Activation


MrPig

MrPig

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266
Location
Cheltenham, UK
OS
Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039
Here's a question:

How much can you change hardware wise before Win 11 complains your activation is not valid or requires a new license?

Unplugged a USB WiFi antenna & took out a USB expansion card & my license was not valid! Put it back & all good!
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039Xeon W7-3455256GbRTX 4500 ADA
OS
Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Manmade
CPU
Xeon W7-3455
Motherboard
Gigabyte MW83-RP0
Memory
256Gb
Graphics Card(s)
RTX 4500 ADA
Sound Card
RealTek
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 32UN650P
Screen Resolution
3840x2160
Hard Drives
Boot: Transcend TS1MTE250H. Storage: Sabrent SB-RKT4P. Backup: Toshiba MG08ADA600E
PSU
Corsair 850W
Case
BeQuiet 802
Cooling
Noctua D9
Internet Speed
500Mb
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
25H2 26200.8039
It's not that you need a new license, but you may need to place a call with Microsoft and explain that your hardware changed a bit and they should help you get it reactivated.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel Core i5-8279u32GB DDR4 2666MhzIntel Iris Plus 655
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink SEI8
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8279u
    Motherboard
    AZW SEI
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 2666Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Plus 655
    Sound Card
    Intel SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus ProArt PA278QV
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe
    PSU
    NA
    Case
    NA
    Cooling
    NA
    Keyboard
    NA
    Mouse
    NA
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Mini PC used for testing Windows 11.

  • At a glance

    Windows 10 ProRyzen 9 5900x64GB DDR4-3600EVGA GeForce 3080 FT3 Ultra
    Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5900x
    Motherboard
    Asus Rog Strix X570-E Gaming
    Memory
    64GB DDR4-3600
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce 3080 FT3 Ultra
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ. ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV 27” WQHD
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2TB WD SN850 PCI-E Gen 4 NVMe
    2TB Sandisk Ultra 2.5" SATA SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus 850
    Case
    Fractal Meshify S2 in White
    Cooling
    Dark Rock Pro CPU cooler, 3 x 140mm case fans
    Keyboard
    Corsiar K65 RGB Lux
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender.
There is an option to press a button if you have changed hardware but nothing happened.
Motherboard/CPU/hard drive I can understand but trivial items, what!!
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039Xeon W7-3455256GbRTX 4500 ADA
OS
Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Manmade
CPU
Xeon W7-3455
Motherboard
Gigabyte MW83-RP0
Memory
256Gb
Graphics Card(s)
RTX 4500 ADA
Sound Card
RealTek
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 32UN650P
Screen Resolution
3840x2160
Hard Drives
Boot: Transcend TS1MTE250H. Storage: Sabrent SB-RKT4P. Backup: Toshiba MG08ADA600E
PSU
Corsair 850W
Case
BeQuiet 802
Cooling
Noctua D9
Internet Speed
500Mb
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
25H2 26200.8039
Change in motherboard is the only time I've encountered activation issues.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom Build
MrPig said:
How much can you change hardware wise before Win 11 complains your activation is not valid or requires a new license?
Click to expand...
This is a detailed explanation of how Windows 10/11 digital licensing works.

Windows 10 and Windows 11 Digital Licencing explained

Windows 10 / 11 Digital License explained The number of Windows 10 licensing and activation questions around the tech forums started to grow exponentially when Windows 7 hit its End of Life date. Users keep asking about how to find their Windows 10 or 11 product key after upgrading from...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to lid hinges starting to break up this laptop has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

    Info for 2021-2026:
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR was a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (1st gen) type 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device. This has now been sold. It has been replaced by my System Eight.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, 1920x1080 touchscreen, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine. As its new home has an existing digital licence for Pro I've been able to upgrade the migrated OS from Home to Pro.

    My SYSTEM EIGHT is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (5th gen) type 20LN, Celeron N4120, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, a supported device for Windows 11. Currently running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds as native boot vhdx.
MrPig said:
There is an option to press a button if you have changed hardware but nothing happened.
Motherboard/CPU/hard drive I can understand but trivial items, what!!
Click to expand...
If you have made a substantial hardware change then you can use the Activation Troubleshooter to re-activate, telling it that 'I recently changed hardware on this device'. This can only work though if you were signing into your PC with your Microsoft Account. I have used this successfully when I really had made significant changes.

can-reactivate-windows-servers-available-png.83912

My PC is activated with my ms account, but it has disappeared from the list on line management of devices - post#20
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to lid hinges starting to break up this laptop has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

    Info for 2021-2026:
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR was a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (1st gen) type 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device. This has now been sold. It has been replaced by my System Eight.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, 1920x1080 touchscreen, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine. As its new home has an existing digital licence for Pro I've been able to upgrade the migrated OS from Home to Pro.

    My SYSTEM EIGHT is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (5th gen) type 20LN, Celeron N4120, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, a supported device for Windows 11. Currently running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds as native boot vhdx.
Mysteriously it re-activated the following day!

However, Gigabyte released a firmware update for my mobo (applied) & now Windows is asking for activation!
Go through the process & it claims the key is used on another machine. Go to MS account & I have two identical PC's, I assume it registered the firmware changed device as a new entry?
I deleted one & back to the activation process & there is no PC in my MS account linked to this PC.
Try the "I changed hardware" routine & it goes through a remote activation procedure after asking a slew of questions & I get the unexpected error message.
According to MS you cannot activate, over the phone, Win Pro for Workstation! So what next?
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039Xeon W7-3455256GbRTX 4500 ADA
OS
Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Manmade
CPU
Xeon W7-3455
Motherboard
Gigabyte MW83-RP0
Memory
256Gb
Graphics Card(s)
RTX 4500 ADA
Sound Card
RealTek
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 32UN650P
Screen Resolution
3840x2160
Hard Drives
Boot: Transcend TS1MTE250H. Storage: Sabrent SB-RKT4P. Backup: Toshiba MG08ADA600E
PSU
Corsair 850W
Case
BeQuiet 802
Cooling
Noctua D9
Internet Speed
500Mb
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
25H2 26200.8039
What I found out is that the activation is mainly tied to the LAN MAC address.
If you disabled LAN and used a WIFI during activation it will use the WIFI MAC address.

If you want to confirm, disable LAN on BIOS. I would say once booted your Windows will be deactivated.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP 64 - Lubuntui5 6600K - 800MHz to 4400MHz4+4G GSkill DDR4 3000IG - Intel 530
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP 64 - Lubuntu
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom build
    CPU
    i5 6600K - 800MHz to 4400MHz
    Motherboard
    GA-Z170-HD3P
    Memory
    4+4G GSkill DDR4 3000
    Graphics Card(s)
    IG - Intel 530
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 226BW
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    (1) -1 SM951 – 128GB M.2 AHCI PCIe SSD drive for Win 11
    (2) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for Data
    (3) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for backup
    (4) -1 BX500 SSD - 256G for Windows 7 and Lubuntu
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W TR2 gold
    Keyboard
    Old and good Chicony mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech mX performance - 9 buttons (had to disable some)
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Proi7-4500U 800- 3000MHz(4+4)G DDR3 1600IG intel 4400 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Q550LF
    CPU
    i7-4500U 800- 3000MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Q550LF
    Memory
    (4+4)G DDR3 1600
    Graphics card(s)
    IG intel 4400 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Display LP156WF4-SPH1
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    BX500 120G SSD for Windows and programs
    & 1T HDD for data
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
That made no difference.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039Xeon W7-3455256GbRTX 4500 ADA
OS
Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Manmade
CPU
Xeon W7-3455
Motherboard
Gigabyte MW83-RP0
Memory
256Gb
Graphics Card(s)
RTX 4500 ADA
Sound Card
RealTek
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 32UN650P
Screen Resolution
3840x2160
Hard Drives
Boot: Transcend TS1MTE250H. Storage: Sabrent SB-RKT4P. Backup: Toshiba MG08ADA600E
PSU
Corsair 850W
Case
BeQuiet 802
Cooling
Noctua D9
Internet Speed
500Mb
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
25H2 26200.8039
Bree said:
If you have made a substantial hardware change then you can use the Activation Troubleshooter to re-activate, telling it that 'I recently changed hardware on this device'. This can only work though if you were signing into your PC with your Microsoft Account. I have used this successfully when I really had made significant changes.

can-reactivate-windows-servers-available-png.83912

My PC is activated with my ms account, but it has disappeared from the list on line management of devices - post#20
Click to expand...
Sometimes just re-entering the product code just works.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows XP,11 Linux Fedora Rawhide pre-releas...2 X Intel i7
OS
Windows XP,11 Linux Fedora Rawhide pre-release 46
Computer type
PC/Desktop
CPU
2 X Intel i7
Screen Resolution
4KUHD X 2
Tried all of that. Get "unexpected error" or "the servers are unavailable".
Will try & contact somebody & pester them for an answer.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039Xeon W7-3455256GbRTX 4500 ADA
OS
Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Manmade
CPU
Xeon W7-3455
Motherboard
Gigabyte MW83-RP0
Memory
256Gb
Graphics Card(s)
RTX 4500 ADA
Sound Card
RealTek
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 32UN650P
Screen Resolution
3840x2160
Hard Drives
Boot: Transcend TS1MTE250H. Storage: Sabrent SB-RKT4P. Backup: Toshiba MG08ADA600E
PSU
Corsair 850W
Case
BeQuiet 802
Cooling
Noctua D9
Internet Speed
500Mb
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
25H2 26200.8039
MrPig said:
Tried all of that. Get "unexpected error" or "the servers are unavailable".
Will try & contact somebody & pester them for an answer.
Click to expand...
Sometimes the servers are genuinely unavailable. I've seen that too, but the next day it worked.

Bree said:
Bree said:
I clicked on 'I recently changed hardware on this device'. This failed. The reason given was that the servers that would transfer a digital licence to the new hardware were not available....
Click to expand...
....and today they were available :cool:
Click to expand...
Lost Activation win11 pro - post #93
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to lid hinges starting to break up this laptop has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

    Info for 2021-2026:
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR was a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (1st gen) type 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device. This has now been sold. It has been replaced by my System Eight.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, 1920x1080 touchscreen, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine. As its new home has an existing digital licence for Pro I've been able to upgrade the migrated OS from Home to Pro.

    My SYSTEM EIGHT is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (5th gen) type 20LN, Celeron N4120, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, a supported device for Windows 11. Currently running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds as native boot vhdx.
MrPig said:
Mysteriously it re-activated the following day!

However, Gigabyte released a firmware update for my mobo (applied) & now Windows is asking for activation!
Go through the process & it claims the key is used on another machine. Go to MS account & I have two identical PC's, I assume it registered the firmware changed device as a new entry?
I deleted one & back to the activation process & there is no PC in my MS account linked to this PC.
Try the "I changed hardware" routine & it goes through a remote activation procedure after asking a slew of questions & I get the unexpected error message.
According to MS you cannot activate, over the phone, Win Pro for Workstation! So what next?
Click to expand...
You may not be able to activate Windows 11 Pro for Workstations using the automatic activator over phone, but you should be able to connect to a Microsoft representative to guide you what to do. Just press the respective option or press a wrong option several times.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (7582), 25H2 (9457)Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz4GBMobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (7582), 25H2 (9457)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    802.11g wireless 54 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, no SSE4.2, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (build 26200.9457)Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generat...2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6GB...
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (build 26200.9457)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6GB (GV-N3050WF2OCV2-6GD)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD Blue SA510 2.5 1000GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Deepcool Gamma Archer CPU cooler, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Mouse
    Microsoft Compact Optical Mouse
    Internet Speed
    802.11ac 5GHz wireless 260Mpbs
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
Wahay! Back online & activated.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039Xeon W7-3455256GbRTX 4500 ADA
OS
Win 11 Pro Workstation 25H2 26200.8039
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Manmade
CPU
Xeon W7-3455
Motherboard
Gigabyte MW83-RP0
Memory
256Gb
Graphics Card(s)
RTX 4500 ADA
Sound Card
RealTek
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 32UN650P
Screen Resolution
3840x2160
Hard Drives
Boot: Transcend TS1MTE250H. Storage: Sabrent SB-RKT4P. Backup: Toshiba MG08ADA600E
PSU
Corsair 850W
Case
BeQuiet 802
Cooling
Noctua D9
Internet Speed
500Mb
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
25H2 26200.8039
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