After Windows 10 was released, many users who were using the older versions noticed that their Windows 10 product key was not working. This problem sadly is still met by many users who try to update from previous Windows versions to Windows This is a serious problem and can be very distressing for the users. This problem can be caused by various different reasons. Users can face different errors that basically lead to the Windows 10 activation key not working.
First, we have discussed some of the errors that can cause this problem and also how you can troubleshoot them. After that, we have discussed some other causes and their fixes. This is the most common error that users get when their Windows activation fails. This error indicates that you have upgraded to Windows 10 but the previous Windows the Windows version your key is from is not installed. You would need to install the previous Windows of which you have the activation key, then update to Windows 10 and then use your key.
Otherwise, your key will fail to activate Windows You will have to do this each time you format or replace your hard disk, as the key is from a previous Windows version, so directly installing Windows 10 may not work.
As you may not know, the Microsoft Software License Terms only allow a specific number of computers to have the Windows installed using the product key, as per the license bought by the user.
Check if you have used this product key on computers more than what the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. If yes, then you will have to buy a new product key if you want to install Windows 10 in more computers.
Or you can unregister Windows from one of the other computers to install in the new one. If you are facing this problem after you got back your PC from a repair shop, then it is very likely that a different version of Windows has been installed by those in the repair shop while they were repairing your computer.
A different activation key can also be used rather than a different Windows version in this case. You can try reinstalling Windows and then try your activation key and see if it works. If still the Windows 10 activation key not working, then you should check if your Windows is genuine. To check if your Windows is counterfeit, visit this Microsoft page to check if the licensing is correct or download and run this MGADiag.
If you find that the Windows you have bought is a counterfeit software, then you should report it to Microsoft by going to this page. But not everything is great with this change, as the activation is done completely online, so the Microsoft servers have to take a lot of strain.
Sometimes the Microsoft servers can be overloaded, thus causing this problem. Also, your internet connection speed may be slow or unstable. Check if your internet connection is running smoothly.
Do a speed test and also a stability test of your internet connection. If you find any problem, then report them to your network provider. Once the internet connection is working correctly, try again to activate your Windows. Many users have reported that they faced this error due to a simple mistake that is they tried to use the activation key of Windows 10 Home on Windows 10 Pro. If the activation process gets glitched somehow because of which Windows 10 key is not working, then it should get solved after resetting the license status.
Now, try to activate Windows. This solution should resolve the Windows 10 product key not working issue. If none of the above solutions could solve this problem, then you can try forcing the activation process. There is a command that you can use to force the activation of Windows, to use it follow the steps given below:. Once the command is executed, the Windows 10 key not working issue should be resolved.
So, now you know what to do if your Windows 10 product key is not working. If you are facing any errors during the activation process, then make sure to check the Solutions 1 and 2. The above solutions should fix this issue. Sanmay is a Windows Insider and editor at Digicruncher.
He is a Tech enthusiast and has been writing tech blogs for over 2 years now. He loves reading books, traveling to new places and listening to music in his free time. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.