In this post, we will see how to activate Windows 10/8/7. Activation is the initial process by which a Windows running on a PC is determined to be properly licensed and genuine, and it’s really quick and easy. It is different from Registration, in the sense that, Activation is the process of ensuring that your copy of Windows is used according to the Microsoft Software License Terms, whereas registration is the process of entering information to sign up for product support, tools, and tips, and other product benefits.
It’s a great time to talk about Windows activation and how it’s going to work. For customers who are already familiar with activating Windows 8/7/Vista, this will feel pretty familiar and, as far as the user experience goes, it’s not too different from Windows XP.
You can activate either online or by phone.
Activate Windows 10
To activate Windows 10 OS do the following:
- Click the Start
- Right-click Computer
- Properties
- Windows Activation
- Click here to activate Windows now.
You can then select the method you want to use to activate. However, if you had chosen to automatically activate Windows online when you set up your computer, it will do so automatically in 3 days.
This post will show you how to Activate Windows by Phone. This post also offers Microsoft Volume Licensing Activation Centers Worldwide Telephone numbers.
You can also activate Windows using the SLUI.EXE 3 command. You can get more information in this post on how to activate Windows Enterprise Edition.
Or you can run the following command from an elevated command prompt:
Cscript.exe %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk <Your Windows product key>
Once activated, you can view the Licensing Status and Activation ID of your Windows OS with slmgr.vbs.
If you face issues after a hardware change, then this post shows how to activate Windows 10 after a hardware change.
Hope this helps!
These posts may interest you:
- Troubleshoot Windows Activation States
- Disable Auto-activation in Windows
- This copy of Windows is not genuine.
