Login get "go to settings to activate Windows. Do so and cant get in as the 10 on hard drive doesnt match the MS product code on bottom of laptop. Am an old guy, who had kid borrow my laptop. Was I dumb? Help!
Haven't seen Win10 have the COA/Certificate of Authenticity sticker on a computer, usually reads information it needs from the hardware/motherboard/CMOS but I haven't worked with a new install of a purchased product, only with Upgrades from Win7 or Win8/8.1. The Product ID seen in System/System Info is created during the installation of Windows. Your description suggests a clean reinstall of Win10 or an Upgrade from an earlier version, hard to say without knowing what the borrower did to what was on the computer before.
Does the version match the sticker if the sticker is home and the laptop is pro that will give the error
What happened? Did the kid install the Windows 10 that's now on the laptop?
Did this laptop originally come with Windows 7 installed by the manufacturer? Only a PC built for Windows 7 (or earlier) came with a Certificate of Authority (CoA) sticker, usually on the bottom if it's a laptop. From Window 8 on there was just a label that said the version of Windows (8 or 10, Home or Pro) but without any product key, that is embedded in the bios instead. The only exception to that rule is a PC that has been rebuilt by a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher, those get a special W10 sticker.
So, what version of Windows did it have on it before you lent it to the kid, Windows 7 or 10? Was it Home or Pro? Was it activated?
What version of Windows 10 does it have on it now, Home or Pro?
What version of Windows does the sticker say it is for? Is it Windows 7? Is it Home, Pro or something else? Does it have a line labelled as 'Product key'? (if so do NOT tell us what it is, just whether you can read it.)
We'd need to know the answer to all those questions before we can say if the key should activate your Windows, or if there's another solution.
Something is very "sketchy" here..........How were you able to 'log' in?Login get "go to settings to activate Windows. Do so and cant get in as the 10 on hard drive doesnt match the MS product code on bottom of laptop. Am an old guy, who had kid borrow my laptop. Was I dumb? Help!
Getting back to the OP.
What version of Windows was installed before loaning your laptop?
And what is installed now?
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