Windows 11 Home CZ OEM Installation Issue After Motherboard Failure

Windows 11
1

Hello,

I built my PC using components I purchased, and then installed Windows 11 Home (OEM) using the CD and license key I bought. Currently, I'm dealing with a motherboard issue with the seller, and it seems I'll be getting a replacement motherboard of the same model.

Do I need to buy a new license in this situation, or can I transfer the existing one? The hard drive with the installed system will remain the same. Since I've only had my PC since March 2024, I don't want to purchase a new license so soon due to a fault that's not my responsibility...

2

Hey there,

Sounds like you’re dealing with a right mess, especially since you’ve already tried several solutions without any luck.

First, let’s sort out the Microsoft account issue. Even if you deleted the old account, the system might still be linked. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Open a new support ticket with Microsoft: You mentioned you tried this before. But give it another shot. Be very specific about your problem, including the error codes and the fact that you’ve deleted the old Microsoft account.

  2. Try the command prompts again with admin access: Just to cover all the bases, run these commands in administrative mode:

    1. slmgr -rearm
    2. slmgr -upk
    3. slmgr -cpky

    Then restart your computer and try activating Windows again using the product key.

If you still can’t get it to work after all this, here’s your last resort:

Reinstall Windows 11 entirely: Yeah, I know you were hoping to avoid this, but if your product key isn’t being recognized, it’s the most likely solution. Since you still have the original OEM installation media and key, this should reactivate your Windows.

  • Make sure you back up all important files (documents, photos, etc.) before doing the clean install.
  • Reinstall Windows 11, and when prompted for a product key, use the original OEM key.
  • Once installed, sign in with a new Microsoft account or your old one (if you can recover it) and let Windows activate.

Lastly, for future reference, you might want to create a Microsoft account to link your Windows licence. This way, if you need to replace hardware again, it’ll be easier to reactivate.

Hope this helps, and good luck getting your Windows up and running smoothly again.