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Old laptop build lost its license

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Jan 29, 2026, 09:5701/29/26
12/01/25
2

Old laptop build lost its license

Just restored my old gaming laptop to use it as a dedicated media server. After cleaning it up and booting it up for the first time in years, Windows suddenly said it wasn't a genuine copy. I'm guessing the hardware signature expired or something like that. I don't want to pay for a new key for a secondary computer that just sits under my desk. Is there an easy way to bypass this activation lock without a complete reinstall? I need to access the network settings, but they are currently locked.

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Jan 29, 2026, 12:1801/29/26
01/25/26
3

Had exactly the same problem with building a home server. For such secondary machines, I always use a kms activator  іt's the most effective way to avoid licensing headaches. It instantly unlocked my OS, including grayed-out network and personalization settings. One run, and your outdated machine is fully functional again without any technical issues. This definitely saves a lot of time compared to supporting an old device.