How to Check If Windows 11 Is Activated

Wondering whether your Windows 11 is properly activated? Here are some simple steps to check if Windows 11 is activated or not.

After installing Windows 11, the first and foremost thing you should do is activate it. If you bought a new computer, the chances are that the Windows 11 operating system will activate itself. This happens because it already has all the details within the UEFI itself to activate itself. If you upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10, it will automatically activate itself using the previous license. Using a Microsoft account to log into Windows 11 will automatically link the machine and license with the MS account. That way, when you reinstall Windows 11 sometime in the future, the system will be activated automatically as soon as you sign in with the Microsoft account. Of course, you can also use a product key to activate Windows 11.

Generally, you can use Windows 11 without activating it. Sure, some personalization features are locked, but the core Windows works as it should. In fact, you will even receive regular cumulative and security updates.

When you cannot access a particular feature or if it is blocked with the “Windows Is Not Activated” or “Activate Windows” message, you need to check if Windows 11 is activated or not. The same is true when you bought a Windows 11 product key from someone else.

Thankfully, Microsoft provides two sure fire ways to check and tell if Windows 11 is activated or not. I will show both methods, follow the one you like.

Check if Windows 11 is activated from Settings

You can use the Settings app to check if Windows 11 is activated or not. You must go to the “Activation” page to verify Windows 11 activation status. Here’s how.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select “System” on the sidebar.
3. Scroll down and click on “About.”
4. Scroll down and click on “Product key and activation.”
5. You will see “Active” next to “Activation state” if Windows 11 is activated.
6. Click on the Activation State will show the license type.

Detailed Steps:

Press the “Start key + I” shortcut to open the Settings app. You can also right-click on the Start menu and select the “Settings” option. After doing that, go to the “Settings > About” page.

On the About page, scroll down and click on the “Product key and activation” option.

If your Windows 11 copy is activated with a genuine license or product key, you will see “Active” next to the “Activation state” heading. Clicking on it will show the type of license you have. For instance, if your Windows 11 copy is linked with a Microsoft account, it will say “digital license.”

Use the SLMGR command to check if Windows 11 is activated

You can check if Windows 11 is activated or not using the slmgr command. All you must do is execute the command, and Windows 11 will show the current activation status. Here is how to use it.

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Search and open the “Command Prompt.”
3. Type “slmgr /xpr” and press Enter.
4. You will see a “This machine is permanently activated” message if Windows 11 is activated.
5. Click “Ok” to close the script window.

That is all. It is simple to see if Windows 11 license is genuine and if Windows 11 is activated properly.

I hope that helps.

If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.