Windows 10 hardware replacement, key geoblocked

Claymore

Claymore

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I installed Windows 10 on someone's PC for them, using their Windows 7 product key; clean install because Windows 7 was a little unstable. No problem, it activated fine.

Then the motherboard failed, and I had to replace the motherboard. Windows 10 won't activate. I contacted Microsoft using the chat option, and they eventually said that the Win7 key was now geoblocked, and I must contact the manufacturer (me!). He said also that I wouldn't even be able to reactivate Windows 7 if I reinstalled that.

Any ideas? I bought the Windoiws 7 from Rectron - anyone know if they'd be able to help?
 
Keep bugging Microsoft, they created the problem.
 
Claymore said:
I installed Windows 10 on someone's PC for them, using their Windows 7 product key; clean install because Windows 7 was a little unstable. No problem, it activated fine.

Then the motherboard failed, and I had to replace the motherboard. Windows 10 won't activate. I contacted Microsoft using the chat option, and they eventually said that the Win7 key was now geoblocked, and I must contact the manufacturer (me!). He said also that I wouldn't even be able to reactivate Windows 7 if I reinstalled that.

Any ideas? I bought the Windoiws 7 from Rectron - anyone know if they'd be able to help?
Click to expand...

OEM or DSP Windows 7 key ?
 
After the motherboard replacement did you do a clean Win10 installation or did you install 7 then upgrade?
 
Vegeta said:
After the motherboard replacement did you do a clean Win10 installation or did you install 7 then upgrade?
Click to expand...

I didn't reinstall Windows after the replacement - it just booted up. I'd done a clean Win10 install before the replacement though.
 
Claymore said:
I didn't reinstall Windows after the replacement - it just booted up. I'd done a clean Win10 install before the replacement though.
Click to expand...

I've read about this. Apparantly after the 1 year is up you won't be allowed to do a clean install on some licenses, they will force you to buy a new license. Some upgrades are assigned the microsoft generic key and is activated by the machines bios only so if you have hardware failure your stuffed.

Don't ask me for the link where i read it, i thought i bookmarked it but i didn't and i can't find the page again
 
If your story is genuine, crack it, it will save you so much trouble.
 
Well, I got MS on the phone at the activation centre, and they said it's because it's a Win7 key being used on Win10 after the hardware change. What I need to do is reinstall Win7, reactivate it (might need to do the phone activation), and then upgrade to Win10 using the Windows update mechanism, and that should sort it out. So I'm reinstalling Win7. Just as well I'd done no other work on the machine.
 
I'm quite sure that Microsoft doesn't geoblock individual keys, they only do this for pools of keys that are unauthorised for resale. If you had to reinstall Windows 7 first and then upgrade to 10, it would probably still activate just fine after calling the automated activation line (0801434343) with the product ID installation code. Microsoft's EULA changed with Windows 8 changed to allow the porting of DSP licenses, but only in scenarios where you had experienced hardware failure. The reason why your activation relapsed is because the hardware ID changed, which for a Windows 10 upgrade is what verified you in the first place.

Edit: Aha. ^^

ODTech said:
I've read about this. Apparantly after the 1 year is up you won't be allowed to do a clean install on some licenses, they will force you to buy a new license. Some upgrades are assigned the microsoft generic key and is activated by the machines bios only so if you have hardware failure your stuffed.
Click to expand...

As of Windows 10 build 10586, you can run a clean install whenever you want, no matter which license you have (even the single-language versions).
 
Last edited:
Well, I got MS on the phone at the activation centre, and they said it's because it's a Win7 key being used on Win10 after the hardware change. What I need to do is reinstall Win7, reactivate it (might need to do the phone activation), and then upgrade to Win10 using the Windows update mechanism, and that should sort it out. I've started the Win7 reinstall.
 
Ag no I would just format the whole thing and do a clean Win10 install. Then if it wont activate phone them but it will activate there's also some tricks out there to make it activate.
 
CataclysmZA said:
I'm quite sure that Microsoft doesn't geoblock individual keys, they only do this for pools of keys that are unauthorised for resale. If you had to reinstall Windows 7 first and then upgrade to 10, it would probably still activate just fine after calling the automated activation line (0801434343) with the product ID installation code. Microsoft's EULA changed with Windows 8 changed to allow the porting of DSP licenses, but only in scenarios where you had experienced hardware failure. The reason why your activation relapsed is because the hardware ID changed, which for a Windows 10 upgrade is what verified you in the first place.

Edit: Aha. ^^



As of Windows 10 build 10586, you can run a clean install whenever you want, no matter which license you have (even the single-language versions).
Click to expand...

Yes you can clean install but we're still in the free upgrade year. Time will tell if their actualy going to enforce the no clean install policy after the year is up.
 
ODTech said:
Yes you can clean install but we're still in the free upgrade year. Time will tell if their actualy going to enforce the no clean install policy after the year is up.
Click to expand...
Yip it is going to happen earlier or later.
Yesterday I replaced motherboard on warranty, but forgotten things and booted up Windows, just to check whether hardware is working. Then tried to activate on the spare hard drive by installing Windows 7, validating, then upgrading to Win 10. Now receiving error 0x803F7001 which translates to invalid digital entitement(?).

I suspect that replacement motherboard is not new, somebody has already installed a different version of Windows 10 (or CPU) and activated with Microsoft, then it was returned to the supplier. Now Microsoft links a motherboard signature to a different serial number. I gave up with this computer telling the guy to fight with Microsoft.
 
Reinstalled Win7, it activated fine, upgraded to Win10, activated fine too. All good.
 
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