Activate Windows

Question

Welcome .... A year ago, I bought a laptop running the regular Windows 10 system (((Note: It is activated with a free digital license within the system))).... After a while, I upgraded to the regular Windows 11 after I received a notification He asks me if I want to do that...

My question is: If I do a clean install of regular Windows 10 Will I be required to purchase a license or will it be activated automatically even if I have previously updated to version 10 to 11?

Thanks

Answer 1

Hello,

Can you please type cmd in the search on the taskbar and hit enter to launch command prompt, then run the following command:

slmgr /dlv

Then share a screenshot please. Thanks!

Answer 2

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out here in the Microsoft Answers Community.

The situation depends on how the computer got Windows 10 in the first place.

If the computer is pre-installed with Windows 10, the license is in the motherboard. To activate after the clean reinstallation, you need to log into the system using the Microsoft account you first used to activate it, as the OEM license is bound to both the laptop hardware and the Microsoft account. You do not need to buy another license.

If the computer is pre-installed with earlier versions of Windows (like 7 or 8), you are unable to activate Windows 10 with the key any more as the free upgrade period has ended. Since Windows 10 licenses are no longer for sale, you have to buy a Windows 11 license, and perform a clean reinstallation of Windows 11 instead.

Feel free to post back if you need further assistance.

Best Regards,

Sheng G. - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist