Hardware changes (Beating a dead horse, I know)

Hello forum,

I understand the title seems like a recurring question. I just got off a chat session with MSFT Support after asking about W10 upgrade reactivation when a major hardware change had been performed. I was led to believe I could just ring them and let them know my Motherboard and CPU had been changed in order to have W10 reactivated, but it seems this criteria has now been changed?

My support rep said I would need my old W7 key in order to reactivate or just buy a new license. When I explained this computer had been running on the same hardware and installation for quite a while and I no longer had the activation key and the installation ID was wiped as W10 installed so the only proof I had a legitimate copy of W7 was my W10 free upgrade.. I was told I need to buy a new license, case closed.

So.. now one of my computers will become useless unless I buy a new license, but how does it make sense for users with old PCs running W7 and upgrading to W10 for free looking for a refresh, but it will still require to buy the license anyway if we have to make big hardware changes instead of buying a whole new PC?

I see most of you people have been able to get Windows reactivated after a MOBO/CPU change, so I am very confused as to why MSFT treated my case differently. Did I miss anything?

Thanks for your time.

Rules are simple and clear in EULA. Windows 10 is transferable if original licence was standalone (retail). If original licence was oem it is not.

This is not a change in policy, it is just that MS are stricter now in enforcing this policy.

Consider a person who has extensive surgery to look like somebody else. No matter what they are still the original person - it is the brain that defines the person. The same is true of a pc. The mobo is the brains of a pc - you can change all the attached devices but it is still the same brains.

I do not think you are correct saying most have been able to get it reactivated. Where they have done so will be because original licence was retail.

Some people have persuaded MS the mobo change was a like for like replacement, and have got oem versions reactivated but that is definitely not the norm.

The really unfortunate case is where original licence was retail but you have lost the key.