Upgraded pc with new mobo and i7 and i get this message- Activate windows

[Damagepersec]

I updated to windows 10 from 8.1 a while back, got a new mobo and proc, installed it,
now it says i need to activate it, i dont have licence key or anything, but the windows is original.
(i can still use the pc its just annoying)

 

[COLGeek]

Yes, you will have to re-activate the installation of Win 10 because you changed the motherboard. Use the manual (call-in) method.

 

[n0ns3ns3]

You need to contact MS support.
Depends on the license you have, you might be able to reactivate for free.
I'd try the "activate by phone" option first.

 

[kol12]

Since the Win 10 licence's are registered to our motherboards, what would happen if we on sold our computers? Does that person then have a machine with an/your Windows 10 licence?

Like the OP questions, where does that leave you in terms of activating Win 10 on a new machine? Because we don't have the hardware that we originally activated Win 10 does that we mean we no longer own Win 10?

This leads me to believe that the Win 10 licence's we obtain after the upgrade are in no way linked to our previous OS licence's or even our Microsoft accounts?

 

[Damagepersec]

Ms support after some cringey phone dialing made it work thanks