Link windows 10 to microsoft account. Windows activation system

After replacing or upgrading PC components such as the motherboard, HDD or Windows processor 10 will not be able to correctly identify your computer, and as a result, the operating system will not activate.

Before, if your Windows installation 10 lost its activation due to a hardware change, you had to go through the tedious process of contacting Microsoft Support to re-activate which is not an ideal solution.

Now, however, Microsoft has simplified the process. Beginning with windows updates 10 Anniversary Update, you can now link your Microsoft account to your Windows 10 digital license on your device. New Feature allows you to quickly run the activation troubleshooter to reactivate your copy of Windows 10 update.

In this guide, you will learn the entire activation process (and activation options) in order to link your Microsoft account and digital license, as well as the steps to use the activation troubleshooter to reactivate the operating system.

Once the process is complete, you will see the message "Windows is activated with a digital license associated with your Microsoft account" on the activation page, indicating that the digital license was successfully attached to the account Microsoft.

Note! If you used MSA (Managed Service Accounts) when you upgraded to Windows 10, your account and digital license will be automatically connected and you will see " Windows system activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account."

In this case, you can skip the previous steps and go to the instructions below.

How to use the troubleshooter to reactivate Windows 10

After linking your Microsoft account to a digital license, you can use the new activation troubleshooter to reactivate Windows after making changes to your computer.

1. Use the key combination on your Windows keyboard + I to open the Settings app.
2. Click Update & Security.

   

3. Click "Activation".

   

4. If you see an activation status message: Windows is not activated, you can click Troubleshoot to continue. (Your account must have administrator rights to complete this process).

   

5. Click "I changed the hardware on this device recently."

   

6. Enter your Microsoft account information and click "Sign in".

   

7. You'll need to enter your local account password if you don't have a Microsoft account added to your computer. Click "Next" to continue.
8. A list of devices associated with your Microsoft account will launch. Select the device you want to reactivate.

   

9. Check the "This is the device I'm using now" box and click the "Activate" button.

   

Note! If you want to see other devices associated with your account, you can click the link "View other devices associated with your Microsoft account". On this page, you will see a list of devices divided into three categories.

Additional Troubleshooting Steps

In case your device does not appear in the list, the tips below will help you.

First, make sure you're signed in with the Microsoft account you previously linked to your Windows 10 digital license.

If you're using the correct Microsoft account, you'll have to investigate the reason why you can't activate.

Here is a list of possible problems:

Important! If you are unable to after using the Activation troubleshooter, you may need to contact the Microsoft Customer Support Center for assistance.

ActivationWindows 10 on the phone.

Windows activation system

Starting from the first Windows release 10 to the public, Microsoft has made many improvements, including the activation process. However, there are still scenarios where you might run into activation issues, and the new tool should make it easier for users to update their computer hardware without the hassle.

It is important to note that Microsoft is providing a new activation troubleshooter with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Users in the Insider Program can use this tool starting with Windows 10 build 14371 or later.

While this may be obvious to many users, remember that after a hardware change, you won't be able to reactivate Windows 10 until you add a Microsoft account to your computer. Also, the troubleshooting option will not be available if the operating system is not activated.

Lastly, you probably already noticed, but Microsoft is also renaming the product key type to upgrade Windows versions 10 from "Digital Entitlement" to "Digital license".

Windows 10 free license works very differently than previous systems Windows Licensing. All this requires a product key. Even modern Windows 8 and 8.1 PCs and newer PCs shipped with Windows 10 have a Windows product key built into their UEFI firmware. If you are buying a new copy Windows 10, for example, to install it on a PC, you will also have a product key.

In this case, the product key will always be used to activate Windows. But Microsoft did not issue Windows 10 product keys for free update to Windows 10. Can't find Windows 10 product key if you upgraded for free - you don't have one.

Free upgrade to Windows 10

The free Windows 10 license provided by Microsoft works differently. Microsoft will not issue you a Windows 10 product key. Instead, when you upgrade from Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1, the upgrade process registers a unique identifier associated with your PC hardware with Microsoft's Windows activation servers.

In the future, whenever you install Windows 10 on the same PC, it will automatically tell the Microsoft activation server. Microsoft will confirm that a PC with this particular hardware configuration is allowed for Windows usage 10 and it will be automatically activated.

This automatic process only works if your PC has the same hardware as when you upgraded to Windows 10.

Keep in mind that a free Windows 10 license will only work on one PC. This creates some inconvenience for people who bought a full retail license and not an OEM license - Windows 7, 8 or 8.1. Most people don't, although even PC builders tend to buy OEM copies of Windows.

These retail licenses are portable between different PCs, so you can transfer them from one PC to another PC. You may have purchased a Windows 7 license and built your own computer. Collecting or buying new computer a few years later, you can install a Windows 7 license on it after removing it from the first machine.

However, the free Windows 10 license you get when you upgrade from Windows 7 is tied to a single PC. Even if you are upgrading from a retail copy of Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, you will not be provided with a retail copy of Windows 10. You simply cannot transfer this free license Windows 10 to another computer. Now that the free update for Windows 10 is over, you'll have to buy a new one. a copy of Windows 10 if you want to move it to a completely different computer.

This may seem a bit inconvenient. But on the other hand, this Windows 10 license was just a free bonus. Retail licenses for Windows 10 that you purchase can be transferred between PCs in the same way.

Additionally

How to create bootable USB media using the Media Creation Tool

You can use the Microsoft Media Tool Creation Tool for quick creation USB media that will boot on the device using UEFI.

1. Download Media Creation tool.

   

2. Double-click the MediaCreationTool.exe file to launch the tool.
3. Click Accept.

   

4. Select "Create installation media" (USB drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another computer.

   

5. Select the language, edition, and architecture of Windows, then click Next.

   

6. Select USB Flash Drive.

   

7. Select the USB device you want to install Windows on and click Next.

   

8. Once these steps are completed, the installation will begin, lasting approximately 30 minutes.

   

Congratulations, your bootable USB is ready!

Video - Activating Windows 10 after replacing the motherboard

In Windows 10 (version 1607 or later), you can connect your Microsoft account with a Windows 10 digital license on your device.

This can help you reactivate Windows with the Troubleshooter if you make major hardware changes, such as replacing your motherboard.

Note: To see which version of Windows 10 your computer is running, click the Start button, and then select Options → System → Intelligence.

To add a microsoft account and link it to the digital license:

1. Options → Update and Security → Activation, and then select Add account. To add a Microsoft account, you must be signed in as an administrator and have User Account Control turned on.
2. Enter your Microsoft account name and password, and then select Sign in. If this Microsoft account is not associated with the account you use, you must also provide a password for the local account.
3. After adding a Microsoft account on the page Activations you will see information Windows activated with a digital license associated with your Microsoft account.

Using the Activation Troubleshooter

After adding a Microsoft account associated with a digital license, you can use the Activation Troubleshooter to reactivate windows, in the event of a significant hardware change.

Note A: If a Microsoft account is not added and associated with a digital license on a device, it will not be possible to use the Activation Troubleshooter to reactivate Windows after a hardware change.

1. Press the Start button, select Options → Update and Security → Activation, and then select Troubleshooting. You must be logged in as an administrator.
2. The troubleshooter will show a message that Windows can't be activated on your device. Select Hardware changes have been made to this device, and then select the Next button.
3. Enter your Microsoft account name and password, and then select Sign in.
4. From the list of devices connected to your Microsoft account, select the device you are currently using, check the box next to I am currently using this device, and then select Activate .

If you don't see the device you're using in the list of results, make sure you're signed in with the same Microsoft account that was associated with the Windows 10 digital license on your device.

If you signed in with the correct Microsoft account, Windows may not be able to reactivate for one of the following reasons:

• The version of Windows on your device does not match the version of Windows associated with the digital license.
• The activated device type does not match the device type associated with the digital license.
• Windows has never been activated on this device.
• The limit on the number of reactivations of Windows operating systems on your device has been reached.
• The device has multiple administrators, another administrator has already activated Windows on this device.
• The device is managed by the organization and the option to reactivate Windows is not available. For help with reactivation, please contact the organization's technical assistance person.

Binding Windows licenses 10 to your account is extremely important in case you want to retain the right to transfer it to another computer or continue to use it after changing components. So you need to know how to link a licenseWindows 10 to account.

It should be understood that not all licenses can be saved for use on other computers. For regular user In principle, there are two types of license for Windows:

• OEM license. This is the case when Windows comes pre-installed and activated right out of the box by the manufacturer.
• Retail license. Users buy this license separately from the computer in the form of a key or installation media. They are used for a wide variety of purposes, most often to activate Windows on a computer assembled by oneself.

OEM licenses cannot be transferred. Bought a new computer or a new motherboard? You will have to buy a new key for Windows 10. OEM keys remain tied to the device for life and cannot be transferred in any way.

Retail licenses can be transferred. You can change computer components (motherboard, for example) or even buy / assemble a new PC. To retain the right to use the purchased key, you must follow the procedure for linking a license to a Microsoft account.

Important: you cannot use Retail keys on two or more computers at the same time. Transferring a license will cancel the activation on the previous device. One license per computer.

This whole process is done with Activation Assistant, which was introduced with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

Important: You must manually bind the license on the computer where the local account is used. If you sign in with an MSA account, the link will go through automatically.

• open Start - Settings - Update & Security. In the side menu, select the item Activation and from there click on the button Add account. The account running this action must have Administrator rights.
• Enter your Microsoft account information - username and password. If everything went well, Windows will inform you that the activation was done using a digital license associated with a Microsoft user profile.
• After that, your license will be attached to your account, and you can transfer it to another computer or upgrade the hardware in your device.

How to restore a license on Windows 10?

• On a new or updated computer, open Settings - Update & security. In step Activation click Troubleshooting.
• Now the system should notify you about activation problems and the inability to activate the installed copy of Windows. Click to solve the error I recently changed Hardware on this device.
• Enter the data for the account to which the license is linked. If you are using an account with linked activation, simply skip the step where you need to enter profile information.
• In the next step, Windows will display a list of computers that use your Windows key 10. Select the one to which the license is transferred and check the box This is the device I am using right now. Then click Activate.

After that, the system will be activated.

If you just recently upgraded to Windows 10 from an earlier version of the system, then you probably immediately encountered an OS activation problem (see also). This difficulty also existed in previous versions OS from Microsoft, but now, with the release of Windows 10, it has literally moved to a new level. How to activate the system after 07/29/2016, if not in time, what are the most popular activators popular in this moment how they work and how they are configured. I will try to answer all these questions in this article.

Official activation of Windows 10 in build 1607

Since 2015, the Windows 10 activation system allows you to activate the OS using the old key 7, 8 or 8.1. Since the release of the Anniversary Update, it has been assumed that activation through this solution will not be available. However, the keys are still carried over to the "ten" from earlier systems, even for new distributions of version 1607 installed on a blank hard drive.

Since August 1, 2016 (after the expiration of the free upgrade period), a number of changes have been made to the activation procedure, which will be discussed later. Now the license that you received using a free upgrade from earlier versions of the operating system is tied not only to the hardware ID number, but also to the details of your Microsoft account, if you have one.

Such a solution will allow you to resolve activation difficulties that affect serious changes in the PC hardware base (for example, when replacing the motherboard).

If it was not possible to activate Windows, in the settings category "Security and Update" - "Activation" there will be an option "Troubleshooting during activation", which takes into account your account, the licenses assigned to it, and the number of personal nodes where this license is used.

The license is linked to the primary Microsoft account on the PC you are using. Thus, on the system, in the above options section, you will be able to see a message stating that "The operating system was activated with a digital type license that was linked to your Microsoft account."(cm. ).

If used, in the same settings category, you will be prompted to add a Microsoft account to link activation to it.

As a result of the addition, your local account will be replaced with a Microsoft account with a license attached to it. (see figure)

How to activate Windows 10 in case of hardware changes

A significant dilemma that interests many users:

If I need to replace several key PC components (motherboard or processor), how will the activation attached to the hardware work?

The answer is simple: as I mentioned above, from August 1, 2016, the OS license that was obtained during the free system upgrade can be attached to your personal Microsoft account. This decision was made by engineers in order to facilitate the activation of the system during a change in the PC hardware base. Together, all these components function very successfully, transparently and understandably. By linking the license to a Microsoft account, you will be able to move the activation to a completely new, freshly installed hardware without problems with resetting the key or invalidating the license.

But this is all about the licensed, officially purchased Windows. Or for those who managed to update during the year before 07/29/2016. But what about a copy downloaded from the Internet? Fortunately, it is quite possible to solve the problem of activating such an OS, and the solution to this problem is KMS activation. About what it is, and "with what it is eaten", read below.

What is KMS activation and how does it work?

You can find quite a lot of activators on the network for every taste. Some more simple and unpretentious to presets, others are a bit difficult to master and require a practical, well-considered approach. The most popular of all activators at the moment is KMS Auto NET. You can find quite a lot of links to it on the Internet, but be careful: instead of an activator, you often come across another virus or a worm, which is sometimes not so easy to get rid of. So, trust trusted sources. You can also use the download link above. The author of these lines checked the link for operability and can assure that there are no viruses in this file, and it is absolutely clean.

So, you have downloaded Windows 10 Activator 2016 and are ready to run it. What is KMS Activator in general and how does it work? KMS activation is simple and affordable way activation operating systems, usually used in the network corporate clients, but since a lot of distributions (Volume) usually leak into the network, now it can be used by all of us. The main advantage of KMS activation is that you do not need to gain access to the network or set up telephone connection to activate the system. All we need is a connection to a KMS server, which we can access thanks to the KMS Auto NET emulator.

The way the KMS activator works is incredibly simple: you download the appropriate application from the link, launch it, set the settings, install the service, and activate office applications or the system. You will learn about all the nuances and details below.

Installing the emulator and applying activation

1. Run the application for execution in admin mode. The very first thing that catches your eye is the invitation form and the ReadMe instruction (if you understand it, it will be much easier for you to understand all the nuances and details of the emulator later).

You can also notice two buttons "Information" and "Activation". You can immediately activate office applications or systems without paying attention to any settings. This method consists in a quick enumeration of all possible options, the selection of the best of them, automatic activation application and the subsequent removal of the service. You can also set a few settings to help you successfully activate your system in case of any activation problems.

2. Select the "System" tab. Here we have the right to remove or install the service, give preference to automatic or manual methods install a service, enable logging, generate a scheduled task in the schedule, or install the application's GVLK key. Moreover, we can also reset the parameters to default. By selecting the WinDivert option, the program installs the service along with a specific driver. Hook mode involves installing a service and replacing a number of system objects. The TAP option installs KMS along with an auxiliary virtual network adapter.

By selecting the Auto mode, you will set the service installation using one of the options indicated above, or in manual mode(the final choice depends on which system you are going to activate). Using the NoAuto option, the service will simply be installed without any additional changes and additions to the OS - we will give preference to it, since all the others are intended exclusively for Win 8.1 and the Server 2012 R2 edition.

3. So, when all the settings and parameters are set, the Windows 10 activation code and your computer will turn into a full-fledged KMS server. Go back to the "System" tab and click the "Install KMS-Service" control.

When the installation process is completed, you can find out about it from information message"The system has KMS-Service installed." The program can be closed, the installation of the service is completed.

Lite KMS-Activator and its application

The Lite version of the KMS Auto activator for Windows 10 works in a similar way. Here you can find all the same settings as in the older edition of the application. The activation function itself is located on the first tab called "Main Window". Here you can also use the scheduler to generate an automatic reactivation task after a specified period of time, or set a GVLK key.

All other settings are concentrated on the "Settings" tab: this is the installation of a KMS service for server emulation, its port, AI and RI time ranges that allow you to use re-reactivation on the server, as well as WinPID identifier and optional logging of the activation process. The main difference between the portable lite version of the KMS activator and its full deployed version is additional utilities. Right in the activator window, you can change the edition of the operating system to a more acceptable one for you. It can be any edition of Win 10 or 8.1. After selecting the edition in the second field in the "Change Windows edition" section, simply click the "Change OS edition" control and the system edition will be changed.

Also very useful is the tool to remove unused Office updates. It will be very appropriate if you have to clean the system of those updates that do not bring much benefit to the office suite of programs. Also, with one click, you can reset the OS status to invalid if you want to experiment with various parameters set before activation. Moreover, using the Lite KMS service, you can save the activation status and restore it at any time, if after setting some new Windows 10 activation keys, it is no longer possible to successfully activate Windows, and everything turned out great on the first try.

Other Windows 10 Activators

Although KMSAuto is the most popular among all the "tens" activators, you can find several other programs on the network that can cope with the task assigned to them. The first of them is an automatic activator of any Windows system, which is also suitable for office products. It works very simply and clearly: just run the executable EXE file and the main form of the application will appear on the screen. Select the product you want to activate (Windows or Office) and click on the "Activation" button.

That's all, just like clockwork. It is not necessary to change the settings at all, but if you still decide to see what options are in store for us by the developers, a discrete tab serves for this. By the way, the program uses the same KMS algorithm as KMSAuto, so you will not find any special differences in parameters compared to the above-mentioned software. To work with the activator, the installed set of .NET Framework 4.0 libraries is required, keep this in mind.

Another useful full-featured activator is . On the network you can find both a portable version of the activator and a setup distribution kit. The main feature of KMSpico is its bright attractive design. For example, a bright red button is used to start the activation procedure, and another icon with an exclamation mark on it is an informational button, when pressed, the display shows the system status and information about the validity of the license.

The KMS Auto service is by far the best mechanism for activating Windows 10, other Windows operating systems, and office products. Having thoroughly understood all the details and nuances of the application once, you will save yourself from a lot of problems with activating the system in the future, and provide yourself with a lot of time spent on stable work in the Windows OS of any edition, except for Windows 7. Unfortunately, in the "seven" The KMS service turns out to be completely useless, and if you use this particular operating system, you will have to find another activation tool (for example, Chew-WGA). Other activators will also come in handy if you want to ensure that you get a quality and fully working activation of the latest OS from Microsoft.