How to Activate Windows 8

The quickest and easiest way to activate your copy of Windows 8 is to activate it over the Internet. If you do not have an Internet connection, or if it is inconvenient to make a network connection, see the Other ways to activate Windows 8 section of this document.

You must be signed in as an administrator to activate Windows 8. To activate Windows 8 over the Internet:

Log on to the computer as an administrator, and connect to the Internet.

Press the Windows + I keys to open the Settings charm.

Select Change PC settings 

n the lower-right corner of the screen.

In PC settings, select the Activate Windows tab.

The Activate Windows tab

NOTE:

Once Windows is activated, the Activate Windows tab will no longer appear in PC settings.

Select the Enter key button.

Enter key

If you used discs to install Windows 8, you might find the product key on the disc packaging. If you bought Windows 8 over the Internet, the product number might have been included in an email you received after purchasing and downloading Windows 8.If you have the Windows 8 disc packaging, apply the Windows 8 Certificate of Authenticity label to your computer for easy reference in the future.

6.Type the product key into the Product key field.

Entering a product key

Windows automatically detects whether the product key is valid.

Detecting the product key

If a User Account Control message appears, enter your password or provide confirmation.

7.If product activation is successful and a Thanks, you're all done message appears, click Close.

Windows is successfully activated

If activation was not successful, check the key and try entering it again, or continue to the Other ways to activate Window 8 section of this document.

Confirming that Windows was activated:

Follow the steps below if you want to verify that Windows activation was successful.

Press the Windows + I keys to open the Settings charm.

Select Change PC settings in the lower-right corner of the screen


Change PC settings

In PC Settings, select the PC and devices tab.

Selecting PC and devices

In PC and devices, select PC info.

In PC info, look under Windows in the right pane to confirm that Windows is activated.

Windows is activated



Adding features or getting a different edition of Windows 8:

You can add features to Windows 8, or get a different edition of Windows 8. From the Start screen, type adds features to open the Search charm, and then select Add features to Windows 8.1 from the search results. When the Add features to Windows 8.1 screen opens, follow the onscreen instructions.

Adding features to Windows 8.1