Programs activation lost after Update to Windows 11


sfleury

Well-known member
Member
Local time
12:10 PM
Posts
38
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Hello
Af ter an update from Windows 10 to Windows, I noticed that some programs are no longer "active" and I have to reenter the licence key

It's OK for some programs (even if for some of them I had to contact the developer to reinitiate my registration !)
But for some program, the developer just closed business and disappeared ;-(

So I cannot use the program any more !

Is that normal ? Is there a way to "force" recognition of the licence key somewhere in the registry ?

Thanks for your help Have a good day
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProfessionalIntel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz FamilleDDR4 32768 MoNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom built
CPU
Intel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz Famille
Motherboard
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING (LGA1151)
Memory
DDR4 32768 Mo
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Sound Card
None
Monitor(s) Displays
NEC X223HQ on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and ACER EA243WM on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
System on EMTEC X150 960GB (SSD) and additional HDD
OOps
My Version of Windows 11 64 Bits Pro is : Version 23H2 Build 22631.5840
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProfessionalIntel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz FamilleDDR4 32768 MoNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom built
CPU
Intel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz Famille
Motherboard
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING (LGA1151)
Memory
DDR4 32768 Mo
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Sound Card
None
Monitor(s) Displays
NEC X223HQ on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and ACER EA243WM on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
System on EMTEC X150 960GB (SSD) and additional HDD
Unless you made an image backup before you upgraded (always recommended), then you are almost certainly out of luck.

Regrettably, one should always make sure you have appropriate licence keys BEFORE one upgrades.

If it was a simple matter of a registry change, that would obviously lead to software piracy. Even if key is recoverable, it would be encrypted, so you could not enter it.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ16 GB solderedIntegrated Intel Iris XE
OS
Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
ASUS Zenbook 14
CPU
I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
Motherboard
Yep, Laptop has one.
Memory
16 GB soldered
Graphics Card(s)
Integrated Intel Iris XE
Sound Card
Realtek built in
Monitor(s) Displays
laptop OLED screen
Screen Resolution
2880x1800 touchscreen
Hard Drives
1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
PSU
Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
Case
Yep, got one
Cooling
Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
Keyboard
Built in UK keybd
Mouse
Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
Internet Speed
900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

Macrium Reflect Home V8
Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
Sadly @cereberus is correct. I once had a problem trying to update my old desktop to the latest Canary build because it kept failing and rolling back. I tried restoring from everyone of my Macrium images and for what ever reason it still wouldn't update. I decide to restore my last image and wait until the next build. It didn't work so I decided to try a clean install of the latest build. That did work and I'm still able to update to the newest Canary builds. The only problem is that I lost everyone of my free Software of the Day programs.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2Intel Core i7-10700K16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    #1. LG ULTRAWIDE 34" #2. AOC Q32G2WG3 32"
    Screen Resolution
    #1. 3440 X 1440 #2. 1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Webroot SecureAnywhere CE 26.1
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Canary ChannelIntel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-A
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Thank you for your answers
I have a SSD with an "old" copy of Windows 10, before the update -
I'll see if I can boot it and access the program I lost - It would a "half-good" solution, better than nothing
But I'm afraid there is no way to get back the prog ram on Windows 11 ;-(
Have a good end of week-end and a good week !
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProfessionalIntel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz FamilleDDR4 32768 MoNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom built
CPU
Intel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz Famille
Motherboard
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING (LGA1151)
Memory
DDR4 32768 Mo
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Sound Card
None
Monitor(s) Displays
NEC X223HQ on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and ACER EA243WM on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
System on EMTEC X150 960GB (SSD) and additional HDD
  • Love
Reactions: OAT
There are two solutions I can think of that should work.
1. Dual boot W 10 and Win 11.
2. Run Win 11 in a VM on Win 10.
This will allow you to run both version of Windows without losing any of your programs. If you decide to dual boot you can either use two separate drives or make a partition on the OS drive if there is enough drive space. I prefer two separate drives. When I setup a dual boot system using two drives I found that it's best to remove or unplug the drive with the OS first. Then do the clean install on the other drive. When finished connect the drive that you disconnected. When you restart your computer the BIOS should boot the computer to the original drive. This should be the drive that Win 10 is installed on. Once Win 10 is booted you should be able to add the new drive to the boot menu using either msconfig or EasyBCD. I prefer EasyBCD.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2Intel Core i7-10700K16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    #1. LG ULTRAWIDE 34" #2. AOC Q32G2WG3 32"
    Screen Resolution
    #1. 3440 X 1440 #2. 1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Webroot SecureAnywhere CE 26.1
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Canary ChannelIntel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-A
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
T hanks
I'll use something similar
I have Windows 10 on an external SSD I can connect via an USB port
At startup, I go to the BIOS and select on which drive I want to boot
It's probably something comparable to what you explain and I know it works ;-)
Have a good evening !
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProfessionalIntel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz FamilleDDR4 32768 MoNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom built
CPU
Intel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz Famille
Motherboard
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING (LGA1151)
Memory
DDR4 32768 Mo
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Sound Card
None
Monitor(s) Displays
NEC X223HQ on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and ACER EA243WM on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
System on EMTEC X150 960GB (SSD) and additional HDD
May be the "dual boot" you mention is more convenient and I would only have to select on which system I want to boot
But I'm not familiar with this procedure and how to "install" it !
Would it be possible to have a dual boot on this external SSD ? How should I proceed to "install" it ?
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProfessionalIntel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz FamilleDDR4 32768 MoNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom built
CPU
Intel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz Famille
Motherboard
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING (LGA1151)
Memory
DDR4 32768 Mo
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Sound Card
None
Monitor(s) Displays
NEC X223HQ on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and ACER EA243WM on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
System on EMTEC X150 960GB (SSD) and additional HDD
May I inquire what program you are referring to?
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8655i9-10900 10 core 20 threads32 gbnone-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8655
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457AMD Ryzen 7 6800U32 gbintegrated
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.8457
Hello
It's a program called "Retouching Toolkit" that allows to develop Photoshop panels
I think it was develop in Sweden by a guy named Connie Walstrom
I used it for 4 or 5 years b ut the company and developer disappeared about 2 years ago
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProfessionalIntel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz FamilleDDR4 32768 MoNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom built
CPU
Intel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz Famille
Motherboard
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING (LGA1151)
Memory
DDR4 32768 Mo
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Sound Card
None
Monitor(s) Displays
NEC X223HQ on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and ACER EA243WM on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
System on EMTEC X150 960GB (SSD) and additional HDD
May be the "dual boot" you mention is more convenient and I would only have to select on which system I want to boot
But I'm not familiar with this procedure and how to "install" it !
Would it be possible to have a dual boot on this external SSD ? How should I proceed to "install" it ?
This is how I did my latest dual boot system. First I made a install USB drive using Rufus. Then with the computer turned off and unplugged I installed the drive I wanted to install the OS on. Next I unplugged the other drive plugged in the computer, booted to the BIOS and chose the USB as the Boot drive. Once Windows was installed and setup I turned off the computer unplugged it and reconnect the original OS drive. Then I restarted the computer and booted into the original Windows OS. (I forget if I had to reset the BIOS or if I set the USB to boot just the one time.) The final step was to use EasyBCD to add the new Windows install to the boot menu. I can now boot into the Win 11 Canary build or into Win 11 25H2 by selecting the OS from the boot menu. In EasyBCD I set the Win 11 25H2 drive as the first drive. This way the computer boots to Win 11 25H2 if I don't select any of the other boot options. I have 4 entries; 24H2, Canary, Macrium and AOMEI Backupper.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2Intel Core i7-10700K16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    #1. LG ULTRAWIDE 34" #2. AOC Q32G2WG3 32"
    Screen Resolution
    #1. 3440 X 1440 #2. 1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Webroot SecureAnywhere CE 26.1
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Canary ChannelIntel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-A
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Thanks for your answer
But for a long time, the problem is the same :
I have m y key,
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProfessionalIntel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz FamilleDDR4 32768 MoNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom built
CPU
Intel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz Famille
Motherboard
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING (LGA1151)
Memory
DDR4 32768 Mo
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Sound Card
None
Monitor(s) Displays
NEC X223HQ on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and ACER EA243WM on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
System on EMTEC X150 960GB (SSD) and additional HDD
Oooops ! Something went wrong !
I've done the process before ...... but tried it anyway from scratch ..... IT WORKED !!
For months, I tried to contact them without success .... Th e owner of the company just disappeared from everywhere (including FaceBook)
I followed the procedure and reinstalled the product giving my license key and the product started
I tried to access some support page but got a 404 error ...
So it seems the site is probably still there but unattended
Anyways, thanks a lot for your suggestion !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have a good day
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProfessionalIntel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz FamilleDDR4 32768 MoNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom built
CPU
Intel Core i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz Famille
Motherboard
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING (LGA1151)
Memory
DDR4 32768 Mo
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Sound Card
None
Monitor(s) Displays
NEC X223HQ on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and ACER EA243WM on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
System on EMTEC X150 960GB (SSD) and additional HDD
I've done the process before ...... but tried it anyway from scratch ..... IT WORKED !!
I'm glad you were able to get your program working. I have a video editing program that I use a lot. The owner of the program passed away and his wife knows nothing about running a business so the software can no longer activated if newly installed. To activate the program has to contact the server. I'm surprised that one of the competitors of similar software hasn't tried to buy the rights to the software.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2Intel Core i7-10700K16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    #1. LG ULTRAWIDE 34" #2. AOC Q32G2WG3 32"
    Screen Resolution
    #1. 3440 X 1440 #2. 1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Webroot SecureAnywhere CE 26.1
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Canary ChannelIntel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-A
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Back
Top Bottom