Forum Discussion
Windows 11 is no longer activated after a BIOS update and cannot be reactivated
After a BIOS update, my Windows 11 Pro is no longer activated, and I can't reactivate it using the troubleshooter either, as the license apparently can no longer be found in my Microsoft account.
Unfortunately, I can’t remember whether I activated Windows with a product key or via a Windows 7 Pro upgrade.
Is there a way to reactivate my Windows 11 without having to buy a new copy of Windows 11? It was activated before the BIOS update.
No Hardware Change.
4 Replies
If your license was a digital entitlement, and you can't recover it now, you might need to reactivate using the original product key or purchase a new license.
Thanks for the reply.
Until now, Windows 11 has always been digitally activated using the license associated with my Microsoft account.
Unfortunately, I no longer have the original product key, as I recall it was a Windows 7 Pro key, and I apparently threw it away at some point, thinking it was no longer needed.
For some reason, I can no longer find my license in my Microsoft account.
Significant hardware changes, like BIOS updates, can cause Windows to lose its activation, especially if the license was tied to the motherboard.
The license was never tied to a specific motherboard. The PC is a custom-built machine and, if I recall correctly, was upgraded from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 and then to Windows 11 using a Windows 7 Pro key.
And now, for some reason, that key—or rather, the license—can no longer be found in my Microsoft account.
