New Windows Activation issue as Windows 10 Pro becomes Windows 10 Home: Updated with official statement and fix

Reading time icon 2 min. read


Readers help support MSPoweruser. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Tooltip Icon

Read the affiliate disclosure page to find out how can you help MSPoweruser effortlessly and without spending any money. Read more

A growing thread on Reddit are complaining that their legitimate Windows 10 Pro installation is suddenly reverting to Windows 10 Home.

One user writes:

I am having the same problem. It’s even gone as far as my digital entitlement is gone from my Microsoft account and I have a Windows 10 home key now.

Windows is deactivated because I went from Windows 10 Pro to home and it doesn’t match anymore.

Where did my digital license go though.. I hope it comes back.

Another complains:

I upgraded from Window 7 Pro to Win 10 Pro during the free upgrade period years ago so i didnt have a product code for Win 10 Pro. So they asked me for my Win 7 Pro key, which luckily i still had, on the back of the box it came in. When i gave it to them they said it’s an OEM version (it is) and that id need to show them the invoice i got when i payed for it. I dont have that piece of paper any more so they said there was nothing they could do for me.

That was all after an hour of waiting and ending up having to talk to a supervisor, just to be told they wouldn’t/couldn’t help.

The issue appears to be affecting all versions of Windows 10, with support saying that the problem is a server-side issue on Microsoft’s end.

Are any of our readers affected? Let us know below.

Update: After a nearly a day of outages Microsoft has issued an official statement, saying:

“We’re working to restore product activations for the limited number of affected Windows 10 Pro customers.”

Thankfully it appears the issue has now been resolved however, but users will still need to run the TroubleShooter to access the fix.

The procedure, according to Neowin, are:

  • Go to Settings (via Action center > All settings or Windows key + i)
  • Navigate to Update & Security > Activation
  • Click the link for the troubleshooter

Windows should reactivate as normal, assuming your key or digital license was genuine before all this happened.

In a later statement, Microsoft told The Register.

“Our engineers have now addressed” today’s #Windows10 activation errors. “Affected customers will see resolution over the next 24 hours as the solution is applied automatically. In the meantime, they can continue to use Windows 10 Pro”

Has the issue been fixed for our readers? Let us know below.

Via WindowsUnited.de

More about the topics: microsoft, windows 10 activation