As Microsoft released Windows 10 among years, millions of people have activated Windows 10. What about your PC? How to activate Windows 10 and remove the watermark? In this article, we will show you the 3 activation methods ways.
Lean how to activate Windows 10 or Windows 11 in three ways:
| Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
|---|---|
| Activate Windows 10 with the Product Key | Find Product Key when you are installing Windows 10 to activate the system. Press Windows icon on the keyboard > Settings > Update & Security > Activation...Full steps |
| Activate Windows 10/11 with a Digital license | The digital license is linked to your Microsoft account. First, check if your Windows 10 is linked to your Microsoft account. Click Windows icon > Choose Settings...Full steps |
| Activate Windows 10 Pro for Free using CMD | Another way to activate Windows 10 is using CMD. Type CMD in the search box, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator. Enter command line...Full steps |
Real case from the forum: "How to activate Windows 10? I installed a free version of Windows 10 pro from a tutorial I found on YouTube. Everything worked and I now want to activate windows seeing all of the benefits..."
Sick of the watermark sticking on the bottom right corner of the screen? If you want to activate Windows 10 as in the previous example, we will show you how to activate Windows 10 in 2022 with product key/digital license/CMD.
Step 1. Find Product Key when you are installing Windows 10. (If you have not found your product key, you can go to the fifth part of this page. Start installation first and then locate your key.)
If you can find your 25-character product key, you can activate Windows 10 right now.
Step 2. Press Windows icon on the keyboard > Settings > Update & Security > Activation (or you can input Activation on the search box after setting page pop up.)
Step 3. Click the Change product key.
Step 4. Enter your product key > Click Next > Select Activate
The digital license is linked to your Microsoft account.
Note: You will first need to check if your Windows 10 is linked to your Microsoft account. Steps: Click Windows icon > Choose Settings > Select Update & Security > Select Activation > Check activation status
Check two common situations you may encounter:
Activate Windows 10 on a new PC
Reactivate Windows 10 after changing hardware
Step 1. During Windows 10 installation, choose I don't have a product key when a move to activate.
Step 2. Sign in with your Microsoft account and connect to the Internet. Your Windows 10 will be activated.
When it comes to change your hardware, such as the mainboard, the activation process shows a bit of difference. Check the steps below to complete re-activation.
Step 1. Prepare before activation.
Make sure the digital license is linked to Microsoft Account. If the Activation displays as Windows is activated with a digital license, you can apply the below steps to link your account:
Click Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Click Add an account under Add a Microsoft account > Sign in to your Microsoft account
Step 2. Apply Troubleshoot
If the above methods are not your first option, you can apply a freeway - activate Windows 10 with CMD.
Step 1. Type CMD in the search box, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator.
Step 2. Enter command line and press Enter. Find your product key.
If you encounter any Windows errors like system startup failure, BSOD, or unbootable devices after you have activated Windows 10, you can ask Windows data recovery services for help.
Consult with EaseUS data recovery experts for one-on-one manual recovery service. We could offer the following services after FREE diagnosis:
What if I don't activate Windows 10? Does any bad thing happen? To be honest, nothing annoying thing happens. But Microsoft has put restriction on two parts:
Find product key by EaseUS Todo PCTrans (fastest):
Step 1. Open the software and choose the "Product key" option.
Step 2. Click "Scan" and you can check the product key. Click "copy" for direct use.
Check more options for free:
How to Find Windows 10 Product Key
Here we provide you with five methods to find Windows 10 product key. Follow the methods if you want to get your Windows product key or license.
Compared with the activated Windows 10, your monitor will get a watermark in the bottom right corner of the screen. And the personalization settings, critical updates, optional updates, and optional software - include Microsoft apps, downloads, services - will be disabled.
If you've changed your hardware (mainboard...), your Windows 10 can not be activated. Fortunately, Microsoft has told us what to do next. Follow the steps below:
Digital license:
Step 1. On your PC, login as administrator.
Step 2. Press Windows icon > choose Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Troubleshoot
Check more details in the article or read the Microsoft guide.
Step 1. Run command prompt as administrator.
Step 2. Find your Windows Enterprise product key and press Enter.
YES. It is safe to use.
The command line calls the built-in Windows 10 component which manages system license.
Upgrading to a new operating system may be risky. You can use EaseUS data recovery software to recover lost files during Windows 11 download or installation in three steps.
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