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Please log in with your username or email to continue. Facebook Google wikiHow Account No account yet? Create an account Browse Articles Quizzes & Games All Quizzes Hot Personality Quizzes Dating Simulator Learn Something New Support wikiHow Log in / Sign up Computers and Electronics Operating Systems Last Updated: October 21, 2025 Fact Checked Command Prompt (All Versions) Windows 7 and Vista This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly . Rain is a tech writer and editor for wikiHow with over 5 years of professional writing experience. In the past, Rain has worked with other creative writers as a Writing Tutor at San Francisco State University and has published gaming features, guides, and news articles for a variety of media outlets. Rain shares a lifelong passion for writing and gaming and is eager to grow alongside new tech inventions. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 196,178 times. Learn more... Want to find out if the version of Microsoft Windows on your PC is legit? Whether you installed Windows yourself or bought a computer with the operating system preinstalled, it's easy to view your activation status on Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and Vista. This wikiHow article will teach you five simple ways to check if your copy of Microsoft Windows is activated and licensed. Quick Steps to Check Windows Activation On Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Activation . On Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation . On Windows 8, press the Windows + Pause keys at the same time. On Windows 7 and Vista, right-click Computer and select Properties . 1 Open your Windows Settings . It's the gray gear icon in your Start menu. [1] X Research source You can also launch the Settings app quickly by pressing Windows key + i at the same time. You can also launch the Settings app quickly by pressing Windows key + i at the same time. 2 Click System at the top-left corner. You can find this between Home and Bluetooth & devices . [2] X Research source Advertisement 3 Click Activation . It's toward the bottom of the right panel. [3] X Research source 4 Click the activation status. If Windows is activated, you'll see "Active" and a green checkmark at the top of the window. Clicking the activation status displays one of the following messages: Windows is activated: Windows was activated manually with a 25-digit product key , but the key is not linked to a Microsoft account . Windows is activated with a digital license: Windows was activated digitally when installed, but the digital license isn't connected to a Microsoft account. Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account: Windows is activated, and your key is linked to your Microsoft account. Windows is not activated: Windows is not active. Follow the instructions in the on-screen error message to activate. [4] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source Windows is activated: Windows was activated manually with a 25-digit product key , but the key is not linked to a Microsoft account . Windows is activated with a digital license: Windows was activated digitally when installed, but the digital license isn't connected to a Microsoft account. Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account: Windows is activated, and your key is linked to your Microsoft account. Windows is not activated: Windows is not active. Follow the instructions in the on-screen error message to activate. [4] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source Command Prompt (All Versions) 1 Open the Command Prompt . A quick way to check your Windows activation status is to enter a command in Command Prompt. This will work with any version of Windows, from Windows 11 down to Windows Vista. [5] X Research source 2 Type slmgr /xpr and press ↵ Enter . After a few seconds, you'll see a pop-up window that displays your activation status. If Windows is activated, you'll see "The machine is permanently activated." You can see more activation details, including the type of license you have, using the command slmgr /dli . [6] X Research source If Windows is activated, you'll see "The machine is permanently activated." You can see more activation details, including the type of license you have, using the command slmgr /dli . [6] X Research source 1 Open the Settings app . Click the Start button and click the settings gear. 2 Click Update & Security . This will open a new page. [7] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source 3 Click Activation . You can find this in the left panel. [8] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source

4 Check if Windows is activated. Review the text to the right of "Activation" under the "Windows" header. Windows is activated: Windows 10 was activated with a 25-digit product key , but the key is not linked to a Microsoft account. Windows is activated with a digital license: Windows was activated digitally when installed, but the digital license isn't connected to a Microsoft account. Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account: Windows is activated, and your key is linked to your Microsoft account . Windows is not activated: Windows is not active. Follow the instructions in the on-screen error message to activate. Windows is activated: Windows 10 was activated with a 25-digit product key , but the key is not linked to a Microsoft account. Windows is activated with a digital license: Windows was activated digitally when installed, but the digital license isn't connected to a Microsoft account. Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account: Windows is activated, and your key is linked to your Microsoft account . Windows is not activated: Windows is not active. Follow the instructions in the on-screen error message to activate. 1 Press the ⊞ Win + Pause keys simultaneously. This will open the System Properties window in the Control Panel. 2 Review your activation status. Look under the "Windows activation" section to see if Windows 8 is activated. Since it's at the bottom of the System Properties window, you may need to scroll down. [9] X Research source Windows 7 and Vista 1 Click the Start button. This is at the bottom, in your taskbar. 2 Right-click Computer . You can find this in the right column. 3 Click Properties from the context menu. This will open the System Properties window in the Control Panel. 4 Review your activation status. Look under the "Windows activation" section to see if Windows is activated. Since it's at the bottom of the System Properties window, you may need to scroll down. Want to see your Windows 7 product key? Open Command Prompt and run the command wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey . And if the steps above have been helpful, be sure to download this article as a PDF so you can print, read, or reference it any time. Download PDF for $2.99 Want to see your Windows 7 product key? Open Command Prompt and run the command wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey . And if the steps above have been helpful, be sure to download this article as a PDF so you can print, read, or reference it any time. You Might Also Like ↑ https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-determine-activation-status-on-windows-11 ↑ https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-determine-activation-status-on-windows-11 ↑ https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-determine-activation-status-on-windows-11 ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/activate-windows-c39005d4-95ee-b91e-b399-2820fda32227 ↑ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/techtips/open-the-command-prompt-in-windows/ ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/activation-slmgr-vbs-options ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/activate-windows-c39005d4-95ee-b91e-b399-2820fda32227#windowsversion=windows_10 ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/activate-windows-c39005d4-95ee-b91e-b399-2820fda32227#windowsversion=windows_10 ↑ https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/thinkcentre_pdf/how_to_determine_if_windows8_is_activated.pdf About This Article Send fan mail to authors Is this article up to date? Quizzes & Games You Might Also Like Trending Articles Trending Articles Take the Quiz. Face the Truth. 🔥 Are You More... 🤔 Featured Videos Hot Takes Only 🔥 Your Daily Dose of Fun 🎉 Computers and Electronics Operating Systems Do Not Sell or Share My Info Not Selling Info Keep up with the latest tech with wikiHow's free Tech Help Newsletter