The Windows Club

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How to disable Automatic Windows Activation popup

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Windows Activation is a process that helps you to activate Windows and verify that your copy of Windows 11/10 is genuine and that it has not been used on more computers than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow.

Windows has different license states like:

  1. Licensed: You see this status after successful activation.
  2. Initial Grace Period: This is the state after you have installed Windows, but have not activated it. You will be reminded to activate, or Windows will attempt to activate it online automatically.
  3. Additional Grace Period: If major hardware changes are made to your computer, Windows may prompt you to reactivate Windows.
  4. Notification Period: Once the grace period expires, you will see a message that Activation is required.
  5. Non-Genuine Grace Period: You may see this after Windows Genuine Advantage has determined that your Windows copy is not genuine.
  6. Unlicensed: This appears for unlicensed copies.

The Automatic Activation feature has been included by Microsoft in the Windows operating systems to make it easier for the user to get his copy of Windows activated conveniently. But for some reason, if you wish, you can disable the feature, by editing the Windows Registry. It may especially help if Windows is activated but it still asks you to activate your Windows copy.

How to disable Automatic Windows Activation popup

This article will tell you how to disable the Auto-activation feature in Windows 11/10/8/7. If you do not wish to have the auto-activation wizard bother you, you may choose to disable automatic activation.

To do so in Windows 11/10/8/7 open regedit and navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion \SoftwareProtectionPlatform\Activation

In the right pane of the registry editor, you will find REG_DWORD value ‘Manual’. Right-click on it and select Modify. In the Value Data window which appears, change the DWORD value to 1.

The default is 0 which means auto-activation is enabled. Changing the value to 1 will disable auto-activation.

Close the Registry Editor and restart your system.

You will find that the Auto-activation feature has now been disabled completely.

In Windows Vista, however, the relevant key is:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SL\Activation

Change the value of Manual to 1 to disable auto-activation in Windows Vista.

Remember to create a system restore point first!

If you are having problems activating Windows, you may want to read this post on Troubleshooting Windows Activation States.

Check this post if you need to change the Product Key in Windows. See this post, if you see This copy of Windows is not genuine message on the bottom right side of your black Windows desktop.

Note: Please read the comments. It is working for some, while not working for others. Based on comments, you may want to change the value of NotificationDisabled to 1 and see if that helps.

AnandK@TWC

Anand Khanse is the Admin of TheWindowsClub.com, a 10-year Microsoft MVP (2006-16) & a Windows Insider MVP (2016-2022). Please read the entire post & the comments first, create a System Restore Point before making any changes to your system & be careful about any 3rd-party offers while installing freeware.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Sunilpwyd says

    doesn’t work on windows 7. The value is already 1, and still i get a pop up every 5 minutes , telling me to activate windows

  6. Ron Wolpa says

    THere is not such path on WINDOWS 8 : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsNT>>>>>>>>CurrentVersion SoftwareProtectionPlatformActivation
    Any other suggestion to get rid of the activation blue screen that paralyzes the system ?

  10. Naser Mohd Baig says

    Thanks Anand. But how can I disable activation countdown. The count down on my system has been reset to 30 days but it keeps on decreasing day by day. I see another DWORD entry named ” Activation Interval” in registry. Any idea how to tweak it?

  12. Naser Mohd Baig says

    What if we use slmgr -rearm command?

    and by manually activating, do you mean I need to purchase a key?

  15. Sta8is says

    It worked! The stupid message was on-screen, I followed the steps, restarted and it’s gone! Thanks SO MUCH!!

  17. james 86 says

    I’ve had windows 7 for 5 years. After a repair I’m seeing active within 10 days. I only make out the last 15 numbers. Is there a phone number?

  19. mastema says

    does this also allow desktop images to be used and not reset to a black screen?

  21. Arkayne says

    Not a good fix for the windows vista home basic. I followed this step by step and was locked out of my computer and had to call microsoft to get a new activation key. The activation window continued to pop up after this “fix” was applied. Yeah, you almost “fixed” me.

  22. Err500 says

    win 8 update fix.reg

    open notepad paste
    ———————————————————————————–
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionSoftwareProtectionPlatformActivation]
    “Manual”=dword:00000001
    “NotificationDisabled”=dword:00000001

    —————————————————————————————
    then save as win 8 update fix.reg

    change save as type to all files
    then run it -_-

  23. orator says

    try a downloadable key finder program like magical jellybean and you should be able to find your correct serial key from within your system. also finds windows office keys and such.

  25. TEC says

    Why didn’t you direct us to change “NotificationDisabled” to 1 also. The article is misleading. Luckily, I was anle clearly see this very important detail it for myself…

  26. ThiVas says

    IT WORKED ON 8.1 PRO! Trying to deal with my cracked windows for weeks now. Fail to activate with KMS or find a key so I focused on removing the messages. I don’t remember how I delt with the watermark but this one helped me with the message notification. Thanks!

  27. Alexis Von says

    goodmorning my os is fake my screen turn to black,..what im going to do???pls help me sir

  30. John says

    I activated Windows 8 using KMSAuto Net, he stands automatic reactivation, if you fly off the old, the way they can be activated and Microsoft Office is probably the best activator that I’ve seen. As well they can be activated and the earlier version of Windows. Who needs the link below

    The password for the archive: 1234

    Here is the link: http://bit.ly/1wV4rzL

  31. Matt says

    Also, to temporarily disable it in the cmd type (pressing enter after every line)
    @echo off
    taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe
    explorer.exe
    exit

  32. Matt says

    Also, to temporarily disable it, in the cmd type (pressing enter after every line):
    @echo off
    taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe
    explorer.exe
    exit

  34. vladamir says

    This article is BS. The HEADLINE refers to Windows 10 but, no where in it does it refers to steps to follow for Windows to. It reads “To do so in Windows 7 and Windows 8, open regedit and navigate to the following key:….”. Then, “In Windows Vista however, the relevant key is:….” No where else does it refer to Windows 10.

  35. Anand Khanse says

    The process is same for Windows 10/8/7. The article is old, but updated to indicate that it applies to Windows 10 too. I expected you to understand that.

  37. amir says

    follow the step given but please find GWX and make a new DWORD…then modify and make a new name DisableGWX and its value is 1…i did it before and trying to update manually to window 10…it fail…after i disable this then its ok.

  38. anonofmass says

    I changed both to a value of 1 and it still does the Windows Key Verification pop up

  42. john says

    you have to delete the SLUI.exe program under system32, just go to security then advanced make your user owner of the slui.exe then delete it, your welcome

  43. Ann says

    I have Windows 8.1, and have tried all the other other methods, none worked except this. Thank you so much!

  46. Emil Enakhe says

    Hi to everyone ! I did what Mr. Anand Khanse told us in order to disable auto-activation feature which appear in the right screen but seems it don’t work much time,i.e. after 1(one) hour it appear again. I beg you to teach me how to do to work right. Thanks in advance :)

  47. Emil Enakhe says

    to me this seems it works but I can’t write “dword”,the numbers works (00000001) in both places. Thank you :)

  48. Jake Roberts says

    Guys, I have been messing with Windows 7 for awhile.. Here is what You need to change for the ones that can’t get it to work.

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionSoftwareProtectionPlatformActivation]
    “NotificationDisabled”=dword:00000001

    The NT is separated on purpose. I think whoever wrote this had a typo. Here is what They had….

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrentVersion SoftwareProtectionPlatformActivation

    Use the 1st one. Hope this helps. (1) does disable

  49. A says

    Nice I’m using win 7 and i keep getting a Windows is not Genuine popup that has software licensing up top and can’t get rid of it.

  54. ChrisLongski says

    The value in Manual in my registry already is “1”. And my license key is valid — it came with the machine. I still get the nags.

  55. Arvin David says

    i am using windows 8 and i turn both Manual and NotificationDisabled to 1 but i still getting the pop-up of windows activation.

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