Windows License Deactivates after BIOS or Hardware Upgrade

This has happened to me many times just changing gpu , memory or cpu also when doing Bios updates :/ , microsoft customer service is atrocious , they do not care and are not helpful.

 

Because they can get away with it.
They are too big for us to matter, we have little alternative but to suck it up.

 

In the same boat myself, updated my BIOS on the ASUS Strix 570-F after which my license was deactivated, with no hardware change or anything. So stuck with activating Windows. Contacted Microsoft and they said they would pass it on to their team to solve... that's a week ago now!

If this issue has been ongoing for weeks how come news sites only started to post about it a week ago, and if it's been ongoing for weeks why didn't Microsoft send out an alert so people can hold off on upgrades and BIOS updates and reduce the influx of cases, what single-celled organism runs that organization?

FYI my key is from Windows 10 Pro, so not just 7 or 8 are being deactivated.

 

MS has a lot of brilliant ppl working for them. Just not in the area of customer service or licensing.

 

It skipped right over it never giving me the option to go through network setup. I’ve never seen it do this until this latest release, but if it’s skipping it and taking my to the next option anyway then no need to go back and redo it as the email method still works, never the less thanks for sharing for those that may not know how to do that

 

I installed Windows a few hours ago and it presents an option to continue installing with limited setup.
ie it doesnt go online to download mobo drivers etc.
Its an offline install method.

He didnt say it will help a network install method, only that the option to continue installation occurs at the network setup screens.

At minimum you will need network drivers ready afterward if the adapter doesnt function.

 

It worked, thanks.

 

meanwhile pirates have no idea about any of this

pay to get the crap experience, brave new world

 

I 100% completely understand how to use rufus and have been using it for years. As I so clearly stated in my case it skipped right over that portion of the setup. Nowhere did I say I was doing a network install method. This isnt a rufus discussion thread, were literally talking about ms invalidating legit keys. the email method is not an online method so you must not know what im talking about, again this is not a rufus discussion thread.

 

I lost my Windows 11 Pro license, after replacing my Asus motherboard with the same Asus motherboard, the only difference was the motherboard revision number.
Bought a new Windows 11 Pro license for € 3,20 , activation worked.

 

Urm was it an OEM or retail key? OEM's are linked to your motherboard. So even changing the motherboard to another one even if the same model and make will invalidate the key because that motherboard has a different serial number which is unique to every mainboard.

 

It was a retail key global

 

In which case from activation you will need to select hardware change when it fails activation, not sure but i think you need to speak with a MS rep as they need to provide you a code to release it from the old serial number to the new one, the process looks pretty long-winded, to be honest.

 

Yes correct, to bypass that long process I spend €3,20 for another retail global key, problem quick solved, but It shouldn't happen with a retail key