A BIOS update can make Windows treat the device as if significant hardware changed. Activation is tied to the device hardware configuration, so after a BIOS or motherboard-related change, Windows may no longer find a matching license.
Try this first:
- Open Settings.
- Go to System > Activation on Windows 11, or Start > Settings > Update & Security > Activation on Windows 10.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- If available, choose I changed hardware on this device recently.
Important details:
- The Activation troubleshooter requires an internet connection.
- An administrator account is required to run the troubleshooter.
- For digital licenses, linking the Microsoft account to the device license helps with reactivation after hardware changes.
If the troubleshooter does not reactivate Windows, contact Microsoft customer support.
If the PC came with an OEM version of Windows and the error is 0xc004f063, the BIOS may be missing the required OEM licensing information after the hardware or BIOS change. In that case, the resolution is to contact the PC manufacturer/OEM to update the BIOS with the correct serial number or service tag information. To check the BIOS serial number, run:
wmic bios get serialnumber
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