Does Windows 10 License expire?

[royce]

I turned on my PC and got the message: "Your Windows license will expire soon. Please activate it on Settings". What does this mean? Will I have to buy a new one?

[royce]

plat님이 먼저 게시:

You know, I was curious so I tried to obtain my key and neither Admin cmd nor PowerShell worked for me either--just blanks or gibberish.

So, it turns out I was able to locate my key in the Registry using this guide:

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/3-simple-ways-to-find-your-windows-10-product-key/

Scroll down until you find the Registry path. I found it in the exact place the guide claimed it would be. Oh, but part of the path is WindowsNT, not Windows by itself. Otherwise, you will be lost in Registry-land--eek!

This one actually worked for me. just found my key, mine was on Windows NT folder btw.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Also check what Win10 build you are on. Could just be an unsupported build.

press WINKEY+R
type WINKEY
click OK

[Bad 💀 Motha]

You don't need any special means of looking at your Windows OS product key.
SPECCY can easily reveal that to you for Windows OS and Office (if installed)

[76561198343548661]

type the error message in google search and you ll find at least two good sources to fix this .

the steps include
typing as admin
slmgr –rearm

i cant post the links cuz i am not allowed

[River]

No not unless you switch motherboard.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

gamer님이 먼저 게시:

No not unless you switch motherboard.

Even then, not a problem.

[Elucidator]

Its possible microsoft will try to use this to get consumers to buy a consumer license key, instead of a OEM key, if they have one such.
(I assume microsoft keeps tracks of their official partners and the new TPM processor and OS optimizations allow them to check the keys anyway)
Using OEM license keys without being a partner essentially cracks the system they try to set up, and their EULA through bugs in the system and the OS, so I think they may treat them the same as completely pirated keys or cracked systems;
but I mean... it will only work temporary. People will figure out how to copy lenovo or hp's stuffery into the OEM detail information boxes and post about those at some point later I guess.

Other than this I don't really see a reason for why you'd get that expiring message. If you're going to buy a license, pay the full price to avoid these things.... or...
ignore it and pirate away. I mean, just do it better. xD Instead of paying shady resellers and keyhackers, you should probably look into cheaping the system even deeper. That way you at least control completely what happens there.

If you bought a cheap key somewhere, you should know that they sell the same keys to multiple people. This could cause, if microsoft detects it to make all of the devices invalid and so I guess would also cause that message to pop up. (Again buying cheap OEM keys can be seen as piracy, similar to free keys, simply because it isn't intended for you and causes microsoft less profit.)

--
Here's what I actually recommend: If microsoft is too expensive, just go for Linux Kernel or FreeBSD.
Its good, it works, also rad. Don't be scared about a learning curve; Microsoft is actually harder to use nowadays, so whatever.

Or... buy retail microsoft keys. You can get them sometimes cheaper than full price, but still.
You only need Home edition, don't be fooled.
In the end Pro will become useless anyway since later they will release enterprise and other editions as usual.

---
edit: If you bought the PC from some PC builder, they may also give you OEM keys without being an OEM partner of microsoft. They may have similarly bought the keys on third party sites or from actual OEM partners, but this is against their EULA, so ... e.e; yeah-
again they may see it as piracy, but that isn't your fault. They should have installed a legit consumer level retail OS key on it, if they aren't partnered.

Edit 2: Also this maybe handy: https://neosmart.net/OemKey/
If it is a partnered manifacturer's PC, you may need to extract the key from the EFI bios while you try to contact the manifacturer of your system anyway

---
edit 3 (1h later): in case you don't get it, OEM keys are sold to PC builders with the intent of selling the system to an End User. They don't use the OS themselves.
The retail version is for use by an End User.
OEM keys are basically sold to people who don't use the OS themselves, and they're not supposed to be resold to an End User. (although that does happen in reality)
All of these system builders are usually being kept track of by microsoft, they have a site where you can submit yourself as such a partner basically.

but the point is, do whatever you want, just don't blame me. xD
I tried to be as clear as possible basically, but the licensing stuff on microsoft's webpages are confusing, especially due to the load and no, their website itself doesn't make it easier to find. But at the very least: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howtotell/Shop.aspx
the bottom section there should tell... 'cheap keys doesn't really grand you permission to use our desktop operating system' (because that is what you're buying, not the key.) (the key is just a means in between). So in a way its not against the eula to sell keys, but they don't sell the permission for using the OS to the end user; and as that is the intent, to let the end user use the OS, it is against the eula.

[royce]

I'm sorry for coming back to this thread, but I still have this issue, the message keeps popping up on my PC, now it doesn't close until I choose "Go to Settings" and it started appearing while I play games, it became very annoying 'cause it makes me have to ALT+TAB every few seconds just to close it. Settings still says my key is Active, is there anyway to disable Windows Messages? I tried scanning for Malwares with no result and Windows Defender looks like everything's fine.

[76561198343548661]

helpful videos on youtube , type in the youtube search box , copy-paste

JLz-Om1Wsmo , it is for Windows 11 but it is the same for Win 10
UGSHOHiHhcM , for Win 10

a workaround
Sc23YHu3X6Y

[Der tüddelige Fußgänger]

Not from what i know.
Maybe try again the old key you've used.
If it doesn't work. ♥♥♥♥ it and use it without a license

[battlezoby]

I'm having the same problem. Bought a prebuilt and got the annoying message about FIVE MONTHS later.

I got the "Backup" Key from the Registry like plat suggested, but what should I do with that key now?

Setting offers "Change Product Key", but that sounds a little scary since I don't really want
to change it - I just want it to keep working.

For all I know, that key from the registry isn't the same one that should be used and could cause more problems.

UPDATE: A note I got with the PC assured me that it was a genuine permanent install that doesn't need to be activated and that the warning message might come up but
"can be ignored indefinity."

But the third time it came up was after a auto-logout and seemed to nearly crash my
machine, slowing it to a near half. Cursor was lagging a like 1-second per move and
even the Num-lock and Caps-Lock lights would lag a few seconds when I hit the keys.

I eventually unplugged the ethernet cable (not using WiFi) and caused it to recover,
but it's pretty annoying and kind of scary. I might move this to a top level post
but I prefer to not do so if I can get answer here.

Thanks.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

battlezoby님이 먼저 게시:

I'm having the same problem. Bought a prebuilt and got the annoying message about FIVE MONTHS later.

I got the "Backup" Key from the Registry like plat suggested, but what should I do with that key now?

Setting offers "Change Product Key", but that sounds a little scary since I don't really want
to change it - I just want it to keep working.

For all I know, that key from the registry isn't the same one that should be used and could cause more problems.

Can I ask; you got this pre-build from who/where exactly?

[battlezoby]

Bad 💀 Motha님이 먼저 게시:

Can I ask; you got this pre-build from who/where exactly?

Of course you can ask, you just did.

Given your past history of being very antagonistic and never helpful (so far) I'm not
too inclined to be too specific, but it was someone with a very high Ebay rating that
seemed to in business for a long time and is still online with a similarly high rating.

I could try contacting him again (probably will) but I like to get multiple opinions
and didn't want to wait for a reply. Plus I have to have my assistant send the
email for me since I don't use email personally. (I sell email, but I don't use it.)

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Sounds like shabby online dealers. This kind of expiration warning from Microsoft, only occurs when a key is later found to be illegal. It could be for a number of reasons; such as used already on another PC but did not get flagged right away when you activated your PC, or Microsoft later found that THAT key was purchased fraudulently, which happens quite often with folks selling custom builds online. Or that the builder faked the activation perhaps, such as with a program. This could then be revealed later and flagged once the OS has undergone various Windows Updates which most likely would patch whatever that program did to the OS and is now why you get such an error about your key, since it's most likely fake.

The seller can not help you out though. Even if they could, they would most likely deny a problem exists and that whatever is the problem, is your fault.

You can call Microsoft Support and explain the issue, what it says on your PC, what the Product ID# is along with the Product Key. You can see your Product Key with an app such as SPECCY. Once load that up, click Operating System and its there in plain sight. Explain to Microsoft where/who you purchased the PC from as well so they can take further action if needed. They can most likely issue you a brand new product key for your PC free of charge.

[battlezoby]

Bad 💀 Motha님이 먼저 게시:

It could be for a number of reasons; such as used already on another PC but did not get flagged right away when you activated your PC, or Microsoft later found that THAT key was purchased fraudulently, which happens quite often with folks selling custom builds online..

Note to people who aren't Bsd Motha: Please don't even bother to read the following.

Yea, I expected you to say that.

Any theories as to how they're keeping a very high Ebay rating while making a lot of sales and doing as you suggest? Makes no sense.

Seems typical of you to applaud big companies on a pedestal while perfering to critisize
small business and/or customers instead.

I don't want to talk to Microsoft or send them any info unless I absolutely have to.

I can mention a huge number of illegal shady things Microsoft has done, but...

By comparison, do you have any real reason to assume the guy that did my build
is shady?

In this case, your implications of fraud seem to make sense whatsoever. I've paid him a
large amount of money for the hardware and did so by credit card. Why in their right
mind would they try to save like - what - $20 on an OEM Microsoft License and instead
risk that I might CHARGE BACK the whole amount I paid, including for the hardware
itself, just to try to save that amount of money? I let my assistant pick the guy she
trusted most and we didn't go for a low-cost option as far as his markup. He was also
very helpful with picking out the custom build and making good suggestions regarding
what I wanted. I even changed my mind a couple of times and he had good suggestions
for each type of custom build I wanted. (It has some features most people wouldn't ask
and don't exist on most builds.)