How to stop your Windows license will expire soon notification

Quickly activate Windows for the best experience

by Andrew Wafer

Andrew is not just trying to bring you closer to Windows, but he's truly interested in this platform. He just happens to be passionate about sharing that knowledge... read more

Updated on September 20, 2022

Reviewed by Vlad Turiceanu

Passionate about technology, Windows, and everything that has a power button, he spent most of his time developing new skills and learning more about the tech world. Coming... read more

• Your Windows license will expire soon is a pretty straightforward message that prompts you to renew your license.
• The truth is that system errors can just as easily trigger this dialogue that repeats at every reboot.
• One explanation for the Windows will expire soon error is a rejected license key, but you can quickly correct that using a command-line tool.

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Installing Windows is easy as all you have to do is to buy the official OS and install the same on your machine. But often, due to issues about verification or bugs on the computer, users get the Your Windows license will expire soon error message.

Well, it seems that the Windows system is seeing the Windows 10 update not as a regular OS improvement but as a standalone OS, and that’s why you will have issues with the license.

That also became a problem if you are upgrading to Windows 11, and that’s not normal since getting the new Windows platform is free.

However, you should know that all the solutions below also work for Windows 11 except for minor graphic details, so you should be reasonable to go.

Anyway, if you are getting the Your Windows license will expire soon alert on Windows 10 or 11, let’s see how to address this issue.

What will happen if the Windows license expires?

When the license is about to expire (2 weeks before it), you will regularly see a message that reads; Your Windows license will expire soon. You need to activate Windows in Settings.

Once the expiration date is passed, Windows will automatically reboot every three hours, and any unsaved data will be lost. This will continue for two weeks before you reach a stage when Windows won’t boot.

After you cannot boot Windows, the only option would be to reinstall the OS. And you would need another device for that.

That’s why we recommend creating a bootable USB drive when you see the Your Windows license will expire soon message for the first time to facilitate seamless reinstallation and activation of the OS.

Similar messages reported by users

Your Windows license will expire soon message can be annoying on its own, but users reported the following issues as well:

• Your Windows license will expire soon but Windows is activated
  • This is the most common problem, and many users reported that this message appears even if their Windows is already activated.
• Your Windows license will expire soon HP, Dell, ASUS
  • According to users, this error message can appear on almost any PC, and many HP, ASUS, and Dell owners reported this problem on their devices.
• Your Windows license will expire soon keeps popping up
  • This message can be rather annoying because it appears frequently
  • However, you should be able to fix this problem by using one of our solutions

If you bought a new device that comes pre-installed with Windows 10 and now you are getting the license error, your key might be rejected (the license key is embedded in BIOS).

The best will be to contact your manufacturer to ask for official assistance and walk you through the troubleshooting process.

Get a new Windows license key

If you do not have an official Windows license key and are running a temporary Windows version, you need the official version to eliminate this issue.

There is also the possibility that you already have a license. In that case, check our guide on how to recover your license key.

But don’t worry if you don’t have one because you can easily buy one on the Internet with just a few clicks.

Beware! Buying on sites or Internet shops that do not have any official partnership with Microsoft can become a waste of money – the key might not be working.

If you need to buy a Windows license, you can try to do it on the official website or on dedicated retailer platforms.

⇒ Get Windows 10

⇒ Get Windows 11

How do I fix the Your Windows license will expire soon error?

1. Restart the Windows Explorer process

1.1 End and restart the process

1. Press and hold Ctrl+ Alt + Del keyboard sequence and select Task Manager.
2. Then in Task Manager, navigate to the Processes tab. Find Windows Explorer, right-click it, and choose End task.
   
3. Click Fileile and choose Run new task.
   
4. Type explorer.exe and press Enter or click OK. Your Windows UI will be displayed once more.
   

If the key combination to open Task Manager is not working, you can find out how to fix the Ctrl + Alt + Del Task Manager shortcut.

1.2 Run command from Command Prompt to finish the process

1. Click the Start button, type cmd, and select Run as administrator to start Command Prompt with full privileges.
   
2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command followed by Enter: slmgr –rearm
   
3. Reboot your device. Several users reported they fixed the problem by running this command as well: slmgr /upk

If you receive the Your Windows license will expire soon message in Windows 10 on HP laptop; this should work.

2. Change your Group Policy

1. Press Windows key + R and enter gpedit.msc, then press Enter or click OK.
   
2. In the left pane, navigate to the following policy: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update
   
3. Double click on No auto-restart in the right pane with logged-on users for scheduled automatic updates installations.
   
4. Select Enabled and click on Apply and OK to save the changes.
   

If you don’t find the Group Policy Editor, you are probably running Windows 10 Home. In this case, you need to check our guide on installing the Group Policy Editor on Windows 10.

3. Disable a few problematic services

1. Press Windows key + R and type services.msc. Press Enter or click OK.
   
2. When the Services window opens, locate Windows License Manager Service and double-click on it to open the properties.
   
3. When the Properties window opens, set the Startup type to Disabled.
   
4. Now click Apply and OK to save changes.
   
5. Locate the Windows Update service and double-click it to open its properties.
   
6. Stop the service and set its Startup type to Disabled.
   
7. Hit the Apply and OK buttons.
   

After doing that, the problem should be resolved, and you won’t see this error message anymore. If you experience any issues after applying this solution, revert the changes and check if that helps.

4. Create a backup for the registry and modify it

4.1 Create a backup

1. Press Windows key + R and type regedit, then press Enter or click OK.
   
2. Before you modify your registry, you need to export it. This is relatively simple, and to do it; you just need to click on File and select Export.
   
3. Select All as Export range and enter the desired file name. Choose a safe location and click on Save.
   

If anything goes wrong after modifying the registry, you can just run the file you created, restoring your registry to the original state.

Learn how to fix the Registry Editor if you can’t access it and make the necessary modifications afterward.

4.2 Modify the registry

1. Select the Start button, type cmd, and click on Run as administrator to start Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
   
2. When Command Prompt starts, enter the following command and press Enter to run it: reg add "HKLMSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionSoftware Protection Platform" /v NoGenTicket /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
   

By running this command, you’ll modify your registry and prevent the Your Windows license will expire soon message from appearing.

If you experience any issues after modifying the registry, run the registry backup file to restore your registry to the original state.

How do I fix Your Windows license will expire soon on Windows 11?

The first thing you should do when seeing the Your Windows license will expire soon message is to run the Windows Activation Troubleshooter. Head to the Activation settings, and click on Troubleshoot.

Another solution that seemed to work for most was reinstalling Windows 11 and then activating it. Often, the problem arises due to installation issues, and getting a new copy of the OS should fix things.

How can I find my Windows product key and change it?

1. Click the Windows button, enter cmd, and select Run as administrator to start Command Prompt with full privileges.
   
2. When Command Prompt starts, run this command: wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
   
3. Your product key will now appear. Write it down or copy it to a safe location.
4. Press the Windows key + I to open Settings, then click on the Update & security section.
   
5. Click on Activation from the menu on the left. Then, in the right pane click on the Change product key.
   
6. Enter the product key that you got in Step 3. Now click the Next button.
   

After doing that, your Windows should become activated, and the error message will be resolved.

By following these guidelines, you should be able to fix the alert saying Your Windows license will expire soon on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems.

It’s all to remind you that a legitimate license is essential in ordetoour the system to be updated and secure.

If you don’t have a legitimate copy of Windows, follow our textbook indications and find out what to do if you get the message saying This copy of Windows is not genuine.

To prevent any possible mishaps, try to avoid offers that are too good to be true from random websites, as they are probably scams that will only leave you with a hole in your budget.

Do share your experience with us in the comments section, and if you have problems, we will try to help you as soon as possible.

Still having issues? Fix them with this tool:

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If the advices above haven't solved your issue, your PC may experience deeper Windows problems. We recommend downloading this PC Repair tool (rated Great on TrustPilot.com) to easily address them. After installation, simply click the Start Scan button and then press on Repair All.

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