Get ready to purchase a new Windows Activation key

Birk · Oct 17, 2024

I've been running Windows since before Windows existed, and I've gone through all the steps DOS -> Windows 3.x => Windows 7 => Windows 8 => Windows 10 => Windows 11. I bought a legit CD (or maybe it was a DVD) for Windows 7 when I made that switch.

3 days ago I had to run a Win 11 Repair install to fix a very obscure printer related problem: Problem thread. The Repair install ran fine and my system seemed to be OK.

Yesterday the system booted and told me I had to activate my system. I went to the Activation page and when I tried to activate it I got a error message 0x80070005. The only way to fix this is to get a call back from Microsoft - which took an extra day. I just spent about an hour on the phone with the Microsoft rep and the bottom line is I was told my only fix was to go to the Microsoft store and buy a new activation key - cost $130.

The explanation I got (I don't know if this is true or not) was that some time ago Microsoft changed it's policy about inheriting Activation codes from previous Windows versions, and they no longer support transferring Activation codes from one version of Windows to another. Apparently a Repair install of Win11 constitutes creating a new version.

Of course none of this makes any sense to me, especially since I've been running a legal version of Windows for many years. So I'm going to see if there is some way around this revolting development.

Birk · Oct 17, 2024

More confusing info on this:

1. I haven't been able to find a way to get around the "non-activated" state of my system. So I restored a backup I made after completing the Repair install. It showed that my system was in fact activated:

BUT (this a big but) apparently my system actually has no imbedded/internal activation code. The MS rep told me how to display my system's activation code by using this command:
wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey

When I do that the command completes, but there is no activation code shown. This means that my system really is not activated. And apparently it takes a day or so for Windows to recognize this and then put up the "you need to activate" message.

Maybe one way around this ridiculous problem is to make another Macrium backup after I've finished putting all the tweaks i need back in the system,. and then do a Restore each time I see the "not activated message."

Or maybe I'll try using the code from my wife's machine - if it has one.

bobkn · Oct 17, 2024

Very strange. If you haven't swapped in a new motherboard, I'd expect your digital license to activate the repaired Windows installation.

Even if it didn't, I'd expect Microsoft to grandfather your installation.

A few years ago, I had a Windows 10 activation issue. (Transfer to a new PC.) My last paid upgrade was to 8. One support person demanded that I re-install 8, and upgrade to 10 from that. Somehow I managed to avoid shouting obscenities at him. Eventually, I found a support person who a) had a clue and b) was willing to help. He made me jump through a few hoops, but eventually provided a new license key.

An alternative would be to buy a cheap OEM code. Guru3D, a site I visit frequently, usually has a link to such a seller. (Guru3D is not a piracy site.)

I don't know the provenance of those ~20 keys, but Microsoft's activation servers seem to accept them.

Birk · Oct 17, 2024

bobkn said:
Very strange. If you haven't swapped in a new motherboard,

Naturally I did install a new motherboard a few years ago. But I never had this Activation problem until now. I just found out wife's PC has the same problem - it shows as activated but that fancy command shows no activation key.

My laptop is activated and has a key, but it doesn't work on this system. I'll try your suggestion and see what happens. Thanks.

TM21 · Oct 17, 2024

OK, so you've said that you've paid your dues, now stop feeding the Demon!
Activation Keys are just so much BS, like a lot of what MS does. Just one more scheme to get into your pocket. STOP IT!

I've run the same sequence of Windows that you have, and I've NEVER Bought a Key. NEVER!
But then, I've always been my own man, and I don't take orders from Big Brother.
I actually started off with DOS 2.0, many long years ago. And in all my ten PC's, there is no Hidden Key in any of them.

I have the solution to your problem, is you want to PM me.

TM

Scott · Oct 17, 2024

MS stopped accepting Win 7 keys for Win 11 activation some time ago. Search the Forum.
Stack Social is a verified MS partner.

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro | StackSocial

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Birk · Oct 17, 2024

TechnoMage2021 said:
I have the solution to your problem, is you want to PM me.

Message says I can't start a PM with youi

pseymour · Oct 17, 2024

Birk said:
Message says I can't start a PM with youi

Refresh the page. User seems to be banned.

Berton · Oct 17, 2024

As for the 'key', Win8 began the OEM computers having the information on the motherboard, didn't need the Product Key of Win7 and earlier. I have 2 computers that work with upgrading from Win7 into Win10 but they won't properly upgrade to Win11 so as least can get another year out of them.

Birk · Oct 17, 2024

pseymour said:
Refresh the page. User seems to be banned.

Yes, I noticed that. Will close browser, clear cookies, and start over.

BamaInArk · Oct 17, 2024

Swapping a motherboard should not be an issue for a Retail license key. You indeed may have been caught in the Win7 to higher OS fiasco. Upgrading to Win10 and then to Win11 from Win7 was not an issue initially. At some point however MS decided to kill that feature. If you had a system upgraded and it was working all would be okay. However if for some reason it lost the license key, for whatever reason, you might not be able to use the same key again.

neemobeer · Oct 17, 2024

Microsoft nixed the use of Windows 7 & 8 license keys to activate Windows 10/11 some time ago.

Berton · Oct 17, 2024

I have a Dell Inspiron 580 with Win7 installed that still has the COA sticker with the Product Key on it.

Birk · Oct 17, 2024

1. Starting fresh still shows him as banned so no way to PM him.

2. I'm getting suspicious about the possibility of a totally different problem: when I try to enter the product key from my laptop I get the same error message:

This has been happening for the last 2 days, so I'm wondering if the problem has something to do with contacting the MS servers that deal with activation. I did geet an activation code that is supposed to work - but it ends up with the above error. This makes me think even if I do pay the ransom and buy one from the MS store I'll still get the same error.

pparks1 · Oct 17, 2024

Birk said:
Yes, I noticed that. Will close browser, clear cookies, and start over.

He wasn't banned when you chatted with him last, but he apparently posted one too many times his love of piracy and not paying for windows that somebody done gave him da boot.

KevTech · Oct 17, 2024

Might help but might not.

Error 0x80070005 (Access denied) when you activate Windows - Windows Server

Describes how to fix Windows activation error 0x80070005 (access denied).

learn.microsoft.com

trevo · Oct 17, 2024

pparks1 said:
He wasn't banned when you chatted with him last, but he apparently posted one too many times his love of piracy and not paying for windows that somebody done gave him da boot.

The ghost of Norton Ghost

Birk · Oct 18, 2024

My story continues....

My concern about the blue error message I posted above kept bugging me, so I made another Incident report with Microsoft. I got a call back around 11:00PM west coast time (I'm in California) from a person with an Indian accent. (My guess is most of the MS reps who make these calls are in India, so it's a good idea to create an incident when it is daytime over there.)

We had maybe a 10 minute phone conversation in which he said he got my incident report and wanted to assure me that all was OK with my system. He understood what my problem was and that it really was not a problem at all. It was pretty clear he had access to my previous conversation with the MS person who told me "Go to the Microsoft store." Here's a list of what I've found out during this whole experience:

1. When contacting MS by phone (the only way to do it as far as I can tell), when they call you back they ask if it's OK for your call to be recorded. Push 1 on the phone to allow this - that way any subsequent call will enable to MS rep to review your previous experiences.

2. Depending on how your Windows got activated, displaying the current product key may show as blanks when you enter the command to display it. This is that command: wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey. You enter it using Powershell Admin mode.

3. I did explain to the MS rep about my long history of continuous upgrades from one version of Windows to the next, and how I did upgrade the motherboard on my current system a couple of years ago. The MS rep said that for inherited activations, meaning those that came from a previous version of Windows, the current product key will always display as blanks when using the above command. The reason is that the actual/active license key is not anywhere on the boot drive, but rather on the motherboard, and it is also in your Microsoft UserID data they have stored on their system. I am unaware of any way a user can see all that data.

4. Apparently (meaning this is a guess on my part) what really matters is whether or not your UserID data on their system contains a valid/legal license key. If it does, and you can't find it anywhere, they will tell you what it is. In my case the rep gave me a "universal" license key I could use if anything like this happens in the future. (I hope I don't get banned for posting that.) Again, he assured me that even though I can't display my license key it is there (somewhere) and I should not see the message "Your version of Windows is not activated" again.

5. I found this web page that has good info on diagnosing and fixing activation problems: 12 Tips.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed than in another 3 days I won't see that message about needing to activate Windows.

KevTech · Oct 18, 2024

Did you try what I posted at #16?
If self does not have permissions activation will fail.

FDretired · Oct 18, 2024

bobkn said:
Very strange.If you haven't swapped in a new motherboard, I'd expect your digital license to activate the repaired Windows installation.

My relative had a Dell SFF computer with windows 10 Pro. The computer died. We did not determine whether it was the power supply or the motherboard

I did this for him

1)Bought new windows 11compatible motherboard and CPU
2) A new Micro atx case
3) A new Power supply.

We moved the SD and memory from the Dell to the new build.

On booting up there were some drivers installed.

The windows 10 was activated.

We upgraded to Windows 11 which was activated.

We then cloned the sata SSD to a new NVME disk and made
bootable.

We removed the old ssd.

I presume the digital memory of the SSD and MEMORY was sufficient for
activation.

Get ready to purchase a new Windows Activation key

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