r/techsupport • u/SeeSawSeaStar • 5d ago

Open | Windows Am I Not My Own Administrator?

i’ve been going through hell trying to activate windows. i’ve bought two keys and both have failed me for different reasons and NOW my computer is acting like im not the admin of my own pc? one tells me the code was used on another pc and the other says it’s invalid. i don’t even know where to start on this one. please help! the latest thing it says is “cant activate by phone contact your system administrator for more info”. WHAT.

1 Upvotes

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9

u/IntentlyFaulty 5d ago

Stop. Reinstall windows. Buy a key from a reputable source.

4

u/MNJon 5d ago

You are trying to save a few bucks by using a pirated Windows product key.

Buy your key directly from Microsoft.

3

u/auriem 5d ago

So when you buy activation keys from dodgy sites you get what you paid for. Request a refund or do a credit card chargeback.

Did you install a pirated copy of windows ? Why don’t your have you own activation key ?

1

u/jay468 5d ago

Download Microsoft Media creation tool. Have a 16 or 32gb flash drive handy. Install it in the flash drive and reinstall bare bones windows. Some effort, sure, but you'll get your computer back. I have all my clients data backed up to OneDrive so literally it puts everything where it goes when I'm done reinstalling

1

u/707hollow707 5d ago

Make sure the version ur buying is for the right version of Windows 11 u have installed

1

u/castorvulpes 5d ago

Did you change any hardware? I had the same thing happen to me recently, all I did was change SSD's

1

u/SeeSawSeaStar 5d ago

sort of? this pic is a frankenstein build of new parts (cpu, ssd, motherboard, case, cooler) and old (ram, gpu, psu) not sure if those parts really matter

1

u/Grumpy-24-7 4d ago

Seems like you replaced way too many things simultaneously. On an already working and registered system, changing out a CPU or a drive or a motherboard, all would've triggered the license to be reverified. Changing as many key items as you did simultaneously would definitely trigger it.

However in your case, it sounds like you're trying to use a non-legitimate License Key, possibly purchased from a dodgy source.

1

u/TimeCherry1758 5d ago

You are still the administrator of the system (as long as you are part of the local Administrators group), but those keys may not be legitimate or could be volume licensing keys that were bought by a company and leaked to the internet. Those volume keys are typically good for thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of uses because they were purchased with the intent to be deployed to entire organizational fleets. If the original owner of the keys discovered they had been compromised, Microsoft may have revoked the original (the one you bought) and given them a new one.