Windows 10: kms license expiring - what to do and what will happen?

A couple of weeks ago, my laptop (windows 10 professional) started to give me a pop-up message that I have not seen in the 6 months that I've had it. "Your Windows License is Expiring Soon".

I did some digging around using slmgr and apparently the license on this Windows 10 expires in 2 days on April 20th. Now I have no experience with anything like this so I don't know what it means, what will happen on the 20th or what to do about it.

Under the activation tab in settings, it says, "Windows is activated using your organization's activation service". I bought this laptop used back in October of last year (2016) and it has been great. So over the last week or so, I guess I have figured out that this laptop must have a KMS license that I don't know anything about. I checked around online using Google, etc...and all I can find is something about a slmgr rearm count which I looked at and mine said 1001 so I tried that, and it dropped down to 1000 but nothing changed and I still get the warning and the date of the 20th still shows up.

So my questions are: 1. What can I or should I do about this? and 2. What will happen on the 20th when it expires?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

:)

 

Activation and key issue with Window 10

When you receive a message your Windows 10 license will expire, it is because you are running a volume license client which uses KMS activation.

What you need to do is connect to your company's Domain or VPN into their network and it will resolve the issue.

 

Windows license expiring date soon. What to do?

My windows 10 pro license is going to expire soon. Do i need to buy a new ESD license for windows 10 pro to continue to use windows?

 

1. Obtain a legal key (report the seller to MS for selling counterfeit software..unless the agreement was for hardware only - phone anyway, they may take pity on you and give you a key)

2. Your OS will become deactivated. (With nags and watermark to activate)

PS: If you have a Holographic sticker on the notebook you will have an OEM key that could be used instead. You can check anyway with ShowKeyPlus - - Windows 10 Forums

 

Is there a COA sticker on it anywhere (look in the battery compartment)? If yes what OS is it for?

 

If the computer ever had legitimately licensed Windows 10 Pro on it, it should have a digital license stored on MS Activation Servers. To find out, you can change the product key to the generic Windows 10 Pro product key:
VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

If there is not a digital license for Windows 10 Pro stored on MS activation servers for that computer, it will just deactivate Windows, which is going to happen anyway once your current illegitimate activation expires.

Microsoft is still activating Windows 10 using Windows 7 and 8 product keys, so if the computer has a COA sticker with a Windows 7 Pro Product Key printed on it, you should be able to change the product key to that one and it will activate.

 

Thanks for the replies. There is no sticker anywhere on the PC. I may try some of the things you all suggested, but what I really am curious about (and apparently will find out in 24 hours), is what are the significant/serious consequences of using the PC after tomorrow if nothing else changes and I can't fix the problem and/or change the status? If I have to, I guess I can start from scratch with Linux, but I have spent the last 6 months getting this computer the way I want it and running great so that would kinda suck, especially since I just waited hours to get this latest creators update (1703) installed the other day.

 

Un-activated, Windows has a watermark to say so, you will be nagged to activate and various Personalization settings are disabled, notably the ability to set a Desktop wallpaper. It is a violation of the EULA to continue using an un-activated Windows, but so was using this apparently illegal copy of Windows in the first place.

 

I think your best bet is to see if MS will give you a key by explaining the situation to them - they are keen on getting as many onto Win10 as possible.

...you may wanna throw in some uncontrollable sobbing to seal the deal .. *Wink

 

Is there a sticker on the Laptop that says What Make and Model it is ?? Just that info would narrow it down to if it came with Win 7, 8.* or 10 originally. Info on the CPU, GPU etc, would help even more.

 

What good would that information be? Let's say that make and model came with Windows 7 Home Premium. OK, now what? How would that info help the OP activate any Windows, including the Windows 7 Home Premium that it came with without a valid product key?

 

Showkey, will tell you what OS it shipped with, kind of sort of. It will tell you if there is an OEM marker in the BIOS for Windows 7, or if there is an embedded key for Windows 8 or 10. If it was Windows 7 you are SOL without a COA sticker. There is no product key stored in the BIOS. If there is an embedded key for Windows 8 or 10 though, that could be used to activate the current install, or reinstall the correct version for that key and activate it.

Just knowing what OS was originally installed isn't enough.

 

Post number 2 suggested the OP run show-key and he replied without saying he had run it. *Rolleyes

 

fwiw,
Bought a used laptop off ebay with near matching chipset as my existing Sandy Bridge chipset so I could move my cpu, ram, ssd's into it when mine gives up the ghost. Guy had 50 listed for sale $50 area so I bought 2. They arrived... you'd swear they looked brand new. Fans had minimal dust, no signs of wear on anything.

Anyhow, no hdd, no ram, no ac adapter T520 ThinkPads... no coa stickers .. I loaded enterprise eval as a local Mike account which was 90 days x 3 resets,, 270 days total . Think I had 45 days remaining of last slmgr /rearm.
Then win10 creators insider iso became available, so I installed it with a double click of the iso keeping nothing and got the not activated message until I did my first Microsoft login to my email probably, magically it instantly at next restart required Mike local login to change the PIN to 6 digit for proper encryption and windows activated. Slmgr shows its lifetime activated... I cant discover a key with the ShowKeyPlus.. key shows as just a bunch of b's.

I'm guessing here, but looks like the win10 enterprise eval version gave the ebay T520 laptop the win10 activation to my Microsoft account.

 

Enterprise won't ever get a Digital License, local or Microsoft Account. Enterprise is VL only and only activates with MAK or KMS keys. Also, you don't have to log in with, or even have a Microsoft Account to activate Windows 10. It can be installed and activated with a local account. I have no idea what happened in your case but its not a normal occurrence.