A digital license is not something to manually look up on the device. For Windows 10, activation uses either:
- a digital license linked to the device hardware and possibly the Microsoft account, or
- a 25-character product key
After a significant hardware change such as a motherboard replacement, Windows may no longer find the matching digital license.
Use this path:
- Open Start > Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
- Check the activation status.
- If Windows is not activated, select Troubleshoot.
- This option is available only if Windows 10 version 1607 or later is not activated.
- An internet connection is required.
- Administrator sign-in is required.
- If the device had a digital license linked to the Microsoft account before the hardware change, use the reactivation path offered by the troubleshooter for hardware changes.
- If there was an older product key used on this PC, select Change product key and enter that key.
Important limits from Microsoft:
- If Windows was preinstalled on the PC and the motherboard was replaced, a new license is required.
- If the troubleshooter cannot find a suitable license or cannot reactivate Windows, the next step is to contact customer support.
- If there is no digital license and no product key, Windows 10 can be activated only by purchasing a new digital license from Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Go to Store.
To verify whether the Microsoft account was linked before the hardware change, in Activation look for one of these statuses:
- Windows is activated with a digital license
- Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account
If that link was not in place before the hardware change, reactivation is less likely to succeed through Troubleshoot alone.