Try right clicking Start button to open Admin Command Prompt, type slui 4įollow prompts to refresh the hardware signature in MS activation servers to see if it will activate. How to Use Your Free Windows 10 License After Changing Your PC’s Hardware. If so, then the Windows 10 Team has been very clear that the free Upgrade activation survives a motherboard change, and this has been confirmed by the Vice President of Development Gabe Aul as quoted in Takes precedence over the policy on Upgrade motherboard change. Just to clarify: Was the original OS before Upgrade a retail or OEM license? Only Full or Upgrade retail is able to survive a motherboard change (because it can migrate), so any restriction is inherited and _ Bill Smithers - Microsoft MVP July 2013 - Dec 2020 If the motherboard is replaced because it is defective, you do not need to acquire a new operating system license for the PCĪs long as the replacement motherboard is the same make/model or the same manufacturer's replacement/equivalent, as defined by the manufacturer's you bought and installed your own Retail Windows License that you upgraded from, you can change Motherboards, but doing that will now require a Phone Activation and you should not follow the Auto prompts, but hold on for a real preson to explain to.Ĭheers. Microsoft OEM operating system software cannot be transferred to the new computer, and the licence of new operating system software is required. Motherboard is upgraded or replaced for reasons other than a defect, then a new computer has been created. Generally, an end user can upgrade or replace all of the hardware components on a computer- except the motherboard-and still retain the licence for the original Microsoft OEM operating system software.

Change motherboard system image