Windows 8 New Hardware activate windows 8 error

[scottlespaul]

Hey everyone. I recently bought the 40 dollar windows 8 upgrade, and I've really enjoyed it but my computer was getting pretty outdated and slowing down, and the motherboard manufacturer quit making drivers for the board so my built in sound card quit working. I bought a new motherboard, processor and RAM and kept my old hdd and everything is running great except now it says I need to activate Windows 8 and is saying that my product key belongs to another computer(I guess my old hardware.) Is there absolutely anything I can do to get this activated again without buying another key or am I pretty much s.o.l? Any help is appreciated

 

[Saltgrass]

When you change certain things, Microsoft thinks you have changed computers. Since you can only run the software on one computer at a time, you need to let Microsoft switch it over in their database.

It will normally take a phone activation. When you tell it to activate by phone, it will give you a bunch of numbers. The Automated service will ask you for those numbers, then give you some back. After you enter the ones you get, the system should reactivate.

I have not done this process with an Upgrade version of an OS, so hopefully nothing new will pop up.

 

[scottlespaul]

Thanks so much for the great help. I went to Transfer the Windows 8 license from the old desktop to another - Microsoft Community followed these steps and everything went well. Yes, you can move the Windows 8 license to the new computer, you might need to reactivate by telephone:
1. Press Windows key + X then clickRun, then type: slui.exe 4
2. Next press the 'ENTER' key
3. Select your 'Country' from the list.
4. Choose the 'Phone Activation' option.
5. Stay on the phone (do not select/press any options) and wait for a person to help you with activation.
6. Explain your problem clearly to the support person.