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  "path": "/threads/not-sure-about-a-new-activation-for-windows-11.2635045/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-03T11:31:08.000Z",
  "site": "https://forums.anandtech.com",
  "tags": [
    "Windows",
    "Read more"
  ],
  "textContent": "Primary SSD on the ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 died a few days ago. Was using Windows 11 (upgraded from Windows 10). I removed the dead SSD and moved the secondary Samsung SSD into the primary M.2 slot, and then booted Linux from a USB drive, and it worked well.\n\nLast night I used a friend's Windows pc to create a Windows 11 install USB drive, came home and started the pc and used the F11 key to access the BIOS to change the boot order to look first at the USB drive. Then performed the Windows 11 install.\n\nCannot Activate Windows 11 (I think that my digital product key was lost when the SSD died). After the install, MSFT wanted 2 things: a product id number and a login to my account. I don't have a product id number (I think it was a digital id number that was lost when my SSD died).\n\nAfter the Windows 11 install, MSFT requested me to log in, when I attempted the login it did not recognize the password that I used. So I had to create a new password to login to my account...\n\nRead more",
  "title": "not sure about a new activation for Windows 11"
}