Activating Windows 7 RTM Online
 




Activating Windows 7 RTM Online


Published
:
August 12, 2009
Last Updated : August 12, 2009
     
Introduction

Once you install Windows 7, you need to activate it before the 30 days trial period expires. Although you can install Windows 7 without providing the product key, and although you can extend the grace period to 120 days as shown to you previously in Extending Windows 7 Activation Period from 30 to 120 Days , you will reach a point where you need to activate your Windows 7 and to verify that your copy of Windows is genuine . In this article, I will show you how simple this process is and the benefits of it.

We will be activating Windows 7 online, so make sure that your machine is able to connect to the internet before proceeding.

To Activate Windows 7 online, follow the below steps :

 

  1. Click the Start Button      > then right click on Computer > then click on Properties



  2. The System page will open where you can view basic information about your computer. At the bottom of this page and under the Windows Activation section, the remaining days of the grace period is displayed along with the option to activate Windows, in a previous article, I have written about Extending Windows 7 Activation Period from 30 to 120 Days , if you no longer want to extend the trial period and need to activate Windows 7 , then click on the link XX days to activate. Activate Windows now  ,where XX is the remaining days.




  3. On the Windows Activation page, click on Activate Windows online now . If you want to postpone this process for the time being, then click on Ask me later .



  4. Once you click on Activate Windows now, If you have already provided a valid product key while installing Windows 7, then the product key will be verified and after few moments you will receive a confirmation that your Windows copy has been activated.



  5. Else, if you have not provided a product key while installing Windows 7 , then you will need to type the product key which consist of  25 characters. You can find your product key on your computer or inside the Windows package. After typing your product key inside the relevant textbox, click on Next



  6. The process of verifying the product key will start.



    Once the product key is verified, you will receive a confirmation page where it tells you that activation was successful, and explains to you the benefits of activating your Windows copy.



  7. If you went back to the system properties page ( Click on Start > right click Computer > Then click on Properties ), you will find out that the remaining days link (XX days to activate. Activate Windows now) has been replaced with: Windows is activated

 

Summary

Activation helps verify that your copy of Windows is genuine and that it has not been used on more computers than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. In this way, activation helps prevent software counterfeiting. You will also be legitimate to download Microsoft Updates for Windows and other Microsoft products, as Windows has to pass the genuine validation process in order to be able to download Microsoft products and their updates.


Related Articles

Microsoft Genuine Advantage Program Information

What is a Certificate of Authenticity (COA)?

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