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FIX: Can’t Change Windows 10 Product Key [Quick Guide]

5 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Windows 10 has been released for some time, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some minor issues from time to time. Speaking of issues, users report that they can’t change Windows 10 product key, so let’s see if we can somehow fix this issue.

According to the users, it seems that when they try to changeproduct keythe Settings app freezes and they are unable to change their Windows 10 product key. This sounds like an unusual problem, but fortunately for you, there are few solutions that you can try.

What to do if you’re Unable to Change Windows 10 Product Key

What to do if you’re Unable to Change Windows 10 Product Key

Table of contents:

Fix: Unable to Change Windows 10 Product Key

Solution 1 – Change UAC settings

Apparently there’s a bug with User Account Control Settings that prevents you from changing Windows 10 product key but you can try and fix it by following these steps:

Solution 2 – Reinstall Windows 10 upgrade

Some users claim that only way to change your Windows 10 product key if you’re having this issue is to go back to the previous version of Windows that you have activated and then perform the upgrade again.

This might not be the best solution, but even Microsoft suggests it, so if you’re having any issues with changing the product key you might want to try this.

Solution 3 – Restart Windows Explorer process

The next thing we’re going to try is restarting the Windows Explorer process. Apparently, this can affect the the product key settings.

Here’s how to do that:

Now you just need to run a single command from Command Prompt to finish the process:

Solution 4 –Use a Digital License

If you can’t manually insert the license key, use the one associated with your Microsoft Account. Here’s what you need to do:

Solution 5 – Use slui.exe

Using the slui.exe is one of the most common alternative ways of activating Windows 10. Here’s how to execute this command:

If that doesn’t work, you can try another slui.exe command:

Solution 6 – Check your internet connection

If your internet connection is not stable, you won’t be able to activate Windows 10. So, if none of the previous solutions resolved the problem, make sure you’re properly connected to the internet.

Solution 7 – Reset your license status

If there was a problem during the activation process, you can always reset the license status. If you don’t know how, just follow these instructions:

Solution 8 – Force the activation

And finally, if none of the previous solutions managed to resolve the activation problem, you can always force the activation. Here’s what you need to do:

However, if you’re unable to insert your license key in a standard way, you can use the Command Prompt to force the process even further:

Not being able to change your Windows 10 product key can be a big problem, but as you can see there are few solutions that you can try. We hope that these solutions were helpful to you and that you’ve managed to change your Windows 10 product key.

More about the topics:Activation Errors

Ivan Jenic

Windows Hardware Expert

Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.

When he’s not tackling diverse driver-related problems, Ivan enjoys watching good movies and spending time hiking with his family and friends.

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Ivan Jenic

Windows Hardware Expert

Ivan has delved deep into understanding the Windows OS, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.