Windows 10: Why has a windows activation watermark appeared suddenly?

I have been using my PC for about a year straight. First, I didn’t build this, it was a gift from my uncle and these past 2 weeks it has been acting quite strange with app crashes and files randomly going missing but I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it. I was just watching a YouTube video and then suddenly this activation watermark appears in the corner and I don’t know why. Does anyone know?

submitted by /u/lebruh0
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:)

 

Activate Windows Watermark

Hi Duncan,

The Windows activation watermark is usually appearing if the activation servers detect that a device is not activated. For further help with activating your copy of Windows 10, visit this
link. If the same issue persists after performing the troubleshooting suggestions on the link, follow these steps:

• Using Cortana, type Notepad and then click on Notepad (Desktop app).
• Type the following commands in Notepad:
  • @Echo off
    
    taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe
    
    explorer.exe
    
    exit
    
    
• 
  Save the file and name it as Activation.bat.
  
• 
  Change the Save as type to All files.
  
• 
  Locate the file, right-click on it and then choose Run as Administrator.
  
• 
  After running the file, restart your computer and then check if the same issue persists.
  

Let us know if further assistance is needed.

 

Activate Windows watermark suddenly appeared

No changes have been made to the hardware, and I've had this laptop for nearly two years. This morning, a watermark appeared in the bottom right corner of my screen telling me to activate windows.

On the activation page in settings it tells me I don't have a valid digital license or product key, with the error code "0xc004f012".

It also suggests that I try the troubleshooter below, which then tells me that troubleshooting was interrupted and gives the error code "0xc3f6501".

 

Activate Windows watermark

My Windows 10 is showing in settings as properly activated but I have a screen watermark "Activate Windows/Go to settings".

The pc was purchased with Windows 7 and upgraded to 10, I recently had the HDD cloned to a SDD and the message has appeared since that was done.

Any ideas?