2 ways to activate Windows 10 for FREE without additional software

As you know, Microsoft notified Windows 10 is “the last version of Windows” and explained that they will be focused on the development of powerful and new features under the guise of software updates instead of building a new version. This means there will be no Windows 10.1 or 11 in the future(*). So if you are thinking about an upgrade, this is the best time to get it.

(*) New update: An expected release of version 11 was launched in late 2021. Read this post for more information.

Windows 10 free upgrade

The representative of Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 is a free upgrade for all customers using a genuine copy of Windows 7 or higher. But this offer officially will expire on Friday so do not hesitate to own it before it is too late. Your time is running out. After July 29, the upgrade will cost up to $119 for the Home edition or $199 for the Professional one. Personally, that amount of money is enough to pay my rent this month so there is no reason for me to deny that.

Should you upgrade to Windows 10

“Do not upgrade to Windows 10”. This seems to contradict the above analysis but that is the statement of security experts. They said that Microsoft has been violating users’ privacy by collecting their personal information like gender, age, hobby, and Internet habits… without your permission. The options relating to sending feedback and data to Microsoft were enabled automatically from the moment that you installed Windows 10 successfully so most people don’t know about them. However, you can disable them in Settings/Privacy easily.

Install Windows 10 using ISO file instead of an upgrade

You can get the latest version of Windows 10 Professional here if you don’t have it already. If you have ever installed any versions of Windows before, I am sure you will have no difficulty getting started with Windows 10. If you are looking to install it with a USB flash drive, please search for “how to install Windows 10 from a bootable USB stick”. There are many detailed instructions for installing Windows 10 on the web.

Activate Windows 10 without using any software

Windows 10 is not activated
Windows 10 is not activated

If you are using another version of Windows, please navigate to the Windows OS category and select a suitable article.

Method 1: Manual activation

Step 1.1: Open Command Prompt as administrator.
Click on the start button, search for “cmd” then run it with administrator rights.

Open cmd as admin
Open cmd as admin

Step 1.2: Install KMS client key.
Use the command “slmgr /ipk yourlicensekey” to install a license key (yourlicensekey is the activation key that corresponds to your Windows edition). The following is the list of Windows 10 Volume license keys.

Home: TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99
Home N: 3KHY7-WNT83-DGQKR-F7HPR-844BM
Home Single Language: 7HNRX-D7KGG-3K4RQ-4WPJ4-YTDFH
Home Country Specific: PVMJN-6DFY6-9CCP6-7BKTT-D3WVR
Professional: W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX
Professional N: MH37W-N47XK-V7XM9-C7227-GCQG9
Education: NW6C2-QMPVW-D7KKK-3GKT6-VCFB2
Education N: 2WH4N-8QGBV-H22JP-CT43Q-MDWWJ
Enterprise: NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43
Enterprise N: DPH2V-TTNVB-4X9Q3-TJR4H-KHJW4

Note: You need to hit [Enter] key to execute commands.

Install Windows license key
Install Windows license key

Step 1.3: Set KMS machine address.
Use the command “slmgr /skms kms8.msguides.com” to connect to my KMS server.

Set KMS server
Set KMS server

Step 1.4: Activate your Windows.
The last step is to activate your Windows using the command “slmgr /ato”.

Run command slmgr ato
Run command slmgr ato
0xC004F074 error code
0xC004F074 error code

If you see the error 0xC004F074, it means that your internet connection is unstable or the server is busy. Please make sure your device is online and try the command “ato” again until you succeed.

Windows activated successfully
Windows activated successfully

Now check the activation status again.

Windows 10 is activated successfully
Windows 10 is activated successfully

Method 2: Using a batch file

This one is not recommended anymore due to the new update of Microsoft.

Step 2.1: Copy the code below into a new text document.

@echo off
title Activate Windows 10 (ALL versions) for FREE - MSGuides.com&cls&echo =====================================================================================&echo #Project: Activating Microsoft software products for FREE without additional software&echo =====================================================================================&echo.&echo #Supported products:&echo - Windows 10 Home&echo - Windows 10 Professional&echo - Windows 10 Education&echo - Windows 10 Enterprise&echo.&echo.&echo ============================================================================&echo Activating your Windows...&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ckms >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /upk >nul&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /cpky >nul&set i=1&wmic os | findstr /I "enterprise" >nul
if %errorlevel% EQU 0 (cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43 >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk DPH2V-TTNVB-4X9Q3-TJR4H-KHJW4 >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk YYVX9-NTFWV-6MDM3-9PT4T-4M68B >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 44RPN-FTY23-9VTTB-MP9BX-T84FV >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk WNMTR-4C88C-JK8YV-HQ7T2-76DF9 >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 2F77B-TNFGY-69QQF-B8YKP-D69TJ >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk DCPHK-NFMTC-H88MJ-PFHPY-QJ4BJ >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk QFFDN-GRT3P-VKWWX-X7T3R-8B639 >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk M7XTQ-FN8P6-TTKYV-9D4CC-J462D >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 92NFX-8DJQP-P6BBQ-THF9C-7CG2H >nul&goto skms) else wmic os | findstr /I "home" >nul
if %errorlevel% EQU 0 (cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99 >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 3KHY7-WNT83-DGQKR-F7HPR-844BM >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 7HNRX-D7KGG-3K4RQ-4WPJ4-YTDFH >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk PVMJN-6DFY6-9CCP6-7BKTT-D3WVR >nul&goto skms) else wmic os | findstr /I "education" >nul
if %errorlevel% EQU 0 (cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk NW6C2-QMPVW-D7KKK-3GKT6-VCFB2 >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 2WH4N-8QGBV-H22JP-CT43Q-MDWWJ >nul&goto skms) else wmic os | findstr /I "10 pro" >nul
if %errorlevel% EQU 0 (cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk MH37W-N47XK-V7XM9-C7227-GCQG9 >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk NRG8B-VKK3Q-CXVCJ-9G2XF-6Q84J >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 9FNHH-K3HBT-3W4TD-6383H-6XYWF >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk 6TP4R-GNPTD-KYYHQ-7B7DP-J447Y >nul||cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ipk YVWGF-BXNMC-HTQYQ-CPQ99-66QFC >nul&goto skms) else (goto notsupported)
:skms
if %i% GTR 10 goto busy
if %i% EQU 1 set KMS=kms7.MSGuides.com
if %i% EQU 2 set KMS=kms8.MSGuides.com
if %i% EQU 3 set KMS=kms9.MSGuides.com
if %i% GTR 3 goto ato
cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /skms %KMS%:1688 >nul
:ato
echo ============================================================================&echo.&echo.&cscript //nologo slmgr.vbs /ato | find /i "successfully" && (echo.&echo ============================================================================&echo.&echo #My official blog: MSGuides.com&echo.&echo #How it works: bit.ly/kms-server&echo.&echo #Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.&echo.&echo #Please consider supporting this project: donate.msguides.com&echo #Your support is helping me keep my servers running 24/7!&echo.&echo ============================================================================&choice /n /c YN /m "Would you like to visit my blog [Y,N]?" & if errorlevel 2 exit) || (echo The connection to my KMS server failed! Trying to connect to another one... & echo Please wait... & echo. & echo. & set /a i+=1 & goto skms)
explorer "http://MSGuides.com"&goto halt
:notsupported
echo ============================================================================&echo.&echo Sorry, your version is not supported.&echo.&goto halt
:busy
echo ============================================================================&echo.&echo Sorry, the server is busy and can't respond to your request. Please try again.&echo.
:halt
pause >nul

Create a new text document.

Create a new text document
Create a new text document

Step 2.2: Paste the code into the text file. Then save it as a batch file (named “1click.cmd”).

Save the text file
Save the text file
Set name of the batch file
Set name of the batch file

Step 2.3: Run the batch file as administrator.

Run the batch script with admin rights
Run the batch script with admin rights

Please wait a minute.

Your Windows is activated
Your Windows is activated

Note: If you guys see three times the same error message saying that the connection to the KMS server was unsuccessful, please read this post.

Check the activation status again.

Check out activation status of Windows 10
Check out activation status of Windows 10

If you would have any questions or concerns, please leave your comments. I would be glad to explain in more details. Thank you so much for all your feedback and support!

4.9/5 - (1782 votes)

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

3,450 Comments

  1. I used script to activate windows 10. And also i updated Windows 10 from April to Sep – no issues found.
    Do you recommed update or do not update it?

    Thanks for the script.

        1. Anyone want to run KMS server for activation, must buy KMS Host key from Microsoft.

          Here all the activation method is legal to use. Update is from Microsoft, just like retail customer.

          Enjoy.

  2. Thanks for your efforts 😉
    What if you have Windows10 Home with OEM digital license key burned in UEFI-BIOS?
    You want to move to Win10 Pro but the built in Bios Key will force the installation to Home version only?

    An example is Dell Alienware R5, etc. You can buy as many non-digital RETAIL Keys as you like –
    but they will not be accepted by the BIOS. Is it true?

    Is there a simple method for this? I think the BIOS License Key can only be edited with very specialist software… which only the OEM can perform maybe.

    Thanks again,
    J

    1. Back up all your own data , video, music and software.

      Format the PC. Reinstall Windows Pro, use here method to activate .

      Restore all your data, music, video and software.

      Done

      Enjoy.

    1. my Edition is windows 10 Home single language
      when i use CMD it always says Sorry! Your version is not supported.
      when i use the 2nd method it says Error: …… on a computer running Microsoft …….

      1. Use method 1 or method 3 only for activation.

        Activation must run with admin right online.

        Fail, disable Windows Defender, retry activation.

  3. Amazing!
    Thanks a lot, Guang!
    I was struggling trying other tools but no luck.
    And finally, following your cmd prompt method, I got the success =:)!!

  4. Nicely done…helped me activate on a new SSD that claimed I had already activated my legit copy on another PC! I used the CMD version w/o a hitch. Thank you.

  5. This is great. Just activated my LEGITIMATE copy of Windows Education because for some reason Microsoft couldn’t connect to the education activation server of my school. Cheers!

  6. Hello,
    After cliking the ‘1click.cmd ‘ text document as Run as administrator ,command promt is not opening for the next step to activate windows. can u please help how to solve a problem .
    note :when i saved the file it showing thread is found.

  7. Hi, Today when I ran Full Scan, I got the below item in the results, in that there is AutoKMS, and your way of activation is by KMS Activation Method. So, I have serious concern about your method of activation, whether it is safe or not? by the way i Blocked the below threat immediately.. Now, can you please explain me what is below threat and is it related to your method of activation? can you guarantee that your method is safe and not a way of hacking our computers?

    Threat detected:HackTool:BAT/AutoKMS
    Alert level:High
    Date: 9/10/2019 12:42 PM
    Category:Tool
    Details:This program has potentially unwanted behavior.

    1. of course Windows doesn’t want you to activate it that way, they know this product. Bypass it by disabling your antivirus/defender.