Hello people I have recently changed my CPU, Motherboard and RAMs so I was planning on reinstalling windows on my PC. Last time I installed Windows was probably or so 10 years ago and I can’t remember for the life of me how I activated it.
Any recommendations on activating the new install? Or is it too much trouble nowadays and should I just buy a key?
If you call microsoft support and tell them you got a key for 3$ off a website but it doesnt work then play stupid for 30mins they give you a free one.
Which Windows? Windows 10 and above have the key attached to your Microsoft account, so you shouldn’t have any issues. I’m pretty sure they’re free now anyways (in exchange for being spyware).
It isn’t mandatory? Can I detach my account from an install that is already registered, or would they just make the association anyways with the hardware specs?
Any random win7/win10/win11 key works.
Personally I scratch of the old win7 keys of old customers that gave them to us for recycling amd use them for myself :)
https://massgrave.dev/
Use this. I've used myself loads of times. Even better if you can get your hands on an IoT LTSC version of Windows 10 and then activate it using this script
This works if you signed in with your Microsoft account, are scrapping the old PC (or at least not using the copy of Windows), and are installing the same version of Windows on the new hardware.
During installation select the option for I have no activation key. Once Windows is installed, open settings and select the activate Windows option. Go through the activation troubleshooter and there’s an option to transfer the key from an old installation. Select the correct one based on whatever you called the old installation, and you should be set.
There’s lots of good advice in this thread, but there’s no point in pirating a copy of Windows when you already own one.
I don’t have any recommendation beyond what has already been said but if none of the solutions work or seem too much to handle and you don’t absolutely need windows for whatever reason (mostly work, if gaming is what you’re worrying about Linux works fine usually now that steam is pushing for more conpatibility) I’d rather recommend you try out Linux Mint (or Nobara if you want all the gaming stuff to be setup for you already) instead of buying windows as it will save you money and time.
Seriously, not having to deal with activation crap and not having to unplug ethernet just to install a damn OS without having to login to an account is really nice.
Went through this recently. Had to get a new drive and install fresh and going through the setup process in windows 10 just broke my spirit. I downloaded Garuda Linux and havent even finished setting up windows.
I’m an avid Void user, so I get the value of linux. But I cringe every time I see a comment like this. The OP has asked a specific question about a specific version of a specific OS. Someone asking about an OS should not be considered an invitation to tell them about another.
Thank you for saying this! The Linux virtue signaling is so strong around here that it really is off putting. Like, we get it. You’re a super duper computer person that’s super duper smart and has made the smartest of smart choices in your OS.
I’ve been a programmer for 13 years now and can do anything from the command line yet I still think GNU/Linux is garbage as a desktop OS… it has nothing to do with being good with computers. The only good argument for Linux is a FOSS only mentality
It’s like going on a car sub where someone’s asking how to repair the brakes on a Ford Focus, and someone replying “Well I have a Hyundai i20 and it doesn’t have that problem”
More like going on a car sub where someone is asking for a specific car for free, and someone replying “well I have a different car you can have for free”
I already have a laptop with linux on it that I use to try out some stuff I see on this community. But I use the Windows PC mainly for Everyday stuff and Gaming. So I’d rather keep the current OS but thanks for the suggestion anyways.
should work on every version. Afaik the activation sequence is the same for all windows 10 versions so i can’t see why it wouldn’t work on some versions
I’ve used it on probably 10+ windows systems that I’ve had to refresh/set up for various needs and people. I’ve never had it fail on any flavor of 10/11.
Create a file on desktop called 1click.bat and paste this:
@echo off title Activate Windows 10 ALL versions for FREE!&cls&echo ============================================================================&echo #Project: Activating Microsoft software products for FREE without software&echo ============================================================================&echo.&echo #Supported products:&echo - Windows 10 Home&echo - Windows 10 Home N&echo - Windows 10 Home Single Language&echo - Windows 10 Home Country Specific&echo - Windows 10 Professional&echo - Windows 10 Professional N&echo - Windows 10 Education&echo - Windows 10 Education N&echo - Windows 10 Enterprise&echo - Windows 10 Enterprise N&echo - Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB&echo - Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB N&echo.&echo.&echo ============================================================================&echo Activating your Windows…&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ckms >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /upk >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /cpky >nul&set i=1&wmic os | findstr /I “enterprise” >nul if %errorlevel% EQU 0 (cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43 >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk DPH2V-TTNVB-4X9Q3-TJR4H-KHJW4 >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk WNMTR-4C88C-JK8YV-HQ7T2-76DF9 >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 2F77B-TNFGY-69QQF-B8YKP-D69TJ >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk DCPHK-NFMTC-H88MJ-PFHPY-QJ4BJ >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk QFFDN-GRT3P-VKWWX-X7T3R-8B639 >nul&goto server) else wmic os | findstr /I “home” >nul if %errorlevel% EQU 0 (cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99 >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 3KHY7-WNT83-DGQKR-F7HPR-844BM >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 7HNRX-D7KGG-3K4RQ-4WPJ4-YTDFH >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk PVMJN-6DFY6-9CCP6-7BKTT-D3WVR >nul&goto server) else wmic os | findstr /I “education” >nul if %errorlevel% EQU 0 (cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk NW6C2-QMPVW-D7KKK-3GKT6-VCFB2 >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 2WH4N-8QGBV-H22JP-CT43Q-MDWWJ >nul&goto server) else wmic os | findstr /I “10 pro” >nul if %errorlevel% EQU 0 (cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk MH37W-N47XK-V7XM9-C7227-GCQG9 >nul&goto server) else (goto notsupported) :server if %i%==1 set KMS_Sev=kms7.MSGuides.com if %i%==2 set KMS_Sev=kms8.MSGuides.com if %i%==3 set KMS_Sev=kms9.MSGuides.com if %i%==4 goto notsupported cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /skms %KMS_Sev%:1688 >nul&echo ============================================================================&echo.&echo. cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ato | find /i “successfully” && (echo.&echo ============================================================================&echo.&echo #My official blog: MSGuides.com&echo.&echo #How it works: bit.ly/kms-server&echo.&echo #Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.&echo.&echo #Please consider supporting this project: donate.msguides.com&echo #Your support is helping me keep my servers running everyday!&echo.&echo ============================================================================&choice /n /c YN /m “Would you like to visit my blog [Y,N]?” & if errorlevel 2 exit) || (echo The connection to my KMS server failed! Trying to connect to another one… & echo Please wait… & echo. & echo. & set /a i+=1 & goto server) explorer “http://MSGuides.com”&goto halt :notsupported echo ============================================================================&echo.&echo Sorry! Your version is not supported.&echo. :halt pause >nul
Then just run it as administrator. Don’t forget to add desktop to exceptions in your antivirus/firewall or windows might auto delete it.
I don’t know why I’m getting downvotes since this is working perfectly. Found that on reddit where many people confirmed its working and never had problems with it. Maybe solution from other post is better, take care
Running scripts from a random comment is risky if you don’t know how to check if the script is safe (and someone asking how to activate windows definitely doesn’t). Better to just link the massgravel Microsoft Activation Scripts (MAS), as the top comment did.
Since your post contains windows activation keys in the batch file script I’m going to remove it. Rule 3. Don’t request or link to specific pirated titles. If you want to link to a web page that contains that activation script and base 64 encode the URL then that would be fine.
But using the MAS method, as others have mentioned, would be my recommendation and only requires a quick web search for “massgravel github” to find.
You don’t know much about piracy, do you? Pirated stuff doesn’t always mean it’s free. For example, services like kino.pub - pure piracy, yet have monthly subscription. Which is worth it. I’m a pirate since early 90-s and it’s a huge multi billion dollar industry. From pirated VHS cassettes sold super cheap on flea markets back in the days to illegal software keys sold online for pennies today.
To be fair, there’s an almost zero percent chance of the key being revoked. Microsoft sells (or sold) W10 keys for peanuts all over the world depending on the market. They don’t region lock. Their current strategy is monetising services, so there’s no risk they’re suddenly going to u-turn on their decade long strategy and kick off MS users.
Worst case scenario OP has to use one of the hacks explained in this submission in a few years.
Why go through all that when MAS exists. Just activate it yourself with a single script, use the same thing for MS Office as well. I’ll never understand why people choose to pay for stolen/enterprise keys
Yes, windows functions exactly as it would should you have used a legit key and will tie in to any MS account you have logged in to permanently activate it forever (no need to keep activating), it even allows you to upgrade your Windows edition from home to pro if you wanted to. I have been doing this for literally a decade or more and have had zero repercussions from doing so.
How do you upgrade to pro? I installed home because I was thinking of using my existing win7 key, then though better and activated the other way (because the old computer is still in use by mum - she gets my castoffs lol). But I would have installed pro if I knew I’ll want to keep the win7…
Open windows poweshell - type in “irm massgrave.dev/get | iex” (without quotes) - when the menu comes up press “6” - in the next menu press “1” - in the next menu press the number that corresponds to the edition that you would like.
Oh man, MAS is quite a rabbit hole. It basically tricks Microsoft’s server to give out valid windows license.
How does it work?
In the official upgrade process from Windows 7 to Windows 10, Microsoft provides an HWID (digital license) activation for Windows 10 without any cost.
In the background, the upgrade process runs a file named gatherosstate.exe (available in Windows 10/11 ISO) and it checks the license of current Windows if found activated, it generates a valid GenuineTicket.xml ticket which is sent to Microsoft and in return, MS authorizes a license.
So if we just convince the gatherosstate.exe file that the conditions are met for ticket generation by fooling it, it will generate a valid ticket, which can be used to get the valid HWID (Digital license).
The fact that this tool is hosted in a Microsoft-owned website (GitHub) is crazy, lol. Or maybe Microsoft doesn’t care and just want more people to use Windows, so they don’t crack hard on this.
It’s been proven over and over again that Microsoft simply does not care for individual consumers anymore. I mean, you can use any Microsoft Windows installation without activating for perpetuity and the only issue would be no customisation of the wallpaper and that pesky notice on the bottom right.
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