I have an HP Omen 16t-wf100 laptop that came with Windows 11 preinstalled. Activation worked normally for about a year and a half, but Windows now occasionally becomes deactivated. In Settings > System > Activation, running the troubleshooter restores activation and says that Windows is activated with a digital license linked to my Microsoft account. However, the problem returns later, especially after leaving the laptop running idle for a long time. I have not changed the hardware, although I may have installed a BIOS update. What could be causing this, and how can I fix it permanently?
2 Answers
You can check whether the laptop has an embedded Windows product key by opening Command Prompt as administrator and running: wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3OriginalProductKey. If a key is displayed, enter it under Settings > System > Activation > Change product key. This may help restore activation, although the built-in digital license should normally reactivate automatically.
A BIOS update or another firmware change can sometimes make Windows think the computer has changed significantly, which may trigger reactivation. Since you may have updated the BIOS, check HP's support page for your exact Omen model and install any current BIOS, chipset, and system updates carefully. Also make sure you're signing in with the same Microsoft account that originally held the digital license.
I have not changed any hardware, but a BIOS update is possible. I'll check HP's support page and verify that I'm using the correct Microsoft account.