

To ensure that you can reactivate Windows 10 after a hardware change, use these steps: How to prepare reactivation before hardware change on Windows 10 In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to properly use the Activation Troubleshooter to reactivate your device. Bear in mind that this does not act as a genuine license key and only extends the grace period included with Microsoft's Windows 10 OS.Save big with VPN deals from ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark & more

Still, it does allow you to banish the watermark for that session, allowing you to screenshot or stream a game without it appearing all over your screen. It's a hangover from older Windows operating systems. It will then prompt you to reboot, and then the watermark will be gone for now.

All you have to do is head to Microsoft's official Windows download site, grab the tool, and create a USB drive to boot your new build from and kick-start the installation process. However, functionality is limited without a genuine key. That's the bit of Microsoft's OS that you actually need to buy as the OS itself has a longer grace period. It's actually free to install Windows 10 without a license key.
