Find a Windows 10 copy that includes a watermark.
Find a Windows 10 copy that includes a watermark.
Hey everyone, I tried using the free partition manager site to clone a 9-year-old HDD to an SSD, and it worked perfectly. The only change was the appearance of a "Activate Windows" watermark at the bottom right. Back then I had Windows 7, but Microsoft messed with me during a big update night—Windows 10 came out later. Now I’m using Windows 10 and it’s asking me to activate after the cloning. Maybe some files got moved or misplaced. I’m considering a fresh install since my original OEM was long gone. It’s not like I have a magic CD key or a secret upgrade from a midnight Windows 10 update. Still, I’m not too bothered anymore, honestly.
I think you just need to navigate to System, click the bottom button to activate your product, and it will check the hardware automatically. It should work without any issues. If that doesn’t help, reach out to Microsoft and mention you reinstalled Windows on a new drive—they usually assist with such problems.
Connect your product key to your Microsoft account to avoid activation problems
Yeah, that product key is from nine years ago, buddy. I was trying to convey that too. I definitely didn<|pad|> to get a key after switching to Windows 10. I just figured I’d give them a call instead.