Windows · System Info
Check Windows Activation Status
Activation shows whether your copy of Windows is genuinely licensed and linked to your hardware or Microsoft account, which edition you're running, and lets you enter a new product key or upgrade to a different edition, like from Home to Pro. A properly activated Windows unlocks full personalization options and removes the persistent activation watermark.
How to open Activation
- Open Settings → System → Activation.
- Review your current activation status and Windows edition.
- Click 'Change product key' to enter a new key or upgrade editions.
- Use 'Troubleshoot' if activation shows an error you weren't expecting.
What you should know
- View your current activation status and the specific Windows edition installed.
- Enter a new product key here to activate Windows or upgrade to Pro from Home.
- Use 'Troubleshoot' if activation shows an error despite believing your license is valid.
- Add a Microsoft account to your digital license for easier reactivation after major hardware changes.
Replacing major hardware, particularly the motherboard, can invalidate a digital license's hardware fingerprint and require reactivation — linking your license to a Microsoft account beforehand makes recovering activation afterward much easier.
Why it matters
An unactivated Windows installation nags you with a persistent watermark and blocks access to personalization options like changing your desktop background, which is a real daily annoyance beyond just the legal licensing concern. Checking this page after a fresh install, a motherboard swap, or a Reset This PC confirms your license reactivated correctly rather than assuming it did. Linking your digital license to a Microsoft account specifically pays off if you ever need to prove ownership and reactivate after significant hardware changes.
Best practices
- Link your digital license to a Microsoft account before making major hardware changes, since it makes reactivation afterward far simpler.
- Check activation status after any Reset This PC or clean install to confirm it reactivated automatically as expected.
- Use the built-in 'Troubleshoot' option before purchasing a new license if activation shows an error, since it resolves many common cases automatically.
- Keep your original product key or purchase confirmation accessible in case you ever need to manually re-enter it.
Common problems and fixes
- Windows shows 'Not activated' after a hardware change or reset.
- Open Activation and click 'Troubleshoot', then choose 'I changed hardware on this device recently' if your digital license was already linked to a Microsoft account.
- A valid product key won't activate.
- Confirm the key matches your installed edition (Home keys won't activate a Pro installation, for example), and check it hasn't already been used on the maximum allowed number of devices for that license type.
- Persistent activation watermark remains even though Activation shows 'Windows is activated'.
- This is usually a display refresh issue — restart the PC or explorer.exe, since the watermark occasionally lags behind the actual activation state shown in Settings.
Tips and tricks
- Run 'slmgr /xpr' in an elevated Command Prompt for a quick command-line check of your activation expiration status, useful for volume-licensed or KMS-activated devices.
- Add your Microsoft account under Activation right after a fresh install specifically so a future motherboard replacement doesn't leave you stuck.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a digital license and a product key?
A digital license is tied to your hardware and/or Microsoft account and reactivates automatically without re-entering anything, while a product key is a manually entered 25-character code used for a fresh activation or edition upgrade.
Can I upgrade from Windows Home to Pro without reinstalling?
Yes, entering a Pro product key (or purchasing an upgrade) under Activation triggers an in-place upgrade that keeps your files and apps intact.
Does an unactivated Windows installation stop working eventually?
No, it continues to function for daily use, but you lose access to certain personalization settings and see a persistent activation watermark until it's properly activated.
Related settings
- Windows UpdateWindows Update allows you to download and install the latest security patches, feature updates, and performance improvements. Keeping your system updated helps protect against vulnerabilities and ensures optimal performance.
- Windows SecurityWindows Security is the built-in protection center for virus & threat protection, firewall & network protection, and device health. It runs Microsoft Defender Antivirus and lets you review recent scans and threats.
- Date & TimeDate & Time settings control your system clock, time zone, and whether Windows sets these automatically using your location and an internet time server. Correct time settings matter well beyond the clock display — they affect file timestamps, certificate validation, scheduled tasks, and login to network resources.
More System Info guides for Windows
- About / System InformationAbout shows your PC's core specifications at a glance — processor, installed RAM, device ID, and system type — alongside your exact Windows edition, version, and build number. It's the single quickest place to find the information support technicians, driver downloads, and compatibility checks almost always ask for first.
- Advanced System SettingsAdvanced System Settings (opened via sysdm.cpl or 'Advanced system settings' in search) is a legacy System Properties dialog covering performance options like visual effects and virtual memory, system startup and recovery behavior, user profile management, and manual environment variable editing. These controls predate the modern Settings app and remain the only place for several deeper configuration options.
- Rename This PCLets you change the device name Windows uses to identify this PC on networks, in file sharing, and when pairing devices like Bluetooth accessories.
- System Protection & Restore PointsConfigures System Restore, which periodically saves snapshots of system files and settings so you can roll the PC back to an earlier working state after a problematic driver or software installation.
- Environment VariablesLets advanced users view and edit environment variables such as PATH, TEMP, and custom variables that control how applications, scripts, and the command line locate files and behave.
- Domain or Workgroup SettingsLets you configure whether this PC belongs to a home network workgroup or a business network domain, which affects sign-in options, network resource access, and group policy management.