Does Windows 11 need a product key?

How to install Windows 11 without a product key? Windows 11 will finally arrive in the public domain this year, Nov. But, most Windows users might want to download and test this latest Windows 11 OS on a virtual machine. To install a virtual machine on a Windows/Mac machine, you need a TPM 2.0 chip and Secure Boot features enabled on your PC. However, many of us are using old PC, and these two requirements can not be fulfilled as Microsoft desires.

Table of Contents Show

How do I install Windows 11 without entering a genuine product key?
Reactivate Windows 11 after hardware change
Activate Windows 11 from Settings
Activate Windows 11 during installation
Does Windows 11 require activation?
Is Windows 11 free license?

What to do now? How I can install Windows 11 PC where TPM 2.0 chip and Secure Boot do not exist. Don’t worry; there is a way to install Windows 11 on a virtual machine bypassing the TPM 2.0 chip and Secure Boot. You can also quickly install Windows on a Mac/Windows PC on unsupported PCs without TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Furthermore, it is also possible to create a bootable USB flash drive of Windows 11 and install it on any unsupported PC without TPM and Secure Boot.

As you can see in the above paragraphs, almost all the opportunities are available to play with Windows 11 OS. Now, you will be worried that I don’t have a Windows 11 product key, then how I can install it on our PC or virtual machine. Stop worrying. Microsoft provides an official way to install every Windows without operating system without entering the product key. There no need to keep a genuine product key to install Windows 11. Once you install it on your PC, you can activate it using a genuine product key by purchasing from Microsoft or other authorized vendors when you are satisfied in one or two months.

How do I install Windows 11 without entering a genuine product key?

Step 1. Create a bootable USB flash drive or using any other method start installing Windows 11.

Step 2. During the installation of Windows 11, when you will be prompted to enter a product key, click on the link “I don’t have a product key” to continue installing Windows 11 without any valid product key.

That’s all. Now, you can proceed further with the installation of Windows 11. Once the installation is completed, if you love Windows 11, you can activate your copy of Windows 11 by entering a genuine product key to access all the features.

To reactive Windows 11 after a hardware change, open Settings > System > Activation, click on Troubleshoot, and reactivate the setup.
To activate a new install, open Settings > System > Activation, click Change and enter the product key.
On installation, enter the 25-digit product key that activates your purchased edition on the “Activate Windows” page.
Yes, you can activate Windows 11 with a Windows 10, 8.1, or 7 product key.

You can activate a fresh copy of Windows 11 in at least two different ways, entering the product key during the installation or after using the Settings app. You can also reactivate a Windows install after a hardware change.

Although you can upgrade most computers to Windows 11 (22H2 or 21H2) for free, the operating system is not exactly free. For example, if you are building a custom computer that never had an installation of Windows, you will need to purchase a product key to activate the product and unlock all the features.

On the other hand, if you have a laptop or desktop computer running Windows 10, the upgrade to Windows 11 is free – that is, of course, as long as the hardware meets the minimum requirements.

You can also activate Windows 11 with a Windows 10, 8.1, or 7 product key even when installing the operating system on the device for the first time.

This guide will teach you the steps to activate Windows 11 22H2, 21H2, or any over version on your computer.

Reactivate Windows 11 after hardware change
Activate Windows 11 from Settings
Activate Windows 11 during installation

Reactivate Windows 11 after hardware change

After making significant hardware changes to the computer (replacing the motherboard, processor, and memory), the installation may lose its activation because it thinks this is a new computer. However, you can use the activation troubleshooter to re-activate for free.

To reactivate Windows 11 after a hardware change, use these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 11.
Click on System.
Click the Activation page on the right side.
Click the Activation state setting (if applicable).
Click the Troubleshoot button next to the “Windows reported that no product key was found on your device. Error code: 0xC004F213.”
Click the I changed hardware on this device recently option.
Sign in with your Microsoft account credentials.
Select the computer from the list.
Click the Activate button.

Once you complete the steps, the installation should activate automatically.

Activate Windows 11 from Settings

To activate a Windows 11 setup through the Settings app, use these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on System.
Click the Activation page on the right side.
Click the Activation state setting (if applicable).
Click the Change button in the “Change product key” setting.
Enter the current 25-digit product key for the installed edition of Windows 11. (You can use a Windows 10 key as well.)
Click the Next button.
(Optional) Click the Open Store button to open the Microsoft Store.
Click the Buy button.
Continue with the on-screen directions to complete the license purchase and activate Windows 11 (if applicable).

Assuming you are using Windows 11 with a Microsoft account, the license will link to your account as a “digital license” (digital entitlement) so that you can later reinstall the OS without needing to re-enter the key.

Activate Windows 11 during installation

To activate Windows during the installation process, use these steps:

Start the PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive.
Press any key to continue.
Click the Next button.
Click the Install now button.
On the “Activate Windows” page, enter the current 25-digit product key for the edition of Windows 11. (You can use a Windows 10 key as well.)
Click the Next button to verify the license.
Continue with the on-screen directions to complete the installation.

Although you can provide the serial number to activate Windows 11 during the installation, you can always skip this step by clicking the “I don’t have a product key” option. If you plan to reinstall the operating system, the system will reactivate automatically using an internet connection after the installation. However, if this is a new install, you have to activate the setup with the Windows 11 Pro or Home product key. If the product key doesn’t match the edition of Windows, you will need to reinstall the operating system one more time with the correct edition that matches the license.

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Does Windows 11 require activation?

The popular computer operating system, Windows, requires a valid license or product key to be activated entirely. Like a paid software, Windows 11, 10, or other older versions require a license purchased from Microsoft.

Is Windows 11 free license?

How much does it cost to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11? It's free. But only Windows 10 PCs that are running the most current version of Windows 10 and meet the minimum hardware specifications will be able to upgrade.

Windows Activation key