How-To

How to Find Windows 11’s Activation Status

By Brian Burgess

Updated January 25, 2024

When you perform a clean install or update Windows 11, you’ll want to find Windows 11’s activation status. Here are three ways to do it.

If you are running Windows 11 on multiple PCs, you may need to find Windows 11’s activation status. For example, you may not have access to all features if you didn’t go through the activation process when setting up one of your PCs.

Activation typically happens while connected to the internet. However, you may have installed Windows 11 without an internet connection or have done a clean install where activation didn’t happen.

Whatever the case, we will show you three dead-simple ways to find the activation status of any version of Windows 11 on any PC. Also, these options will work whether the operating system (OS) is activated or not.

Activation Status Types

Before you find the activation status, it’s important to distinguish what each means:

• Active: No action is needed, and your version of Windows 11 is fully activated.
• Not active: Your version of Windows 11 is not activated. You will need to take further action to activate your copy by entering a product key or purchasing a digital license.

Find Windows 11 Activation Status from Settings

One of the most straightforward ways to find the activation status is from the Settings app on Windows 11.

1. Press the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut to open Settings.
2. Select System from the left column and click the Activation setting on the right.
3. The status will appear next to the Activation state entry. You can also expand the menu for additional info, like whether your license is digital or a product key.

Find Windows 11’s Activation Status via Run Dialog

Another quick way of finding the activation status is from the Run dialog using the following steps.

1. Press the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to launch the Run dialog box.
2. Copy and paste the following command and press Enter or click OK:

   slmgr.vbs /xpr

   

3. The Windows Script Host screen will appear, letting you know the activation status of your copy of Windows 11. Click the OK button to close out of it.

Find Windows 11’s Activation Status via the Command Line

You can also use the command line to find activation status by running a command in PowerShell or via the Command Prompt.

1. Press the Windows key and open Command Prompt or PowerShell (running as admin is not required).
2. Copy and paste the following into the command line and press Enter:

   slmgr.vbs /xpr

3. The Windows Script Host screen will appear to show you the activation status of your copy of Windows 11. Click the OK button to close out when ready.

Finding Windows 11 Activation Status

When you are running Windows 11, it’s essential to know whether your copy is activated or not. For instance, certain basic features like changing wallpaper will not be available without activating Windows.

Whether you have the Home or Pro version of Windows, you can quickly find its activation status using the above steps. It’s important to mention that these steps will also work on Windows 10.