How To Activate Windows 7 Without A Key - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Activate Windows 7 Without a Product Key PDF download Download Article Start your computer in Windows 7 in minutes Explore this Article Steps Steps Other Sections Questions & Answers Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Co-authored by Scott St Gelais

Last Updated: October 7, 2025

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This article was co-authored by Scott St Gelais. Scott St Gelais is an IT Consultant and the Owner of Geeks in Phoenix, Arizona. With over two decades of experience, Scott specializes in computer service and repair, development, computer graphics, and website authoring. Scott received his Technical Associates Degree from High Tech Institute and completed the IT Support Professional Certificate by Google. Geeks in Phoenix is a member of the Microsoft Partner Network and an Intel Technology Provider Gold Partner. This article has been viewed 826,628 times.

Windows 7 must be activated in order to be used beyond 30 days. You can use the “rearm” console command to renew your activation grace period. It should be noted that the rearm command can only be used up to 3 times, extending your activation period to a maximum of 120 days.

Activating Windows 7

Hit the ⊞ Win key, enter "Cmd" in the search bar, and right click on the Command Prompt program. Select "Run as Administrator" and type "slmgr -rearm" into the window that opens. Hit enter, then restart your computer. Your activation period should then reset to 30 days.

Steps

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  1. Step 1 Hit ⊞ Win and enter “Cmd” into the search bar. 1 Hit ⊞ Win and enter “Cmd” into the search bar. The Command Prompt program will appear in the search results.
  2. Step 2 Right click the... 2 Right click the Command Prompt listing and select “Run as Administrator”. This will launch the command prompt application with administrator privileges. Advertisement
  3. Step 3 Enter “slmgr -rearm” into the command line and hit ↵ Enter. 3 Enter “slmgr -rearm” into the command line and hit ↵ Enter. A script will run and after a few moments you will be prompted to restart your computer.
  4. Step 4 Restart your computer. 4 Restart your computer.
  5. Step 5 Check your activation... 5 Check your activation status. Right-click on "Computer" and select “Properties”. This opens the System Properties window. Your activation period should be reset to 30 days.
    • Don’t forget that this command can be used up to 3 times giving you a total of 120 days of potential activation time.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question Can I again start an antivirus program after the installation of this software? Community Answer Community Answer Yes, you can start your antivirus software after the installation of this software. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 20 Helpful 22
  • Question How do I activate Windows 7 without a key if it seems to only reset the 30-day period? Community Answer Community Answer This method will only allow you to do this a maximum of three times, for up to 90 days. After this, you'll have to either purchase a key or reinstall Windows. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 24 Helpful 44
  • Question What is the installation ID for Windows after putting in the product keys? Community Answer Community Answer Windows 7 must be activated in order to be used beyond 30 days. You can use the “rearm” console command to renew your activation grace period. It should be noted that the rearm command can only be used up to 3 times, extending your activation period to a maximum of 120 days. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 7 Helpful 3
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Tips

  • The rearm command is not a permanent solution, but it is a completely legal feature of Windows included by Microsoft.[1] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • If the Windows 7 installer that you’ve bought needs to be activated using this method, you may be a victim of software piracy. Thanks Helpful 15 Not Helpful 11
  • Windows loader may violate Microsoft’s Terms and Agreement. Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 14
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.thewindowsclub.com/legally-use-windows-without-activating

About This Article

Scott St Gelais Co-authored by: Scott St Gelais IT Consultant This article was co-authored by Scott St Gelais. Scott St Gelais is an IT Consultant and the Owner of Geeks in Phoenix, Arizona. With over two decades of experience, Scott specializes in computer service and repair, development, computer graphics, and website authoring. Scott received his Technical Associates Degree from High Tech Institute and completed the IT Support Professional Certificate by Google. Geeks in Phoenix is a member of the Microsoft Partner Network and an Intel Technology Provider Gold Partner. This article has been viewed 826,628 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 21 Updated: October 7, 2025 Views: 826,628 Categories: Windows 7 In other languages Portuguese French German Spanish Indonesian Thai Vietnamese Chinese Arabic Turkish Korean Hindi Czech Italian Japanese
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Scott St Gelais Co-authored by: Scott St Gelais IT Consultant Click a star to vote Co-authors: 21 Updated: October 7, 2025 Views: 826,628 Kazi Morshed

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