Windows 11 Pro OEM product keys not activating
Hello, I recently started having problems with activating new Windows 11 Pro OEM sticker product keys on new equipment. The issues started from yesterday afternoon, a few hours before that another product key (from the batch of keys i have) on another pc worked on Windows 11 Pro. The errors i receive are various from activation servers are not available to 0xC004E028, 0x8004FE94, etc. This is why i think that there are some problems with the Microsoft activation servers. I chatted with a Microsoft agent who checked the three product keys that currently do not activate, he said that the keys are valid but are for Windows 10 Pro, although the sticker with the product key has Windows 11 Pro OEM software written on it. He suggested to activate the licenses on Windows 10 Pro. I tried to activate the product keys on windows 10 Pro on the same equipment but i received the same errors. The Microsoft product activation portal that replaced the phone activation said that the installation ID is invalid. The Microsoft agent i spoke to redirected me here. Can somebody help me? or give some info about the activation servers? Any help is appreciated. Thank you.
Win 11 Pro - Unable to log in with MS 365 Business Basic account
Good day, I have a couple of new build Win11Pro 26H2 units that have been setup with a local admin account. When I go to SETTINGS, ACCOUNTS, OTHER USERS, ADD ACOUNT it comes up with a message stating "Looks like this isn't a Microsoft account." I know that this is a valid account as this is my MS365 Admin Center account. Is there something that I am missing on how to add an account? I had read that it had to be WinPro, so upgraded from Home to Pro. Thanks for any support that you can provide. Bill WilsonDigital License Can't Find My Microsoft Account on Windows 11
After upgrading to Windows 11, my digital license is not showing up or linked to my Microsoft account, even though I previously activated Windows using my account. This causes issues with activation and device management, making me unable to verify my license or transfer it to other devices easily, which is frustrating and leaves me uncertain about the legitimacy and security of my Windows installation.
Windows 11 Pro OEM License Invalid After BIOS Update
Hello, A few days ago, I updated my motherboard's BIOS, and afterward my Windows could no longer be activated. Before the update, I couldn't find my original Windows box, so I followed a YouTube guide and retrieved my product key from the Registry. My Windows 11 Pro OEM license was purchased from a reputable retailer in Canada, and I've been using it on the same PC for about three years without any issues. After updating my BIOS, Windows became deactivated with error code 0xC004F211. Running the Activation Troubleshooter didn't help. When I selected "I changed hardware on this device recently," I received the following message: Unable to activate Windows We can't find any devices linked to your Microsoft account that can be used for reactivating the device you're using right now. Make sure you're signed in with the same Microsoft account you linked to the Windows 10 digital license on this device or try again later. However, when I log into my Microsoft account, I can actually see two identical PCs listed under my linked devices. I explained this to Microsoft Support, but they told me that my Microsoft account does not have a valid Windows license, and asked me to contact the license seller. I contacted the seller with my receipt, but they told me to contact Microsoft. When I contacted Microsoft again, they just sent me back to the seller again. I'm confused. If my Windows has been running with a genuine OEM license for three years, why is the product key from the Registry now being reported as invalid? Does the Registry not actually contain the original product key, or is something else going wrong after the BIOS update? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
How can I sign out Microsoft Account into Local Account?
When I updated my Windows 10 to 11, I created a local account. Today, with my new employer, I was given a company email and invited to use Microsoft office 365 family (small small business). Custom email domain name and everything. In order to accept the office license invitation, I created a microsoft account with the new email. That went fine and now I wanted to use the desktop version of excel. I signed into the app with the licensed account and now I see it changed my entire PC to a connected profile and I dont know how to change it back to a local account without making a new user. But of course that is like a fresh install. I dont want my employers email account tied to my PC at all. I just wanted to use the office suite and thats it. I tried following all the instructions online but it seems a critical option of "Click Sign in with a local account instead" doesnt exist for me. Can anyone offer any insight to why it did this and how I can sign out to avoid making a new user profile on my PC? I am more than happy to share screenshots so I can be guided easier. Thanks!
The left-side taskbar in Windows 11 offers an excellent experience in a multi-monitor setup
I’ve always been used to having the taskbar at the bottom, but recently I saw someone on Reddit using a left-side taskbar layout, so I gave it a try. It turned out to be surprisingly good on a dual-monitor setup—not only is it more efficient, but it also looks more balanced. Best of all, many apps look more natural with the taskbar on the left; for example, Discord’s left-side menu pairs very well with the taskbar. Configuration: Device: Dell G15 5510 laptop CPU: i5-10200H @ 2.4GHz GPU: GTX 1650 (laptop version) RAM: 16GB DDR4 Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
Windows 11 won't activate following BIOS upgrade and reinstall (0xC004F213)
I upgraded my bios and did a full reinstall of Windows 11 on my PC. Everything went well, but I get the following error: 0xC004F213 When I follow the instruction to reactivate after a "hardware change", I just can't get my PC to be activated. In my Microsoft account, I do still see my PC which I can't activate anymore. Is there anything I could do to fix this or I need to call the Microsoft support directly?The installation of Windows 11 gets stuck and won't continue
I've been trying to clean install Windows 11 on my Acer Aspire A515-43 (Ryzen 3 3200U, 4GB RAM, 119GB storage), but I always get stuck at the same screen and can't move forward. I'm using a 32GB SanDisk Ultra USB drive with only the Windows 11 installation media on it, and I have basically zero experience with this kind of thing. Is there a way to get past this screen? Do I need to convert the drive to GPT, and if so, how do I do that? Or is Windows 11 just not meant to run on this laptop? If anyone can explain it like I'm five, I'd really appreciate it.Windows Activation problem
Hello, Since 2012, I've had a Windows "Retail" activation key that I transfer from one PC to another without any problems. When I bought my current PC with Windows 11, I had no issues activating it with this key. Due to a problem, I had to reinstall Windows 11. Unfortunately, this key is no longer accepted: when I enter it, I get this message: "The product key you entered doesn't work. Check it, and then try again or enter another one. (0x80041014)" Thank you for your help. Sincerely
