Sometimes when starting your PC, whether it be a new system or one that you've had for some time you may encounter the Activate Windows watermark on your screen.  If you suddenly see this and find yourself unable to change your system's background, you may need to re-activate your copy of Windows.

Checking Activation Status

The first step we recommend is to check the Activation settings in Windows itself to see what the issue is.  To open these settings, do the following:

Windows 11

• Open your Start Menu and click the ⚙ Settings option.
• At the Setting screen, choose System from the left sidebar.
• Scroll down and select Activation

Windows 10

• Open your Start Menu and click the ⚙ Settings option.
• At the Settings screen, choose Updates & Security
• On the left sidebar, choose Activation

This screen should give you an idea of why the system is not activated.  Common activation errors may include:

• "Windows can't activate right now.  Try activating later..."
• "Windows reported that the hardware of your device has changed."
• "Windows reported that no product key was found on your device."

Depending on the error, there are a few steps that can be done to fix the issue.

Automated Windows Troubleshooting

Built into Windows is an automated troubleshooting tool that can force a reactivation of Windows.  To use this, click the Troubleshoot button on the Activation settings window.  If successful, the Activate Windows watermark should disappear and your activation status will change to reflect this.

An example of a properly re-activated copy of Windows.

Update your Windows Product Key

If the automated troubleshooting tool was unable to reactivate windows, the next step will be to try and update the Windows Product Key.  If you built the PC yourself, you should have a physical copy of your product key in the form of a sticker like the one shown below:

This product key sticker may also be included on some pre-built PCs.

If you purchased a pre-built gaming PC however, then your product key may instead be digitally injected to the original motherboard that the PC was shipped with.  Under normal circumstances Windows will detect and update the product key on its own.  In some rare situations, Windows may not be able to properly read the key and it will need to be updated manually.

To retrieve an injected key, start by searching for CMD in your Start Menu to bring up the Command Prompt application.  Right-click the application and select Run as Administrator, which will bring up the Command Prompt window.

From here, type in the following command and press enter:

wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey

If done correctly, Windows should report back your system’s injected Windows Product Key as shown above.

With your product key retrieved, choose the Change Product Key option in the Windows Activation Settings window and re-enter the key.  If done properly, the Activate Windows watermark should disappear and your activation status will update.

If you are unable to locate or retrieve your product key using the above guide on a pre-built PC, you may need to reach out to the manufacturer of your system for further assistance.

For NZXT Gaming PCs you can reach out to our Customer Support team to request a copy of the product key or a replacement while within warranty.  When reaching out to our team, please have a screenshot ready showing the activation error, as well as the output from the Command Prompt screen.