I had to get the Mainboard of my Acer Aspire 4752G Laptop repaired, and Windows 10 Pro Insider is now deactivated. A 'click' on the Activate Windows now will end up in error messages explaining that Windows didn't have a Digital License and could not be activated! Ok, I checked what all was changed on the Mainboard because initially, I was take it to repair as the Battery could be charged anymore. The Service explained that also was a problem with the chipset and the WiFi Module, which both worked well at the time I took the machine to the repair shop! So, they changed the chipset and several small IC's (power/charging related) and repaired the WiFi Module. All is working now as it should, just Windows 10 need to be activated again, or maybe re-installed! Firstly I'll try a normal Activation using my Windows 8.1 Key. If that didn't work, I'll install 8.1 again, activate it and install Windows 10 pro via WU, and after that, do a new clean install of W10Pro. This thread is just as a reminder what could happen if an MB gets repaired: ACTIVATION was gone! Just to tell what that repair has cost: THB 1,500.00 (US$ ~45.00)! That low cost is the exact reason for doing such repairs in Thailand!
Isn't there a button labelled troubleshoot activation or similar? I've changed motherboards a few times and was able to re-activate each time using my Microsoft account.
Yes, there is, just it will not activate. Ok, I didn't dig very deep right now, no time for that, important work comes first!!
Make sure that when you activate you use an online Microsoft account to activate for your digital license. IIRC, the online account supports as many as ten different "devices" (including PCs) simultaneously.
Don't worry about that! That I know a long, long time already, I'm not new to this stuff! My intention of this thread was for to inform others WHAT could be in the case of a Mainboard Repair.
Yes, if the motherboard gets replaced, that's a new HWID. I seriously doubt that they actually repaired the board itself, very labor intensive, they most likely just swapped it.
if he change the mobo he lost hes HWID....he mite have to go throw win7 or 8 upgrade again if he wants a legit license or insider program or KMS activation as a last resort.
Insider program doesn't activate anything, it has been so since a year or so, HWID, KMS, KEY or MSDM is needed.
You could doubt that, in fact, it's not 'swapped' or changed, it's the old MB! It really is repaired! Beside of that, the cost for to change an MB, even a 2.hdn one is used, would be more than double of what the cost was been, not to tell that the S/N etc. are still the same as the original!
As written in OP, that thread was just to inform about the possibility that sudden repairs of a Mainboard end up in deactivation, that's why I wrote "COULD" and not "WOULD' or "WILL" in the first paragraph of the OP! I am not asked for way's to reactivate, that's something I know well and will not talk about, more than I done already. Period!
if he use a repair software to fix the mobo and he re-wrote code in the bios he would lose the SID number and now windows doesnt recognize that machine.
Some variables could lead into deactivation of Windows when doing hardware repair at electronic components level. That's the point of this thread. OP does not want any kind of help or speculations. Spoiler: Hint Use MAKs and spare a Windows re-install, lol j/k. Don't do this at home
Yeah the topic title is a little misleading. Should of just added the info into existing thread on activation/methods. Op says "So, they changed the chipset and several small IC's (power/charging related) and repaired the WiFi Module" yet it's the same motherboard? No one changed the chipset on the same motherboard, that's just crazy. Perhaps some caps, etc, but not the chipset. They may of replaced the wifi module with one that has a different chipset? Say realtek to intel? "All is working now as it should, just Windows 10 need to be activated again, or maybe re-installed!" Again, it's not clear to me how OP got it activated. Did Pisthai perform a clean install? Install w8.1 1st?? You should not need to go down this path if it's already had "digital entitlement"... Damn I should of just left this...