How to Use a Product Key/ Digital License/ CMD to Activate Windows 10/11

Learn how to activate Windows 10 or Windows 11 using three methods:

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A real post from a forum: "How do I activate Windows 10? I installed the free version of Windows 10 Pro following a tutorial I found on YouTube. Everything is working fine, and now I want to activate Windows to enjoy all its features..."

Tired of the watermark in the bottom right corner of your screen? We'll show you how to activate Windows 10 in 2022 using a product key/digital license/CMD, just like in the previous example.

[1] How to Use a Product Key to Activate Windows 10/11

Step 1. Find your Windows 10 product key before you install. (If you haven't found your key yet, skip ahead to Part 5, install first, and then find the key.)

If you can find a 25-character product key, you can still activate Windows 10.

Step 2: Press the Windows key on your keyboard, then select Settings > Update & Security > Activation (or after opening Settings, type “activation” in the search box.)

Step 3: Click Change product key.

Step 4: Enter your product key > Click Next > Choose Activate

[2] How to Activate Windows 10/11 with a Digital License

A digital license is tied to your Microsoft account.

Note: First, make sure your Windows 10 is connected to a Microsoft account. To do this, click the Windows icon, select "Settings," then choose "Update & Security" and then "Activation." Check your activation status.

Please check the two common scenarios you might encounter:

Activate Windows 10 on a New Computer
Reactivate Windows 10 After Changing Hardware

Activate Windows 10 on a new computer - 2 steps

Step 1. When installing Windows 10, choose I don't have a product key when activation is prompted.

Step 2: Sign in with your Microsoft account and connect to the Internet. Your Windows 10 will activate.

Reactivate Windows 10 After Changing Hardware

If you've replaced hardware, such as a motherboard, the activation process is slightly different. Follow these steps to reactivate:

Step 1: Prepare for activation.

Make sure your digital license is associated with your Microsoft account. If the Activation status shows Windows is activated with a digital license, you can link your account by following these steps:

Click on Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Add a Microsoft account, then click Add an account and sign in with your Microsoft account.

Step 2: Apply troubleshooting

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation. 2. Under the "Windows" section, select "Troubleshoot." 3. Click on "I recently changed hardware on this device." 4. Choose the device you want to activate > Check "This is the device I'm using right now" > Click the "Activate" button.

Select the device to activate

3 - How to Activate Windows 10 Pro for Free Using CMD

If you don't want to use the above method, you can also activate Windows 10 using the Command Prompt.

Step 1: Type CMD in the search box, right-click on it, and select “Run as administrator.”

Step 2. Type the command and press Enter to find your product key.

These are commands used for activating the Windows operating system: 1. slmgr /ipk: This command is used to input a product key. You would fill in your Windows product key in the space provided, like `slmgr /ipk XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX`, where 'X' represents each character of the key. 2. slmgr /skms kms.xspace.in: This command sets the Key Management Service (KMS) server. 'kms.xspace.in' here is an example KMS server address; you should replace it with your own or an authorized KMS server address. 3. slmgr /ato: This command attempts to activate the installed version of Windows. After inputting the product key and setting the KMS server, you would run this command to activate your system. If everything is in order, Windows will be activated.

If you encounter system startup failure, blue screen, or unbootable devices after activating Windows 10, you can seek assistance from Windows Data Recovery Services.

Windows Data Recovery Services

Contact our experts for a free assessment.

Get personalized manual recovery service consultation with Tools Data Recovery experts. After a free diagnosis, we offer the following services:

• Solve Windows startup issues, including blue screen errors
• Fix Windows errors and configure the Windows environment
• Restore systems when they fail to start
• Optimize your Windows computer for faster performance

Is it necessary to activate Windows 10/11?

What happens if you don't activate Windows 10? Honestly, not much annoying stuff. But Microsoft does place two restrictions on you:

• Personalization (disabled): Desktop background, window color, lock screen background, and themes.
• Updates (disabled): Install updates and more recommended by Microsoft.

How to find your product key

Find the product key with Todo PCTrans Tool (Fastest):

Step 1: Launch the program and choose “Product Key” option.

Step 2: Click on “Scan” to view the product keys. You can click on “Copy” to use them directly.

View more free options:

How to Find Windows 10 Product Key

Here we offer you 5 methods to find the Windows 10 product key. Follow these steps if you want to get the Windows product key or license.

Frequently Asked Questions About Windows 10/11 Activation

What's the difference between using Windows 10 activated and non-activated?

With an inactive Windows 10, you'll see a watermark on your display. Additionally, personalization settings will be disabled, and important updates, optional updates, and select apps, downloads, and services from Microsoft will not be available to you.

Having issues activating Windows 10 after a hardware change?

If you've replaced hardware (like a motherboard), your copy of Windows 10 might not activate. Fortunately, Microsoft has a process for that. Do the following:

Digital License:

Step 1: Log in to your computer as an administrator.

Step 2: Click the Windows icon, then choose 'Settings' > 'Update & Security' > 'Activation' > 'Troubleshoot.'

See more details in the article, or read the Microsoft guide.

How can I activate Windows 10 Enterprise for free using the command prompt?

Step 1: Run Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 2. Find your Windows Enterprise product key and press Enter.

1. Type slmgr.vbs / upk in the Command Prompt and press Enter.
2. Find your Windows Enterprise product key, then type slmgr / ipk <key>.
3. slmgr / skms zh.us.to
4. slmgr / ato

Is it safe to activate Windows 10 using CMD with the UTF-8 encoding format?

Yes, it's safe to use.

The command line calls on a component built into Windows 10 to manage system licenses.

5. Can I recover data in Windows 11?

There are risks involved in upgrading to a new operating system. You can recover lost files during the Windows 11 download or installation process with data recovery software in three steps.