2 Ways to Activate Windows

Posted on June 30, 2022 by - Windows, Windows 10

Here are 2 Ways you can Activate Windows

Windows is a paid Operating System and you need a valid license to be able to use it. Unlike Linux, which is a free and open-source operating system and you can install on almost any PC available, Windows requires you to purchase it separately. Most new PCs today usually come with Windows pre-installed, in which case the manufacturer has already bought a Windows license.

However, if you don’t have a valid copy of Windows, it will most likely stop you from installing updates and start showing you the infamous “This Windows Copy is not genuine”, along with blocking you from using some features.

You can always buy a new copy and/or use a product copy from another Windows machine to activate your Windows. Here, in this guide, we will cover two ways you can activate Windows,

  • A digital license
  • A product key

Using a Digital License

A Digital License is a digital certificate that can be directly linked to your Microsoft account. Usually, work or school accounts come with a digital Windows license and to activate your Windows using this method, all you need to do is login to your PC using your Microsoft account and connect your device to the internet. Windows should automatically verify and activate your copy of Windows.

Using a Product Key

Alternatively, if you don’t have a digital license, you can use a Windows Product Key to verify and activate your copy of Windows. A Product Key is like a password, that you can use to allow your Windows to verify that it’s genuine using Microsoft servers and activate it.

It is a 25-character code and should look like this,

XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

To activate using a product key, you can follow the steps below,

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Click on Update & Security and then go to Activation.
  3. Click on Update product key.
  4. Click on Change product key and enter the product key you want to use.

You can also click on the following link to directly take you to the Settings page.

Change product key in Windows Settings

That’s it. Your copy of Windows should now be activated. If you face any issues, you can also refer to Microsoft’s official activation documentation page.