As you know, Microsoft notified Windows 10 is “the last version of Windows” and explained that they will be focused on the development of powerful and new features under the guise of software updates instead of building a new version. This means there will be no Windows 11 in the future(*). So if you are thinking about an upgrade, this is the best time to get it.
(*) New update: An expected release of version 11 was launched in late 2021. Read this post for more information.
Contents
Windows 10 free upgrade
Should you upgrade to Windows 10
Install Windows 10 using ISO file instead of an upgrade
Activate Windows 10 without using any software
Method 1: Manual activation
Method 2: Using a batch file
Windows 10 free upgrade
The representative of Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 is a free upgrade for all customers using a genuine copy of Windows 7 or higher. But this offer officially will expire on Friday so do not hesitate to own it before it is too late. Your time is running out. After July 29, the upgrade will cost up to $119 for the Home edition or $199 for the Professional one. Personally, that amount of money is enough to pay my rent this month so there is no reason for me to deny that.
Should you upgrade to Windows 10
“Do not upgrade to Windows 10”. This seems to contradict the above analysis but that is the statement of security experts. They said that Microsoft has been violating users’ privacy by collecting their personal information like gender, age, hobby, and Internet habits… without your permission. The options relating to sending feedback and data to Microsoft were enabled automatically from the moment that you installed Windows 10 successfully so most people don’t know about them. However, you can disable them in Settings/Privacy easily.
Install Windows 10 using ISO file instead of an upgrade
You can get the latest version of Windows 10 Professional here if you don’t have it already. If you have ever installed any versions of Windows before, I am sure you will have no difficulty getting started with Windows 10. If you are looking to install it with a USB flash drive, please search for “how to install Windows 10 from a bootable USB stick”. There are many detailed instructions for installing Windows 10 on the web.
Activate Windows 10 without using any software
If you are using another version of Windows, please navigate to the Windows OS category and select a suitable article.
Method 1: Manual activation
Step 1.1: Open Command Prompt as administrator.
Click on the start button, search for “cmd” then run it with administrator rights.
Step 1.2: Install KMS client key.
Use the command “slmgr /ipk yourlicensekey” to install a license key (yourlicensekey is the activation key that corresponds to your Windows edition). The following is the list of Windows 10 Volume license keys.
Home: TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99
Home N: 3KHY7-WNT83-DGQKR-F7HPR-844BM
Home Single Language: 7HNRX-D7KGG-3K4RQ-4WPJ4-YTDFH
Home Country Specific: PVMJN-6DFY6-9CCP6-7BKTT-D3WVR
Professional: W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX
Professional N: MH37W-N47XK-V7XM9-C7227-GCQG9
Education: NW6C2-QMPVW-D7KKK-3GKT6-VCFB2
Education N: 2WH4N-8QGBV-H22JP-CT43Q-MDWWJ
Enterprise: NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43
Enterprise N: DPH2V-TTNVB-4X9Q3-TJR4H-KHJW4
Note: You need to hit [Enter] key to execute commands.
Step 1.3: Set KMS machine address.
Use the command “slmgr /skms kms8.msguides.com” to connect to my KMS server.
Step 1.4: Activate your Windows.
The last step is to activate your Windows using the command “slmgr /ato”.
If you see the error 0xC004F074, it means that your internet connection is unstable or the server is busy. Please make sure your device is online and try the command “ato” again until you succeed.
Now check the activation status again.
Method 2: Using a batch file
This one is not recommended anymore due to the new update of Microsoft.
Step 2.1: Copy the code below into a new text document.
@echo offtitle Activate Windows 10 (ALL versions) for FREE - MSGuides.com&cls&echo =====================================================================================&echo #Project: Activating Microsoft software products for FREE without additional software&echo =====================================================================================&echo.&echo #Supported products:&echo - Windows 10 Home&echo - Windows 10 Professional&echo - Windows 10 Education&echo - Windows 10 Enterprise&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" >nulif %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 YYVX9-NTFWV-6MDM3-9PT4T-4M68B >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 44RPN-FTY23-9VTTB-MP9BX-T84FV >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||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk M7XTQ-FN8P6-TTKYV-9D4CC-J462D >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 92NFX-8DJQP-P6BBQ-THF9C-7CG2H >nul&goto skms) else wmic os | findstr /I "home" >nulif %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 skms) else wmic os | findstr /I "education" >nulif %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 skms) else wmic os | findstr /I "10 pro" >nulif %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||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk NRG8B-VKK3Q-CXVCJ-9G2XF-6Q84J >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 9FNHH-K3HBT-3W4TD-6383H-6XYWF >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 6TP4R-GNPTD-KYYHQ-7B7DP-J447Y >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk YVWGF-BXNMC-HTQYQ-CPQ99-66QFC >nul&goto skms) else (goto notsupported):skmsif %i% GTR 10 goto busyif %i% EQU 1 set KMS=kms7.MSGuides.comif %i% EQU 2 set KMS=kms8.MSGuides.comif %i% EQU 3 set KMS=kms9.MSGuides.comif %i% GTR 3 goto atocscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /skms %KMS%:1688 >nul:atoecho ============================================================================&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 [emailprotected] 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 24/7!&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 skms)explorer "http://MSGuides.com"&goto halt:notsupportedecho ============================================================================&echo.&echo Sorry, your version is not supported.&echo.&goto halt:busyecho ============================================================================&echo.&echo Sorry, the server is busy and can't respond to your request. Please try again.&echo.:haltpause >nulCreate a new text document.
Step 2.2: Paste the code into the text file. Then save it as a batch file (named “1click.cmd”).
Step 2.3: Run the batch file as administrator.
Please wait a minute.
Note: If you guys see three times the same error message saying that the connection to the KMS server was unsuccessful, please read this post.
Check the activation status again.
If you would have any questions or concerns, please leave your comments. I would be glad to explain in more details. Thank you so much for all your feedback and support!
4.9/5 - (1336 votes)
FAQs
How to activate Windows 10 free without product key? ›
If you have a digital license for your device, you can reinstall the same edition of Windows 10 on this device without entering a product key. Make sure that Windows 10 is activated before you try to reinstall it. To find out, select the Start button, and then select Settings > Update & Security > Activation .
How can I activate Windows 10 for free? ›Step 1.1: Open Command Prompt as administrator. Click on the start button, search for “cmd” then run it with administrator rights. Step 1.2: Install KMS client key. Use the command “slmgr /ipk yourlicensekey” to install a license key (yourlicensekey is the activation key that corresponds to your Windows edition).
How to activate Windows 10 for free using command prompt? ›- You have to open the command prompt on your system first. Then, click and start and simply type "CMD". Now, run it as administrator.
- Type the following command. slmgr /ipk. slmgr /skms kms.xspace.in. Slmgr /ato. Now press enter. This command will activate your Windows 10/11.
Installing Windows without a license is not illegal. However, activating the operating system through other means without an officially purchased product key is illegal.
How do I permanently remove the Activate Windows watermark? ›Click on the Make the computer easier to see link under the Explore all settings section. Scroll down until you see Remove background images (where available) and place a checkmark in the box to enable the feature. Click Apply and enjoy your watermark-free desktop.
Is KMSPico Windows 10 activator safe? ›Why we don't recommend it. Hack tools can be qualified as riskware, a category of software that may be risky to install on your computer or device. This is because a legitimate copy of the software may be bundled with adware, or it's actually malware named after popular software. Such is the case for KMSPico.
How to remove Windows 10 watermark without product key? ›Right-click on “Windows PowerShell” and click on “Run as administrator” as shown in the image below. #2) A window will open. Type “slmgr /renew”and press Enter. Now Restart your system, and the issue will be fixed.
Does free Windows 10 expire? ›Here's what to do. Question: I'm using Windows 10 that came installed on my computer and got a pop-up saying my windows license is expiring soon. What do I need to do? Answer: Windows 10 retail and OEM licenses (those that come preloaded on name brand machines) don't ever expire.
Is Windows 10 free for lifetime? ›Here's the answer, per the FAQ: The free upgrade offer does not have a specific end date for eligible systems. However, Microsoft reserves the right to eventually end support for the free offer. This end date will be no sooner than October 5, 2022.
Can you go to jail for using pirated Windows? ›If someone catches you using a pirated copy of Windows, they could report the mass illegal use of cracked Windows 10 to Microsoft. Then Microsoft or any of its authorized agencies might take legal action against you. It could not only cost you a huge penalty, but it may also put you behind bars.
Which product key for Windows 10? ›
| Windows 10 Professional Key | W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 Enterprise N Key | DPH2V-TTNVB-4X9Q3-TJR4H-KHJW4 |
| Windows 10 Education Key | NW6C2-QMPVW-D7KKK-3GKT6-VCFB2 |
| Windows 10 Pro 2020 | W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX |
| Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC Key | 92NFX-8DJQP-P6BBQ-THF9C-7CG2H |
If your keyboard does not have a Windows key, you can access the Start menu, but not other shortcuts, by pressing Ctrl-Esc . If you are running Windows on a Mac in Boot Camp , the Command key functions as the Windows key.
What if my Windows product key is not working? ›Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Activation , and then select Troubleshoot to run the Activation troubleshooter. For more info about the troubleshooter, see Using the Activation troubleshooter.
How to activate Windows 10 using regedit? ›- Press Windows key + letter 'R. ...
- Type "regedit" in the Run window box and hit OK.
- Navigate to HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Setup/OOBE.
- Find "MediaBootInstall" on the right pane.
- Double click that and change value from a 1 to a 0.
Generally, if you bought a physical copy of Windows, the product key should be on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in. If Windows came preinstalled on your PC, the product key should appear on a sticker on your device. If you've lost or can't find the product key, contact the manufacturer.
Is Windows 10 is free? ›You can get Windows 10 Home (opens in new tab) or Windows 11 Home for $139 (opens in new tab). And you can get Windows 10 Pro (opens in new tab) or Windows 11 Pro for $199 (opens in new tab). You can get these either as downloads or on USB drives.
Is KMSpico a hack? ›KMSpico is Malwarebytes' detection name for a Hacktool that allows the user to use Microsoft software illegally.
Is KMS Pico a virus? ›KMSpico is a potentially harmful file since it might contain a virus; hence, it would infect the computer in this scenario, and it would be required to destroy it once it has been downloaded.
Is it safe to activate Windows 10 using CMD KMS? ›Microsoft's Defender will find the KMS activater as a threat and other antivirus software will also do it. We have no information if this kind of tools have malware, we simply advise not to use it. If you do want to use illegal software please use it at your own risk.
How do you bypass a watermark? ›- Upload Your Photo. Upload the photo you want to edit to Fotor's watermark remover.
- Mark the Watermark. Simply brush over the watermark, and Fotor will automatically remove it from the photo.
- Download. Download your photo with no watermark in high-quality PNG or JPG image format for free.
How do I permanently remove activate Windows watermark from CMD? ›
In the search box type cmd. Right-click Command Prompt, and then select Command Prompt/PowerShell as an Administrator. The User Account Control window may appear, if so select Yes. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING OFF and then press Enter .
Can you use Windows 10 without a key? ›Here's the real secret: You don't need to provide a product key to install Windows 10. You can download Windows 10 installation media from Microsoft and install it on a PC, in Boot Camp on a Mac, or in a virtual machine without providing a product key.
How do I activate expired Windows 10? ›Press the Windows key + I to open Settings, then click on the Update & security section. Click on Activation from the menu on the left. Then, in the right pane click on the Change product key. Enter the product key that you got in Step 3.
How many times can a Windows 10 key be used? ›You can use it as many times as you want to. However there is an important point: Do you have a retail license or an OEM license? If it's a retail license you can move it from computer to computer as many times as you want to, as long as you don't have it installed on two computers at once.
Can Windows 10 be run from a USB drive? ›If you're using a PC outfitted with an older version of Windows but want a more up-to-date operating system, you can run Windows 10 or 11 directly from a USB drive. You'll need a USB flash drive with at least 16GB of free space, but preferably 32GB.
Why Windows is free now? ›Why is Microsoft giving Windows 10 for free? The company wants to get the new software on as many devices as possible. Microsoft needs a large pool of users to convince independent programmers that it's worth their time to build useful or entertaining apps for Windows 10 devices.
Is Windows 10 free 2023? ›Are there free options to upgrade to Windows 10 or Windows 11? We do not currently offer free upgrade paths from Windows 8.1 to either Windows 10 or Windows 11. If you want to purchase a copy of Windows 10 or Windows 11, please see links above or contact a retailer to find out about options.
Can I use Windows 10 forever? ›Windows 10 won't go away until 2025, but the fine print says you must keep your PC up to date in other ways to avoid being cut off from support.