How to remove "Activate Windows" WaterMark?

[walkerpu]

Hi,

I am using Windows 10 and I wanted to know how can I remove the Activate Windows watermark from my screen?

I have a licensed Windows 10 and the license is a digital license which doesn't require any serial key and it is registered to the Microsoft account.

In the past, when I reinstall Windows 10, it asks for the Microsoft account during installation and gets my windows registered every time.

But this time it didn't ask for the Microsoft account and now I don't know how to register the Windows using my digital license and how to remove the watermark.

P.S: This time I have installed windows on a new machine as the old machine which I was using before having some graphics card issues and I remove the hard drive and put it into this machine.

[Gasman]

You probably just need to contact MS and they will give you a new activation key.?
However they might say that is a whole new computer as only the hard drive has been replaced.?

[walkerpu]

Yes, the computer is new only I have used the old hard drive as I have my data on that. I will keep using the old machine once the problem is resolved on that. There is an issue of the graphics card.

But till then can't I registered the Windows on a new machine? The digital license doesn't require a Key.

[isladogs]

Assuming you have a verified purchase registered with MS via your account, they will activate it for you. However in doing so, that will probably deactivate the old version of Windows on your old hard drive

[Akyosuke]

Here another tweak to remove activate windows 10 watermark from registry editor. Here how to do

Press Windows + R, type regdit and ok to open windows registry editor.
First backup registry database then navigate to the following key.
“HKEY_CURRENT_USER” Expand “Control Panel.” Click on the “Desktop” folder.
Now on it in the right-hand window, Double click on “PaintDesktopVersion” DWORD key.
And Change the “1” to a “0” in the “Value Data” field, and click “OK.”
That’s all, Close registry editor, and restart windows to take effect the changes

[theseus]

Windows 10 is designed to notice when you make major changes in hardware. Minor changes, like a new graphics card, it is supposed to ignore. It is to prevent piracy they say. You will have to contact Microsoft about it.


I installed a new mother board in my system and had to install a new copy of Win10. At least it cleaned out some of my junk files.

[AccessBlaster]

If you have a legit copy of Windows 10, you can change the drive(s) graphics card(s) memory or pretty much any other hardware. Obviously windows is not seeing your copy as legit.