Neowin News Feed for: Activation

Microsoft explains why it killed official way to activate Windows 11/10 without internet

Sayan Sen — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 16:42:01 +0000

Microsoft recently killed an official way to activate its products like Windows 11/10 and Office. The company has explained why it did so. Read more...

"Microsoft 365 license deactivated soon" error hits Office apps, official workaround out

Sayan Sen — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 09:54:01 +0000

Microsoft has shared a workaround for an issue wherein Microsoft 365 Office app licenses are being displayed as deactivated. Read more...

Windows 10 activation made easier, allows you to use Windows 7 or 8 keys for clean install

Muhammad Jarir Kanji — Wed, 14 Oct 2015 08:22:01 +0000

Along with a bevvy of functionality and features, the latest Windows Insider build, 10565, now allows you to perform a clean install by utilizing a valid key from Windows 7, 8 or 8.1. Read more...

Reinstalling Windows 10 now less annoying, allows for keyless future installations

Timi Cantisano — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 18:06:01 +0000

It looks like Microsoft has changed they way activations are processed with Windows 10. The new system registers a device with a product key and allows future installations to be keyless. Read more...

AT&T is about to increase activation fees, "Next" customers will be affected

Chris Schroeder — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 00:18:01 +0000

Upgrading your next AT&T phone is about to get a little more expensive, and NEXT customers are the ones that will get hit the hardest once the changes take hold. Read more...

Windows 8.1 activation has been bypassed

Vlad Dudau — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 09:20:15 +0000

Windows 8.1 can now be activated by a "traditional" Key Management Service workaround, so even pirated software can appear to be legitimate. The hack comes only days after the OS has hit the market. Read more...

Need to activate Windows 8.1? Use your Windows 8 key

Brad Sams — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 13:33:09 +0000

If you have downloaded a leaked copy of the Windows 8.1 RTM but need to activate your install, you can use your Windows 8 key to remove the watermark from your desktop. Read more...

Apple iPhone activation servers are down

Michael Allison — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:57:29 +0000

Apple is currently experiencing a new round of server outages, making it impossible for customers to activate their shiny new iPhones. There's no word on when they'll be back. Read more...

Activation flaw gifts pirates legitimate Windows 8

Tim Schiesser — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 06:25:02 +0000

Through the use of an illegitimate KMS activation and a free Windows Media Center upgrade, it's apparently possible to turn your pirated copy of Windows into a fully activated "legitimate" copy Read more...

Windows 8 activations made possible by Belarus Customs

Steven Parker — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:27:11 +0000

New information that was sent into Neowin shows that the leaked Windows 8 RTM activations were made possible, at least in part, by the Belarus government. Customs workers likely to blame. Read more...

Windows 8 RTM leaked ISOs activations now blocked [Update]

Steven Parker — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 11:19:28 +0000

If you were thinking of going ahead and grabbing a leaked RTM image of Windows 8 and illegally activating it before the media became officially available, you could run into issues. Read more...

Report: Microsoft to change Windows 8 OEM activation

Anthony Tosie — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 20:12:32 +0000

Microsoft's activation requirements for Windows operating systems may be changing with the October 26 release of Windows 8, according to a new report, which the company hopes will reduce piracy rates. Read more...

Windows Phone 7 Live activation issues

Byron Hinson — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 14:56:23 +0000

A small number of UK Windows Phone 7 users have been held back from using their new mobile phones due to an activation problem relating to their Live accounts showing up within the operating system.... Read more...

Microsoft changes 'Windows Genuine Advantage' name

Kevin Weiner — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:24:08 +0000

Microsoft will be changing to name of it's activation and validation system from "Windows Genuine Advantage" to "Windows Activation Technologies" according to a report by Mary-Jo Foley. However, the "Genuine" brand isn't completely disappearing.... Read more...

IE Automatic Component Activation Now Available

Steven Parker — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:27:54 +0000

Jefferson Fletcher: The IE Automatic Component Activation (IE ACA) update is now available as part of the April 2008 Internet Explorer Cumulative Update. The "click to activate" behavior, formerly required for ActiveX controls embedded in... Read more...

Vista Update Fingers Activation Cracks

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:17:11 +0000

Microsoft has announced an update available to consumers next week which will detect two cracks commonly used to activate pirated copies of the operating system. One of the cracks refered to as Grace Timer, extended... Read more...

Microsoft to ease XP activation with SP3

Steven Parker — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:36:31 +0000

Microsoft Corp. will change how users activate Windows XP when Service Pack 3 launches in the first half of 2008, a company white paper said. New installations of Windows XP SP3 will give users the... Read more...

iPhone launch marred by activation delays

Daniel Fleshbourne — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:20:07 +0000

Apple's iPhone launch has been marred by delays in AT&T's phone activation system, leaving some people unable to use their new toy throughout the weekend. People who buy the iPhone, which went on sale in... Read more...

Apple Announces iPhone Rate Plans, iTunes Activation

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 22:41:44 +0000

On launch day (June 29, 2007), 400,000 Apple iPhones are expected to be available from 162 Apple Stores and roughly 1,800 AT&T locations. The iPhone will ship with YouTube integration along with a higher-capacity battery... Read more...

OneCare Activation Explained

Sat, 26 May 2007 17:22:13 +0000

Our customers have a lot of questions about OneCare activation and want to know exactly what it is all about. We commonly hear feedback from customers who say that activation is only for the... Read more...

Vista Activation Cracked By Brute Force

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 01:36:00 +0000

Thanks to voidunknown for submitting this to the Front Page. It appears that Keznews forum member Computer User has discovered a method that effectively obtains a Windows Vista key which can then be activated. The... Read more...

Official Way to Use Vista without Activation 120 Days

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:08:00 +0000

Official Way to Install and Use Windows Vista without Activation for Free for 120 Days By default, Windows Vista can be installed, used and run without any license, product key or the need of activation... Read more...

Another Vista Activation Crack Appears

Daniel Fleshbourne — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 12:34:18 +0000

Buzz about a Windows Vista zero-day vulnerability is troubling enough (although probably overblown). Now, there appears to be a second product activation hack, this one designed to fool the activation timer into not counting down.... Read more...

Volume Activation 2.0: Another Potential Vista Gotcha?

Steven Parker — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 11:45:46 +0000

Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) isn't the only Microsoft anti-piracy scheme that might raise the hackles of future Vista customers. Volume Activation 2.0 is worrying some Vista testers who've had a chance to dabble with early... Read more...

Changes in Windows XP Product Activation

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 06:29:42 +0000

On February 28, Microsoft® will disable Internet activation for all Microsoft Windows® XP product keys located on the Certificates of Authenticity (COA) labels distributed by large, multinational OEMs. Direct OEMs of Microsoft (large... Read more...

Adobe adopts product activation

Fri, 08 Aug 2003 21:57:56 +0000

Adobe Systems Inc. has completed tests on product activation, and plans to roll out the technology soon. Microsoft quietly introduced product activation — a method of registering software so that it cannot be installed on... Read more...

Inside Internet-based Windows Product Activation

Mon, 28 Jul 2003 12:53:59 +0000

A while ago the telephone-based product activation process of Windows XP was independently analyzed by tecCHANNELSince then the information that is revealed by the installation ID, which users are required to supply to Microsoft during... Read more...

Microsoft: No Activation Changes Until Longhorn

Daniel Fleshbourne — Tue, 08 Apr 2003 11:26:34 +0000

As leaked copies of Windows Server 2003 begin to surface before its launch, Microsoft says not to expect many changes to product activation in the new operating system - indicating the anti-piracy technology has met... Read more...

Microsoft Windows Activation Servers Down

Sat, 25 Jan 2003 22:18:53 +0000

It shall be a fun weekend at Redmond! Nick Roberts has emailed us saying, "Microsoft Windows Activation servers have been down all day. A call to the activation number is no help either.... Read more...

Rumors About XP SP1 Product Activation Changes Not True

Steven Parker — Thu, 25 Jul 2002 20:44:03 +0000

Thanks Paul Thurrott for clearing this rumor up. Read on! A bizarre rumor about Microsoft making sweeping changing to its Product Activation technology in Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) is completely untrue. The rumor,... Read more...

IMHO: Microsoft Activation is Broken

Mon, 17 Jun 2002 12:26:33 +0000

"I'm an optimistic sort of person. You need to know this before you read on. I tend to be very forgiving of weird tech issues, and others in my circle have noticed that most hardware... Read more...

Keygen Beats Windows Product Activation

Sat, 16 Feb 2002 14:30:03 +0000

UPDATED "All IP protection technologies will be cracked at some point; it's just a matter of time," Allen Nieman, Product Manager of Activation at Microsoft, told BetaNews in an interview last May. But this week... Read more...

Windows XP Activation fails BIGTIME!

Steven Parker — Sat, 03 Nov 2001 12:12:30 +0000

Many thanks to Pit of 3DWin for this scoop which is translated from German. WHOOOOO! /me drinks some more coffee 3DWin blurb: I discovered a problem with the product activation. Some honest customers,... Read more...

WinXP activation harmless, cuddly, says MS chief. Again.

Fri, 05 Oct 2001 18:17:17 +0000

Microsoft Windows Product Activation chief Allen Nieman was in London this morning for city number five on his tour of Europe, evangelising his baby. WPA is simple, unobtrusive, doesn't invade your privacy, almost cuddly and... Read more...