Your Windows license will expire soon. You need to activate Windows in settings.

Anonymous
2018-04-05T02:42:32+00:00

Hi, my name is Niya and yesterday I went on my computer so I could watch some YouTube and when I started up my computer a message popped up saying: Your Windows License will expire soon. You need to activate Windows in settings. I clicked close and it popped up again. I decided to go to settings and I saw it said Windows is activated using your organization's activation service. A few month's ago about September or October I got my computer's hard drive replaced and they people who repaired my computer installed Windows 10 Pro on it. Once I got my computer repaired I installed the Windows 10 creators update. I do not think that caused the problem. My Windows 10 Pro is activated because I checked in settings and by going to This PC>Right clicking on This PC>Properties. It says Windows is activated. I am very confused on why I am getting the message. I do not own a copy of Windows 10. The people who fixed my computer and replaced my hard drive installed Windows 10 on my computer. Is there any way I could fix my computer and stop the message from popping up and not have my Windows License expire? Here are some pictures of the message. 

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Install and upgrade

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  1. Greg Carmack 24,780 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2018-04-05T03:28:19+00:00

    Insert the Generic Product Key for your version at Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Change Product Key. This will prompt it to activate with a Digital License if there is one because a Proper Upgrade from the same lower version was previously activated on that PC.

    It might also work if this is a Windows 10 PC that has an embedded Product Key in the BIOS which also has registered a Digital License in Activation Settings.

    However normally embedded Product Keys are Home version. There's a chance your PC never had any Digital License, but had an older edition of Windows that was not Upgraded, which is why the seller or a shop used the illegal Volume License Key to activate it - technically piracy and a theft.

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  2. Greg Carmack 24,780 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2018-04-05T03:30:54+00:00

    As to the Windows 7 Backup in the Control Panel, that is a feature still remaining in Windows 10 and not indicative that it once had Windows 7 on the PC.

    Do you see a Windows 7 COA sticker on the PC anywhere with a readable Product Key shown in illustration below?

    To see if the PC shipped with Windows 8 or 8.1, install ProducKey from this link and run it to look for a BIOS-OEM key listed: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/produkey-x64.zip

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  3. Sumit 44,436 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2018-04-05T04:19:53+00:00

    Hello,

    I am Sumit, an Independent advisor and a Microsoft MVP here to help.

    General guide for Activation error in Windows:

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-in/help/10738/...

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-in/help/12440/...

    To better diagnose the issue,

    Right click Start>Command Prompt-Admin and type in the following command:

    slmgr.vbs /dlv

    If you have Powershell instead of Command Prompt Run these in order:

    cmd.exe

    slmgr.vbs /dlv

    You will get a window, take a screenshot using snipping tool and paste it it next reply.

    How to get a screenshot and post back:

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wik...

    Please let us know if you need any assistance in posting.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-04-05T11:43:17+00:00

    Ok. It's strange that they would have used a volume license when they installed Windows. Unfortunately you'll need a new Windows key.

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  5. Anonymous
    2018-04-05T15:45:33+00:00

    My computer on my old hard drive before I got it replaced it came with either Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 and I think that was a Digital License Key I am not completely sure but I will look for a sticker.

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