[SOLVED] Windows 10 activation gone after Windows system reset

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photon123

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Nov 12, 2010
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My Windows 10 got corrupted and I couldn't find any way to fix it. Even doing "reset this pc" from "recovery", while keeping the old settings didn't fix it. The only thing that worked was doing "reset this pc" with "remove everything". Now Windows finally works, but the activation is gone. There is no activation key. I got Windows 10 from a free upgarade from an older version and had an activation key, but now it's gone. I didn't change anything in the hardware. I have a backup of all the files from the old Windows before the reset. I don't have the key from the old version of Windows.
Any ideas?
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
you don't need key, it should be saved on a Microsoft server. Keys are one use, licences are what you mean.

resets shouldn't remove keys but resets have been known to go too far before

Did you ever link your user to an email address?
if so, your key/licence might be linked to it.

What is showing in activation?


You might want to clean install

download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

boot from installer

follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/

when you get to screen asking for licence, click I don't have a key and windows will continue the install process and once it reaches desktop, will contact activation servers that have details of your PC and licence and should reactivate you.
 
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Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
that is a fun error as it can be all sorts of things.

Since you just reset and removed everything, its probably faster to start again - I would download the media creation tool on another PC and use it to make an installer on USB and reinstall windows again. Windows could still be corrupted.

Here are some of the suggested fixes. - https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-fix-error-code-0x80004005-4689559
 
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photon123

Distinguished
Nov 12, 2010
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that is a fun error as it can be all sorts of things.

Since you just reset and removed everything, its probably faster to start again - I would download the media creation tool on another PC and use it to make an installer on USB and reinstall windows again. Windows could still be corrupted.

Here are some of the suggested fixes. - https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-fix-error-code-0x80004005-4689559

I deleted everything from the boot drive and installed Windows 10 using media creation tool. Activation is back and everything seems to work fine. Thanks!
 
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