How to Activate Windows 8

Last Updated: August 2, 2021

Have you recently made some changes to your computer hardware, and now Windows is bugging you to activate? If you still have access to your Product Key, activation should only take a moment. If you need to purchase a new key, Windows makes that easy too. See Step 1 below to get started.

Steps

1
Check to see if you are already activated. Most Windows 8 systems that you purchase from a retailer have already been activated and don't require any input from you. You can double-check if Windows has been activated by opening the System window (⊞ Win+Pause). Your activation status will be displayed at the bottom.
2
Find your Product Key. In order to activate Windows, you will need a valid Product Key. You can buy a key directly from Microsoft by clicking the "Get more features with a new edition of Windows" link in the System window. If your copy of Windows came in a case, the Product Key will be on a sticker affixed to that case.
- Some computers will have the Product Key sticker on the back or bottom.
- You can also purchase product keys from the Microsoft website and it will be tied to your Microsoft account.^{[1]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Scott St Gelais
  IT Consultant
  Expert Interview. 27 July 2021.}
- A Product Key is a 25-character key separated into five groups of five characters each.
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3
Open the "Enter new key" window. Once you have obtained or found your valid key, you can send it to the Microsoft servers in order to verify your installation. To do this, open the "Enter new key" window.
- Open the Command Prompt. Press ⊞ Win+X and select Command Prompt from the menu.
- Type slui 3 and press ↵ Enter.
4
Enter your Product Key. Type your Product Key into the box. Windows will automatically detect if the key is valid and then start the online activation.^{[2]
X
Expert Source

Scott St Gelais
IT Consultant
Expert Interview. 27 July 2021.} If activation encounters any errors, you will be given a phone number you can call to activate.
- The activation window will not allow you to enter in characters that aren't normally found in the Product Key.

Community Q&A

Question

What is the product key?

Community Answer

This is the registration code for Windows, located either on your PC's case, or on the envelope in which the installation DVD came.
Question

What do I do if my activation key is not working?

Community Answer

Did you type the key in correctly? Make sure you did, and if it's still not working, contact Microsoft support about this.

Warnings

Be wary of activation programs which bypass Windows activation process. They may contain viruses and other malware.

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