Windows license will soon expire. You need to activate windows in setting. How do I resolve this?

Hi Deraij,

My name is Igor, I have 12 Microsoft MVP awards. It's a pleasure for me to help others and I'll do all my best to help you. I'm sorry you have a problems.

For home computer this message says the activation and possibly installation were made illegally. This could do unfair seller, technician or any other person during computer repairing. Please, ask PC manufacturer whether it preinstalled Windows on this device. And if you don't have a license you need to buy one, sorry.

You probably need to buy a retail copy of Windows 10 from Microsoft and do a clean install.

To confirm:

1- Open Windows PowerShell

Start > Windows PowerShell > Windows PowerShell

2- Type this: slmgr.vbs /dlv

Then press Enter

3- In a few seconds, you'll get your result.

If it looks like this:

Your license is valid. If the "channel" does not say RETAIL or OEM, then your license is not valid. In that case, you'll have to buy a copy of Windows 10 from Microsoft and do a clean install.

Firstly, how would I know if my windows was legitimately activated.

That expiration message always means that someone has activated Windows with a Volume License Key meant only for business or organizations that activate a large number of PC's, which need to check in with the organization's server regularly to reactivate or they expire. Sometimes this is done by shops or others reinstalling Windows - unnecessarily because the PC either came with a Windows Product Key embedded in the BIOS/UEFI firmware, or it was already activated by free Upgrade or a retail Product Key, and would have reactivated after a reinstall had they given it the chance and not interrupted this by installing the illegal key. It is also a way pirates illegally Upgrade to Pro version.

If you know the present version of Windows originally was legitimately activated then to fix the problem what I would do is go offline to remove the Volume License key and then restore the Generic Product Key that is used to activate with the Digital License issued by Upgrade or Factory install, the factory key embedded in the UEFI/BIOS firmware chip, or the retail key you used.

Follow these steps to do this:

1. Go offline by opening Action center at the right end of Task Bar, then clicking on Airplane mode to turn off internet.
2. Next type CMD in Start Search, right click to Run as Administrator, then right click to copy and paste this command in and press Enter: slmgr -upk
3. Restart PC and then insert Generic Product Key for the licensed and installed version from here: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/95922-generic-product-keys-install-windows-10-editions.html This sets everything back to default so that if there is a Digital License issued during a proper Upgrade it should reactivate. If not we will need to try something else:
4. If it doesn't activate after going online and you originally had factory installed Windows, read the Product Key embedded in the UEFI firmware chip at the factory by running ProducKey: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/produkey-x64.zip, copy and paste the OEM-BIOS key (only) into Settings> Update & Security > Activation.

An embedded Product Key is almost always for Home version, so if it's presently Pro version you can try reinstalling Home version to see if it will activate. Here is a workaround to downgrade Pro to Home: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install-winpc/downgrade-from-windows-10-pro-to-home/345f5464-cb7a-44b3-8856-237cbec072c8.

Try the embedded key and then try the Generic Home key linked in Step 3.

5. If nothing else works you may need to buy a Home license - always buy from a major retailer who back all sales or directly from Microsoft here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/windows-10-home/d76qx4bznwk4?SilentAuth=1&wa=wsignin1.0&activetab=pivot%3aoverviewtab
6. If you were sold a Volume license product key or the PC came from seller activated with one, then it is piracy when someone resells Windows with no way to legally activate it. You can report this to Microsoft here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howtotell/cfr/report.aspx. In the past when victims cooperated with an investigation they would sometimes give them a free copy as thanks.

You can also contact the seller and let him/her know you are taking these actions and that they need to make the activation good. Many will comply rather than risk investigation or prosecution.

7. For further assistance restoring the original legal activation you can contact Microsoft Support phone or chat options here: https://partner.support.services.microsoft.com/en-us/contactus/windows/tech-services/

I hope having all possible options helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

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