I'm pissed, how is the install experience this bad.

I switched to Linux, uninstalled Windows, and made sure to link my microsoft account to my install first.

Pop!OS installed like a dream, no issues.

I realize one of my devices has a windows only driver, so I reluctantly reinstall windows on a new SSD.

Windows loads broken drivers for my Intel NIC and breaks. Google Gemini walks me through solving it by going back to my pop!os install and getting the drivers.

Everything seems fine, but Windows won't activate on my account. Hitting "Troubleshoot" and following the troubleshooter results in the troubleshooter crashing, saying it can't find ANY previous devices, not the one I'm on, not my old one, just a blank spot in the page where the device would be printed normally. It says I need to click "Get Help." I do, I sign in, and get denied because I only have a "personal account." I'm left here staring a dead end of support.

Oh and the entire time it's asking me "Why don't you click on the store and just buy a new license?" F*** You. It doesn't say, if you don't have a license click here. The wording clearly implies "It would be easier if you just paid us again." You feel like a scumbag mobile game.

I go to microsoft's device page. And my install is there, on the website. The troubleshooter can't find it.

I spend like 3 hours trying to force it to recognize my old install, give up and nuke the installation again. Gemini (who knows your stuff better than you do honestly.) suggests it was due to the installer not being online due to the nic issue.

I have the drivers now, so I nuke the entire install, resintall from USB (Because your in place installer freezes during windows update, on a fully updated machine that just ran windows update.)

I get through the installer, point it to my nic drivers, the install finishes. It finds my old device, THANK GOD. I go to sleep.

I wake up, Windows is asking me to activate.

Seriously, as soon as I replace the one device I have that needs a windows driver.

You're gone.