New Installation Windows 10 Activation Failure

[sydneyarikan]

Hello All,

Recently, the windows 10 factory installed in my probook 450 g3 notebook kept giving me the notification that my winodows is not activated. I thought it was an error with the operating system, so I reinstalled with a new copy downloaded from the microsoft website. I thought windows would automatically activate using the internet, but this has not happened.

The previous windows 10 was a genuine copy that comes pre installed with the OS and did not come with an activation key sticker or anything like that. How do I get my windows 10 to activate?

Please help.

Thanks

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I have zipped up and attached a free utility that will show you the W10 product key in the BIOS.

If it does not show a product key, that is why you can't activate Windows.

If you bought the notebook from HP with W10 installed, you will need to contact HP technical support and explain the problem to them.

My guess is they installed the wrong motherboard in your PC (one that would come with FreeDOS--no Windows product key).

Perhaps they can e-mail you a product key to use.

[sydneyarikan]

Hello Paul,

I have used the tool and it has told me the OEM key is not present in the firmware. I had gotten this problem before, where windows tells you "your windows license will expire soon". I downloaded a "fix", which thinking back, was a mistake because it changed my version of windows from pro to enterprise. I suspect it also wiped my oem key.

Is there a way to recover from this mess?

Thanks again.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Yep. That is your problem.  The W10 OEM product key somehow has been wiped from the BIOS's firmware, or HP never had the right motherboard installed.

When HP installs the wrong motherboard, as long as the original operating system image is not tampered with, it will work fine.

But if you have to reset the PC or reinstall the operating system, then you get the activation error because there was never a product key in the BIOS.

I am leaning toward the opinion that HP installed a motherboard in your PC that was meant for FreeDOS.

The only way you are going to be able to resolve the issue, will be to speak to HP technical support.

This is a peer to peer forum.  I do not work for, or represent HP.

[sydneyarikan]

Thanks for the help. I will follow up with HP technical support

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

I hope they will give you a W10 product key you can use to activate Windows with.