicaris]

I'm coming in contact with MS right now to see what I can do. Then I'll try some of the other suggestions here.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Good Luck , they tend to be pretty helpful at getting these resolved.

 

[Vicaris]

Right so I've come in contact with them and they've told me to just associate my current windows 10 license with my microsoft account and then reinstall windows 10 and sign in using my email.