Says my windows licence will expire.....I don't understand why?!!

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  1. Posts : 20
    windows 10
       #1

    Says my windows licence will expire.....I don't understand why?!!


    Hi,
    so i upgraded to windows 10 from windows 7 home, over a year ago. (full retail windows 7, NOT OEM installed)
    a few months ago i upgraded my system, new motherboard, so decided to do a clean install of windows 10 - made the bootable USB tool via Microsoft site for windows 10 home, formatted my drive through the setup process and did a clean install.

    now all of a sudden its saying the below. What the hell!
    Am i going to have to reformat, install windows 7 again, then upgrade through that?
    There's got to be another way, surely.

    if i click on activate, it does nothing. If i click on change product key and type in my windows 7 key, it says its the wrong key for windows 10 home.

    Says my windows licence will expire.....I don't understand why?!!-fgqbwuc.jpg
    Last edited by hiohaa; 01 Jul 2016 at 13:56.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 16,325
    W10Prox64
       #2

    hiohaa said:
    Hi,
    so i upgraded to windows 10 from windows 7 home, over a year ago.
    a few months ago i upgraded my system, new motherboard, so decided to do a clean install of windows 10 - made the bootable USB tool via Microsoft site for windows 10 home, formatted my drive through the setup process and did a clean install.

    now all of a sudden its saying the below. What the hell!
    Am i going to have to reformat, install windows 7 again, then upgrade through that?
    There's got to be another way, surely.

    if i click on activate, it does nothing. If i click on change product key and type in my windows 7 key, it says its the wrong key for windows 10 home.

    Says my windows licence will expire.....I don't understand why?!!-fgqbwuc.jpg
    Hi hiohaa and welcome to Tenforums.

    Upgrading a MB constitutes a new system, so unless your W7 key is a Full Retail Key, you need a new key.

    Pre-installed OEM licenses do not have transfer rights and are linked to the original system.
    OEM System Builder keys are the same as above, with regards transfer rights.
    Full Retail Keys have transfer rights and will activate when you change the MB, as new system.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 20
    windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #3

    simrick said:
    Hi hiohaa and welcome to Tenforums.

    Upgrading a MB constitutes a new system, so unless your W7 key is a Full Retail Key, you need a new key.

    Pre-installed OEM licenses do not have transfer rights and are linked to the original system.
    OEM System Builder keys are the same as above, with regards transfer rights.
    Full Retail Keys have transfer rights and will activate when you change the MB, as new system.
    It is a full retail key. NOT a pre installed windows 7. I have changed mobo many times during my windows 7 years.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 16,325
    W10Prox64
       #4

    hiohaa said:
    It is a full retail key. NOT a pre installed windows 7. I have changed mobo many times during my windows 7 years.
    That's good. Maybe you need to run slui.exe 4 and activate by phone then? That's a generic key you have on the system right now.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 13,895
    Win10 Version 22H2 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home
       #5

    Just a comment: the only times I've seen a date or time mentioned with Windows to activate was after a clean install, 30 days, a reinstall, 3 days, or with the Insider Preview that does give an expiration date. Is it possible the Insider Preview got installed by accident? Hold down the Windows key and press R, type winver to see what is installed.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 3,502
    Win_8.1-Pro, Win_10.1607-Pro, Mint_17.3
       #6

    Berton said:
    .....
    Is it possible the Insider Preview got installed by accident? Hold down the Windows key and press R, type winver to see what is installed.
    I think you might be on to something

    hiohaa said:
    .....
    i upgraded to windows 10 from windows 7 home, over a year ago. (full retail windows 7, NOT OEM installed)

    a few months ago i upgraded my system, new motherboard, so decided to do a clean install of windows 10 - made the bootable USB tool via Microsoft site for windows 10 home, formatted my drive through the setup process and did a clean install.
    .....
    Over a year ago Win10 was still Tech Preview

    A few months ago (3?) might equate to a 90 day evaluation install

    This is an interesting thread. I don't have a solution, other than a phone activation as simrick suggested.

    Double check your ISO / install media to make sure it matches your installed system (Home).

    Command Prompt (Admin)

    DISM /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:F:\sources\install.wim /index:1
    DISM /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:F:\sources\install.wim /index:2

    -- OR --

    DISM /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:F:\sources\install.esd /index:1
    DISM /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:F:\sources\install.esd /index:2

    F: is only an example - change the drive letter to match your install media or mounted ISO
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 20
    windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Berton said:
    Just a comment: the only times I've seen a date or time mentioned with Windows to activate was after a clean install, 30 days, a reinstall, 3 days, or with the Insider Preview that does give an expiration date. Is it possible the Insider Preview got installed by accident? Hold down the Windows key and press R, type winver to see what is installed.
    Says my windows licence will expire.....I don't understand why?!!-cdie0xp.jpg
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #8

    Running slmgr /dlv in a command prompt (admin) and posting the results here will help us figure out what is going on. You should get something like this:

    Says my windows licence will expire.....I don't understand why?!!-capture.jpg
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 3,257
    Windows 10 Pro
       #9

    hiohaa said:
    It is a full retail key. NOT a pre installed windows 7. I have changed mobo many times during my windows 7 years.
    Windows 10 Upgrades are only licensed to the machine it was installed on. Even though your Windows 7 was a retail, the Windows 10 has a digital entitlement that is limited only to that PC (ie motherboard).

    In order to make this work, you'll need to either re-install Windows 7 and then upgrade on top of it (before July 29th, when the free upgrade offer ends) or you will need to get ahold of a recent (version 1511, not the original 10240) and do a clean install and enter your Windows 7 key (which I've never tried, but i'm told it's supposed to work).
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 3,502
    Win_8.1-Pro, Win_10.1607-Pro, Mint_17.3
       #10

    Mystere said:
    Windows 10 Upgrades are only licensed to the machine it was installed on. Even though your Windows 7 was a retail, the Windows 10 has a digital entitlement that is limited only to that PC (ie motherboard).
    There was a recent article referencing a change. First it is now Digital License not Digital Entitlement - ok it's just words - the lawyers got involved

    But in that same article was changing out the motherboard did not invalidate your license. There wasn't much detail, so there isn't any valuable discussion on whether it was a replacement motherboard for one that failed or just a new motherboard.

    The end result is that the user will have to phone in to activate.

    Sorry, no citation, but it is on Tenforums somewhere. It might be related to the new Activation troubleshooter that ties your license to your MS account in 1607 or will it be 1608? Not sure if there were two articles or one discussed both things.
    Just though I'd mention it.
      My Computer


 

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