Reactivating Windows licence after BIOS update

Question

Reactivating Windows licence after BIOS update

Anonymous

Hi folks,

two days ago I did a BIOS update. Since then my Windows licence is not activated. I assume that Windows detected a hardware change but the strange thing is that I update my BIOS every few months and never had this issue.

The error code is 0x803FABC3

Windows licence is a Win7 OEM licence that I upgraded to Win10 and Win11.

When using the troubleshooter in the system menu it tries to activate Windows then fails.

After that I get the option to buy a new licence or to click on a button that says that I recently changed my hardware. After clicking on the latter I get a list of all my systems that are registered with my Microsoft account. My recent system was listed 5 or 6 times there. I guess that after every BIOS update Microsoft detected a whole new system!?

The option to register one of the listed systems fails (on all of the listed). So I deleted all the different versions of my current system in the list.

I now get the message that Windows can't be activated when using the troubleshooter and clicking on the button that says I recently changed my hardware.

I could really need some help here,

thanks!

Niklas

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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9 answers

Answer 1

Hi, I am Dave, I will help you with this.

This problem is caused by the BIOS update, that can cause Windows to think it is installed on a new PC, and on the 20th of September Microsoft finally closed the loophole that allows a Windows 7/8 licence key to activate Windows 10/11.

The only real option would be to contact Microsoft Support directly, because Community is just a user to user forum, explain to them about the BIOS update and that you had previously upgraded and they can hopefully help you to re-activate Windows.

Answer 2

Thanks for your reply!

I just had a call with the support. They could not reactivate my licence. The problem is, like you mentioned, that I have a Win7 licence and after the "hardware change" (which wasn't even a hardware change, just a BIOS update...) I can not "upgrade" to a Win11 licence.

Actually I am really frustrated now, how can this be?

I upgraded my Win7 licence quiet some time ago and I didn't even change my hardware and now my licence is gone.

The only option the support told me is to buy a new license...

Answer 3

DaveM121 937.5K Independent Advisor

I can understand your frustration, they are the only ones that can help to get that licence re-activated, they are the only ones with account access and many people are experiencing the same problems after a BIOS update or hardware change if the underlying licence is a Windows 7/8 licence.

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Answer 4

Anonymous

Do I understand this correct:
Every time I do a BIOS update / hardware change, the windows licence needs to re-activate and every time it does that it tries to upgrade my old licence to a new one?
I always thought that this 7 to 11 upgrade was stored in my Microsoft account...

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Answer 5

DaveM121 937.5K Independent Advisor

When you update you BIOS, that changes the DeviceID and causes the Activation Authenticator in Windows to check the licence on their servers used in Windows, and because of the block they put in place in September to stop the free upgrade using a Windows 7 licence key, that caused the licence to deactivate.

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