What Is A Digital License in Windows 10
Read through this article to learn more about Windows digital license. Learn how to use a digital license for Windows 10 activation.
- Guides
- What is a Windows digital license?
- How to use a digital license in Windows 10?
- How to get digital license for Windows 10?
- Where can I find my digital license for Windows in a computer?
What is a Windows digital license?
A digital license for Windows 10 is not a paper licence or an electric document, also not a group of numbers that can be found somewhere, it is only a method of activating Windows. At present you can use two methods to activate Windows, one is activating Windows with a digital license, the other is activating Windows with a product key.
If you use a product key to activate Windows, you just need to keep computer online and enter the correct product key to activate Windows. A product key is a 25-character code looks like: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. More>>.
If you use a digital license to activate Windows, you just need to sign in to the PC with an Administrator Microsoft account and keep PC online. This method seems more convenient. Because users don't need to type a long product key.
A digital license comes with your copy of Windows 10 when you got it, you should note about this information in a confirm email or some place. So, you can fast activate Windows during installation or after installation.
How to use a digital license in Windows 10?
For example, if you want to activate Windows 10 with a digital license during a clean installation of Windows 10, you can choose "I don't have a product key" to continue the setup and create an administrator Microsoft account for the computer. Windows will be automatically activated once you sign in with your Microsoft account and the computer is connected to internet.
Meanwhile, your computer hardware info is sent to Microsoft activation server for keeping. If you reinstall the same edition of Windows in this computer, after the reinstallation you just need to sign in with Microsoft account and connect the PC to internet, then Windows will be activated. Therefore, you don't need to buy another digital license for Windows 10 reinstallation.
If you find Windows is not activated after an installation, you can go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation. Click Troubleshooter, then follow the instruction to finish activation.
In a word, if you have installed a Windows 10 system built in with a digital license, you just need to sign in the PC with your Administrator Microsoft account and connect PC to internet, Windows would be activated.
What is an Administrator Microsoft account?
Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info. Under your account name and email address, you can see the character Administrator, this means you have signed in a computer with Administrator Microsoft account. If you are not an Administrator account, you can change to an Administrator account.
Tip:
Digital license activation method is not used in Windows 8.1/8/7. If you are installing Windows 8.1/8/7, you should activate Windows by entering a product key. You can learn more from How to Activate Windows 8/8 .1 After System Installed.
How to get digital license for Windows 10?
Microsoft will offer a digital license when user gets Windows 10 by following ways:
1. Upgrading to Windows 10 for free from an eligible device running a genuine copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.
2. Buying a Windows 10 Pro upgrade from the Microsoft Store app and successfully activated Windows 10.
3. Being a Windows Insider and upgrading to the newest Windows 10 Insider Preview build on an eligible device that was running an activated earlier version of Windows and Windows 10 Preview.
4. Buying Genuine Windows 10 from the Microsoft Store app.
You can also buy a digital license after Windows 10 installation if necessary:
Right click on Start icon at the bottom-left corner of PC screen, click Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Go to Store.
Where can I find my digital license for Windows in a PC?
In a computer, you don't need to see what Windows digital license is like. It is only an activation method. When Windows is activated by this method (a digital license), you can check the activation status from Settings > Update & Security > Activation. Under Activation, you can see Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft Account.
If the activation status displays Windows is activated with a digital license or Windows is activated, you can click Add an account to sign in again with your Administrator Microsoft account and password. Then the activation status will display Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft Account.
