I recently upgraded my PC from an AM4 to an AM5 motherboard, and I've noticed that I now see an 'Activate Windows' message after booting up. I'm currently using Windows 10 and wondering if upgrading to Windows 11 would resolve this issue. Could it be that my product key has expired as a result of these changes?
2 Answers
It's totally normal to see that activation prompt after swapping out your motherboard! The Windows activation is tied to the motherboard, so whenever you upgrade, you'll need to reactivate it. Just try using your product key to activate it again. If that doesn’t work, Microsoft has an automated system you can call for help with reactivation.
Don't worry, your product key isn't expired. This is just Microsoft’s way of confirming that the changes you've made to your system are legit. If you change parts, you'll need to reactivate to prove you're not doing something fishy, you know? Just follow the activation steps again, and you should be good!
I actually found my old product key in an email. When using it through the activation settings didn't work, I followed a tip to use cmd with 'slmgr /ipk' and then reset the PC, and that did the trick for me!