Clone Windows 10 for your needs
Clone Windows 10 for your needs
If you just exchange the motherboard, it should function without any issues, no reactivation required. This is especially true if you're already signed in with your MS account. If your device no longer meets the criteria for the original key, you'll need to purchase a new one—using an OEM key would be illegal. This advice applies only to retail keys, not those sold by manufacturers.
I handled it myself for a customer—there was an OEM key with a sticker showing the key on the side. It looked like a Win 7 key but after installing Win 10, it stopped working. The error was clear: the code wasn’t valid. They only wanted to know about the sticker’s key. It took about five minutes on the phone, and they didn’t seem too concerned.