How to Check If Windows 11 Pro Is Activated

After activating Windows 11 Pro with a product key or digital license, it is a good idea to verify that Windows is actually activated. You can check the activation status directly from Windows Settings, Command Prompt, or PowerShell. Microsoft provides several ways to check Windows activation status, making it easy to verify whether your Windows 11 Pro license is active. Method 1: Check Activation Status From Windows Settings The easiest method is through the Windows Settings app. Follow these steps: Step 1: Press Windows + I to open Settings. Step 2: Go to: System → Activation Step 3: Look for Activation state . Depending on your license, Windows may display one of the following messages: Windows is activated Windows is activated with a digital license Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account Windows is not activated The first three indicate that Windows is activated. The third option additionally means that your Microsoft account is linked to the digital license. Microsoft recommends linking a Microsoft account to a digital license because it can help with reactivation after certain significant hardware changes. If you see Windows is not activated , Windows will normally display an error message or additional information explaining the activation problem. For the official Microsoft instructions, see Microsoft's Windows Activation guide . Method 2: Check Windows Activation Using Command Prompt If you prefer using Command Prompt, Windows includes the Software Licensing Management Tool , commonly known as slmgr.vbs. You can use several commands to check your Windows activation information. Check the Activation Expiration Open Command Prompt and run: slmgr /xpr This command displays the activation expiration information for the current Windows edition. For typical retail and MAK activation , Microsoft notes that activation is perpetual, while /xpr is particularly useful for identifying expiration information associated with KMS activation. If Windows is permanently activated, you may see a message indicating that the machine is permanently activated. Check Basic License Information Run: slmgr /dli The /dli command displays basic license information for the installed active Windows edition. Microsoft documents this option as a way to display license information from slmgr.vbs. The result may include information such as: Windows edition License channel Partial product key License status For example, you may see information similar to: Name: Windows(R), Professional edition Description: Windows(R) Operating System, RETAIL channel Partial Product Key: XXXXX License Status: Licensed The important part is License Status: Licensed . Microsoft's documentation provides examples of slmgr /dli output and explains how the command can be used to verify licensing information. How to Check Detailed License Information For more detailed information, run: slmgr /dlv The /dlv command displays detailed license information for the installed Windows operating system. This can show additional information about the installed license, including details useful for troubleshooting. If you're trying to determine whether the installed license is Retail, OEM, or Volume , the Product Key Channel information shown by slmgr /dlv can provide useful information about the installed license channel. Tip: You normally don't need /dlv for a simple activation check. Use it when you need more detailed licensing information. Method 3: Check Windows Activation Using PowerShell PowerShell provides another way to inspect Windows licensing information. Open PowerShell and run: Get-CimInstance -ClassName SoftwareLicensingProduct | Where-Object { $_.PartialProductKey -and $_.LicenseStatus -eq 1 } | Select-Object Name, Description, LicenseStatus, PartialProductKey This command searches the Windows Software Licensing service for products that have a partial product key and a LicenseStatus value of 1. Microsoft documents the S