Activate Windows 10 & 11
Whether you've bought Windows Home or Pro, your 25-digit product key has you activated in no time. Work through the steps calmly, and read the bottom section for what to do if a message pops up anyway.
After your purchase, your Windows product key is waiting in your confirmation email. A key like this has 25 characters in five groups (XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX). Is Windows already running on your PC but showing as 'not activated'? Then you simply enter the key in Windows. Nothing installed yet? Install Windows first using Microsoft's official Media Creation Tool, then come back to step 1.
Have this ready
- Your 25-digit product key from your Liceon confirmation email.
- A working internet connection for the quickest, online activation.
- The right edition installed: a Home key activates Windows Home, a Pro key activates Windows Pro.
- Administrator rights on the PC (you need to be able to change settings yourself).
How to activate Windows
The first method works in almost every case. If online activation won't cooperate for a moment, use the Command Prompt or the telephone route below.
Via Settings (online)
The quickest way on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
- 1Open Start and click Settings (the gear icon).
- 2Go to System and click Activation. (On Windows 10: Update & Security › Activation.)
- 3Click 'Change product key' or 'Add a product key'.
- 4Type in your 25-digit product key and click Next.
- 5Click Activate. After a few seconds you'll see 'Windows is activated'. Done.
Via the Command Prompt
Handy if the button in Settings won't respond.
- 1Right-click Start and choose 'Terminal (Administrator)' or 'Command Prompt (Administrator)'.
- 2Type: slmgr /ipk followed by a space and your product key, then press Enter.
- 3Next, type: slmgr /ato and press Enter again to activate online.
- 4If a confirmation window appears, Windows is activated. Restart the PC just to be safe.
Online activation not working? Activate by phone
If you're without internet or the online activation keeps hanging, Microsoft offers a free telephone activation. It's fully automated and takes just a few minutes.
- 1Open the Command Prompt as Administrator and type: slmgr /dti — this opens the telephone activation wizard (or use the shortcut Windows key + R and type slui 4).
- 2Choose your country or region in the window; you'll be shown a free phone number.
- 3Call the number and read out the Installation ID shown on your screen to the automated system.
- 4You'll be given a Confirmation ID in return. Type it into the wizard and click Activate.
Getting an error message?
The most common messages and how to fix them in a jiffy.
Usually a simple typo. Check your entry character by character (watch out for 0 and O, 1 and I) and, ideally, copy the key straight from your confirmation email. After repeated attempts, wait a few minutes and try again; if it keeps failing, we'll sort it out together.
This means the key and the installed edition don't match: a Pro key belongs with Windows Pro, a Home key with Windows Home. You can upgrade for free from Home to Pro via Settings › System › Activation, or install the correct edition. Not sure which one you have? We'll find out for you.
This is almost always a temporary connection or time issue. Check that your internet connection is working and that your PC's date and time are correct (right-click the clock › Adjust date and time › set automatically). Then try again, or use the telephone activation above.
That means Windows is installed but not yet linked to a licence. This is normal after a fresh installation. Simply work through the steps under 'Via Settings' above and enter your key.
Didn't work? We'll put it right
At Liceon we won't leave you with a half-activated PC. Send us a screenshot of the message and we'll help you personally until Windows is running. Every licence comes with our works-guarantee.