Slow ring insider, new motherboard, W10 asking to activate

Hi all,

Been on the insider program for over a year now, continued using it post release and very happy so far. Currently on slow ring.

Just installed a new motherboard (which I know Windows see as a new computer) and I'm now getting a watermark to "Activate Windows". I'm logged in using the same email address.

Any ideas how to remove it?? Or am going to have to buy a full copy now I've changed motherboard?

Thanks.

Did you have a prior retail version (not OEM) of Windows that you used to upgrade to 10? If you do, try to activate with that product key. Starting with the fall update (version 1511) you are able to activate that way. If it was a system builder version you are probably out of luck.

No, it was the insider build last installed around May this year, not from an updated version of W7 or 8. Worked no problem pre-release, I just kept updating on slow ring post-release.

New motherboard installed (moved from an ATX chassis to a mini ITX) and I just downloaded W10 off the windows website, logged in with my own email address assigned to insider builds and I'm left with the watermark.

Are you using a Microsoft account. . ., if not attempt to setup a Microsoft account to try activation.

For those who never upgraded to windows 10 from a genuine windows 7 or 8 but joined the program through downloading an iso, the activation stayed as long as you stayed an insider on that machine. By installing a new motherboard you have a different hardware hash that you did before so it won't activate. Eventually it will start to nag and then stop working altogether. You need to either find a retail copy of windows 7 or 8 and use that key to activate or buy a copy of windows 10 and use that key.

Thanks all for the reply. I went though to my Microsoft account, verified my current PC using a code via text message, then removed my old motherboard from the account and it worked fine.

Seems a long way to things, but it worked.

Thanks once again

Thanks all for the reply. I went though to my Microsoft account, verified my current PC using a code via text message, then removed my old motherboard from the account and it worked fine.

Seems a long way to things, but it worked.

Thanks once again

Glad you found a solution that worked. Good info to have in case I ever decide to move my Insider build to a different computer.

For those who never upgraded to windows 10 from a genuine windows 7 or 8 but joined the program through downloading an iso, the activation stayed as long as you stayed an insider on that machine. By installing a new motherboard you have a different hardware hash that you did before so it won't activate. Eventually it will start to nag and then stop working altogether. You need to either find a retail copy of windows 7 or 8 and use that key to activate or buy a copy of windows 10 and use that key.

That shouldn't be the case with insider builds. Release builds yes, insider builds no. You are not yet required to have a genuine windows 7 or 8.1 to test windows insider builds even though Microsoft thinking about doing that but they would lose a lot of testers.

That shouldn't be the case with insider builds. Release builds yes, insider builds no. You are not yet required to have a genuine windows 7 or 8.1 to test windows insider builds even though Microsoft thinking about doing that but they would lose a lot of testers.

This is from Gabe Aul 8/18/15: Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10525 | Windows Experience Blog .

A highlight:


I believe that this is still current.

This is from Gabe Aul 8/18/15: Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10525 | Windows Experience Blog .

A highlight:


I believe that this is still current.

I forgot about that post. I still think that is wrong. As I said before in a previous post, you shouldn't have to give up a key just to test insider previews. I don't think this was required in the past. I am surprised more people haven't dropped out of the insider program-maybe people are not aware of that new requirement.