I upgraded my Windows 10 PC to Windows 11, but now it says it’s not activated?

t950gqgZo60g · Post by **t950gqgZo60g** » Sun Jan 11, 2026 12:16 pm

+1 Yeah, that error usually clears up on its own after a day or two. Just make sure you're connected to the internet so it can sync.

63079 · Post by **63079** » Sun Jan 11, 2026 1:44 pm

You could also try manually reactivating by going to Settings > Update & Security > Activation and clicking "Troubleshoot" again, but choose the option that says "I changed hardware on this device recently."

375yrx · Post by **375yrx** » Sun Jan 11, 2026 10:28 pm

If that doesn't work, can you check if your Windows 10 license was a retail version or if it originally came with the PC? Let me know if that works.

nzg32 · Post by **nzg32** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 1:11 am

This happened to me after an upgrade. Running the activation troubleshooter and selecting "I changed hardware on this device recently" finally fixed it for me.

ib9092599 · Post by **ib9092599** » Tue Jan 13, 2026 7:01 pm

Also, double-check that you're signed into the Microsoft account that has your digital license. Good luck!

pNosvM · Post by **pNosvM** » Tue Jan 13, 2026 9:57 pm

+1 I had the same problem. For me, running the activation troubleshooter a second time after a reboot finally got it to recognize my license.