HP Pavilion -Wrong Activation code in bios for windows 10 Pro from new

[cyber5]

Hi.

I have had a HP Pavilion 15ab240na laptop for about 3 years, running windows 10 Pro, activated ok.

Just recently I get a popup stating Windows not activated.

When I go to settings and activate I get error message:

You are running windows 10 Pro, your produce code is for Windows 10 Home, so unable to activate.

I bought this laptop from Costco with windows 10 PRO loaded on first install from new, and activated "Win 10 Pro", no problem with activation for more than 2 years.

I contacted Microsoft and they say HP has supplied the laptop with the wrong activation code in bios.

Anybody had the same problem? or know of a fix for this fault?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

The product specs for your notebook state that it originaly came from HP with W10 Home, not Pro.

https://support.hp.com/sg-en/document/c04952424

So, I have no idea how W10 Pro got on there, but I don't think there is anything you can do to fix it, other than to bask up any files you don't want to lose, and factory reset your notebook, or clean install W10, and let it become W10 Home as it was originally configured.

Unless you need bitlocker or have to log on to a domain, W10 Home should be fine for your needs.

I have zipped up and attached a free utility below, which will report any Windows product keys the notebook has stored.

One will be the W10 Home key which is in the BIOS.

Maybe the utility will find a W10 Pro key, and you can use that to activate W10 pro by changing the product key in the PC settings menu.

[cyber5]

Hi Thanks for your reply.

What I dont understand is, why has the validation been ok for the past 2 years, even after I reset to factory settings.

[cyber5]

Just remembered the laptop was returned to HP for repair when it was about 3 months old.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Did that utility I attached in my reply above give you a report of any Windows 10 product keys?

If so, what did it report? 

Don't post the key, just let me know what it indicated.

If it only shows a W10 Home key in the BIOS, then if you have already tried a factory reset and that didn't help, I guess your only option would be to try a clean install using the Media creation tool at the link below, or purchase a W10 Pro product key from the Microsoft store.

Who knows what HP did to it. 

It they replaced the motherboard, and they replaced it with one without a product key at all, that would be the only thing I can think of as to why you can't even get W10 Home to activate.

Anyway, if the report does indicate the presence of a W10 Home product key in the BIOS, try a clean install...

Create a USB (you will need an 8 GB USB flash drive) installation flash drive.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

The software will work with the W10 product key in the BIOS and automatically activate once you are connected to the internet.

Then install the drivers and available software you need from the your PC's support page.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/HP-Pavilion-15-ab200-Notebook-PC-series/8499306

As to why all of a sudden, you are getting an activation code message, I guess that Microsoft finally caught up to checking that installation for validity.

Periodically, Microsoft checks windows installations to make sure they are activated, etc.

Clearly MS found an issue with your model having W10 Pro installed and no W10 Pro key, and deactivated the installation.

[cyber5]

Hi

I used the utility you supplied and returned the following, it looks to me that is 2 keys installed but no idea if they are home or Pro.

ShowKeyPlus - Windows Product Key Information

Product Name: Windows 10 Pro

Product ID:  xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

Installed Key: xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxx

OEM Key: xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

OEM Edition: Win 10 RTM Core OEM:DM

[cyber5]

Hi

If I factory reset could please you advise the best way to backup my documents and programs.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

It appears to me that the installed key is the Pro one, which Microsoft is not allowing to be activated.

The OEM Edition: Win 10 RTM Core OEM:DM is the Home key in the BIOS.

Backing up your files...you can't back up any programs.  Any programs you installed since you got the PC, will have to be reinstalled.

If you have any of the program installation files on the PC, copy those to a portable hard drive.

As for your files, go into your user profile and copy all of the folders in there to a portable hard drive (Downloads, Documents, Pictures, Music, etc).

Then see this guide for the various ways to factory reset your PC.  I would use the F11 factory reset option.

See the info under the Perform a reset through Windows Recovery Environment heading.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04742289

[cyber5]

Hi

Thank you for your advice, I will factory reset when I have the time to backup all files.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

Glad to have been of assistance.