Windows license lost following BIOS upgrade.
Windows license lost following BIOS upgrade.
I've installed an Asus ROG X570 E motherboard and after the latest BIOS update, the Windows license has been disabled. Even though it's linked to my Microsoft account, I can't reactivate it. A notification says my hardware has changed and I need a new license. I'm unsure how to fix this. Downgrading the BIOS won't work, and in my case, seeing multiple devices in the Microsoft account is confusing.
The issue is that Microsoft doesn’t provide phone calls in my native language, and they don’t have live chat or email support available. Also, I spend a lot of time updating BIOS and haven’t used Windows anymore.
Man, you'd be right about that. The key I got was from the MS store on the PC I was trying to reactivate. No support rep could see it, so I had to check my own transaction history to find the order number. Worse still, these keys don't come with an actual activation key—just nothing at all. I buy my keys legit, but I'm planning to use official channels now to have a real key for backup going forward.
It should function that way. The last time I had to turn it on was by showing me a list of digital licenses and picking the one I wanted to use. I think it’s normal that Microsoft doesn’t always work perfectly for every customer. Interestingly, my issue is that I’m no longer sure which key corresponds to which digital license, so I have to rely on the working version and assign names that make sense to track them. What bothers me is there’s no option to see which digital license is linked to the PC I’m using. You’d expect it to be simple, so you could update the name later if needed. But unfortunately, you only get the list when activating a PC.
Sorry to mention this, but Linux users are joking a lot. Honestly, I haven’t found a Linux distribution that requires a license. Perhaps you could help make Linux more accessible?
Reach out to MS support. Launch the "Get Help" app. Reports indicate MS servers are experiencing problems during BIOS updates, even with an MS-linked account. The issue appears to treat the system as brand new, requiring correction.