An Activate Windows watermark sits on your screen
Why does my computer say Activate Windows in the corner?
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
Windows ties its licence to your hardware. Replacing a motherboard or drive, or a failed check after an update, makes Windows think it is on a new machine. The quickest thing to try first: run the activation troubleshooter — Settings, System, Activation, then Troubleshoot. If you changed hardware, choose I changed hardware on this device recently and sign in with the Microsoft account that owned the licence. Most people are done in about 10 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 4 steps for Windows, rated easy.
Sounds like this
- •Faint text over the bottom right corner
- •Personalisation settings greyed out
- •Appeared after a repair or new part
Why it happens
Windows ties its licence to your hardware. Replacing a motherboard or drive, or a failed check after an update, makes Windows think it is on a new machine.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Run the activation troubleshooter
Settings, System, Activation, then Troubleshoot. If you changed hardware, choose I changed hardware on this device recently and sign in with the Microsoft account that owned the licence.
- 2
Link the licence to your account
Once activated, keep signing in with that same Microsoft account under Settings, Accounts, Your info. The licence then follows you through future repairs.
- 3
Enter the product key
Settings, System, Activation, Change product key. Retail keys arrive by email or on a card, and many laptops store the key in firmware and reactivate on their own once online.
- 4
Check the internet and clock
Activation needs a working connection and a correct date. Fix both, then press Activate again.
If none of that worked
If the computer was bought second hand with no licence, buy a key from Microsoft or a reputable retailer. Cheap grey market keys are usually stolen volume licences and stop working within weeks.
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Who wrote this and how we checked it
The CommonFixes team
Writer and researcher
We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
- Everyday repairs
- Windows and Mac
- Plain language
CommonFixes review desk
Technical editor
Before a guide goes live, a second person walks through it on a real machine and checks each instruction against the maker's own support pages. Anything we cannot confirm is removed rather than guessed at.
- Fact checking
- Safety warnings
- Source links
This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
A gentle reminder: back up anything you cannot afford to lose before major repairs. If a step ever feels risky, stop and ask a technician. There is no shame in that.