Swapping the motherboard is pretty much the “nuclear option” in Windows’ eyes-Microsoft treats it like a whole new PC, so yeah, expect activation snags. RAM, storage, even GPUs usually don’t trip up activation, but CPU and especially motherboard swaps almost always do. In theory, if your Windows license is linked to your Microsoft account, the activation troubleshooter works well (as you found), but OEM licenses can be tricky since they’re tied to the original hardware.
There’s no perfect way to avoid the headache if you change motherboards, but linking your license ahead of time and having a handy backup of your original product key helps. I wish Microsoft would clarify this more up front, but until then-welcome to the club!
