
If you make significant hardware changes on your device, such as replacing your motherboard, Windows will no longer find a license that matches your device, and you'll need to reactivate Windows to get it up and running.

When installing Windows 10, the digital license associates itself with your device's hardware. Will Windows 10 recognize new motherboard?

YOU deciding to reinstall your operating systems without backing anything up, because you bought new hardware… THAT would cause you to lose your data. Will I lose my OS if I change my motherboard?Ĭhanging the Ram, motherboard, and CPU will not alter the data that is stored on your hard drives. You do have to reactivate Windows, and it may not automatically do so because of the hardware change. Then, Windows 10 will grab the activation key from your online Microsoft account and re-link it to your computer with its freshly-upgraded hardware.ĭo you have to reinstall Windows 7 with a new motherboard?ĭo you need to reinstall Windows after replacing the motherboard and the CPU? No, it is not necessary. Next, sign in your Microsoft Account again and click the Activate button. Go to Settings > Update & security > Troubleshoot > I changed hardware on this device recently. Microsoft doesn’t recommend it and you might not receive security updates in the future, but the workaround is very easy without having to reinstall Windows.How can I change my motherboard without reinstalling Windows 10? There are also ways to install Windows 11 on unsupported CPUs, too. If you still don’t see the prompt and want to skip the waiting line, Microsoft offers an easy way to upgrade early. Microsoft doesn’t provide a list of devices that are now being offered the Windows 11 upgrade, but you’ll only be able to obtain the update through Windows Update if your PC meets the minimum system requirements. Anecdotally, we’ve been offered the upgrade on a variety of devices today, including a custom gaming PC. If you’ve been waiting for the Windows 11 upgrade to appear in Windows Update, you might find the above prompt this week.

“We will continue to train our machine learning model throughout the phased rollout to deliver a smooth upgrade experience.” The Windows 11 upgrade prompt in Windows Update. “The availability of Windows 11 has been increased and we are leveraging our latest generation machine learning model to offer the upgrade to an expanded set of eligible devices,” says Microsoft. After an initial launch to mostly new PCs earlier this month, Microsoft is gradually making the free Windows 11 upgrade available to more existing and eligible devices. Microsoft is rolling out Windows 11 to more PCs this week.
