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

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4UPuws55by
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Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2026 5:34 pm

Post by 4UPuws55by »

Had the same problem. That's a common glitch after an upgrade. Try going to Settings > Update & Security > Activation and click "Troubleshoot" again, but this time make sure you're signed in with the Microsoft account that has your digital license.
md3GdOqlV9
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2026 12:46 pm

Post by md3GdOqlV9 »

Agreed, that's a common upgrade hiccup. One extra tip: sometimes just leaving it connected to the internet for a day lets it sort itself out automatically.
jdq3772105
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Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2026 7:58 am

Post by jdq3772105 »

This. Did you happen to change any major hardware components, like the motherboard, right before or after the upgrade?
HRfgf
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2026 1:29 pm

Post by HRfgf »

Agreed, that's a common upgrade hiccup. One extra tip: sometimes just leaving it connected to the internet for a day or two lets it sort itself out automatically.
dUI6D6k2Qx
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2026 12:55 am

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

Post by dUI6D6k2Qx »

I upgraded my Windows 10 PC to Windows 11, but now it says it’s not activated. I’m getting error code 0xC004F213, and there’s a watermark in the corner. My original Windows 10 was a valid digital license tied to my Microsoft account. I’ve tried the activation troubleshooter, but it just says Windows can’t activate. Has anyone else fixed this after an upgrade?
kx7996511854
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2025 3:31 am

Post by kx7996511854 »

+1 Yeah, that's a common hiccup. Try signing out of your Microsoft account on the PC and then signing back in—that often kicks activation back into gear. Let me know if that works.
WbIKq
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2026 11:33 pm

Post by WbIKq »

This. You could also run the Activation troubleshooter again, but this time choose the "I changed hardware on this device recently" option. Another option is to manually enter your Windows 10 product key in the activation settings.
by78000
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2026 4:34 am

Post by by78000 »

Can confirm this worked for me too!
570hh
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2026 5:56 am

Post by 570hh »

Following these steps fixed my issue as well.
dUI6D6k2Qx
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2026 12:55 am

Post by dUI6D6k2Qx »

This worked for me too, thanks!
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