You can see that Windows is really mad that you haven't activated you PC.
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Microsoft’s set up many barriers in Windows 10 to stop people from running away with the operating system without paying for it. That’s why Microsoft has this whole “Activation” thing, which can sometimes really be aggravating.
Activation is caused right when you log onto a new computer. Microsoft checks that your computer is properly activated, and if everything is in order, then your computer automatically gets activated. But, it something goes wrong, then Microsoft will tell you about it. Oh yes, they’ll sure tell you about it. They’ll put a watermark in the corner of the screen, which can be really annoying when you’re doing a screen record. They also prohibit you from personalizing your machine, which can be annoying sometimes. And much more.
In Windows 7, it would be more than just a watermark and a personalization limit. They have a time limit for how long you can have your machine unactivated. The grace period is 30 days, and that’s all the time you have before it bluescreens and you can’t use your machine anymore. There’s also a key symbol in the system tray, and when you click on it it’ll show an “Activate Windows Now” message. That message will pop open every 4 hours, but that’s really not a big deal, if it’s only a small box.
Once you get down to the last days of the grace period, Windows will really start ti act up on you. Every 2 HOURS you would actually get a full screen activation prompt, which can really get to be annoying, because every 2 hours is a short period of time, and if it’s full-screen, then any screen recording that you have going will automatically pause.
In settings, there’s an activation page that basically shows you if you have Windows activated or not. Your product key will be displayed below that, and there’ll be a few options, like Change Product key, which allows you to change the product key if you want to change your edition of Windows. And, by the way, you can get a product key from the box that Windows came in. And it costs money for a product key, so don’t get excited.
Yes, the world of Activation sure can be aggravating sometimes. Especially in Windows 7, which then there would be a grace period, and all of that. Windows 10 took away some penalties, but still has penalties for not activating your PC. But, there’s another post on TechStation that will tell you how to personalize your PC, even when it’s not activated.
