So you can use Windows 11, but it has a few limitations, as you’ll soon find out.Īdvertisement What are the limitations of Windows 11 if it’s not activated? So, in this case, although you didn’t need a Windows 11 product key to install it, the operating system is not activated. If this is the first time you install Windows 11 on your PC and it never had a running activated Windows 11 operating system on it, then Microsoft doesn’t activate your new Windows 11.If you had previously installed Windows 11 on the same PC and you activated it, either by providing a Windows 11 product key or by upgrading from an activated copy of Windows 10, then your new Windows 11 is also automatically activated for free.What happens if you install Windows 11 without a product key? The answer is it depends: What happens if I don’t enter a Windows 11 product key during installation? Microsoft won’t ask again for the Windows 11 product key during the installation.

Once that’s out of the way, continue installing Windows 11 as you normally would. When the setup wizard asks you to Activate Windows, click or tap on “I don’t have a product key” at the bottom of the window. If you need a bit of help with that, make sure you read this detailed guide we’ve created for you: How to install Windows 11 from USB, DVD, or ISO. Then, start installing Windows 11 normally by following each step of the setup wizard. Once you have the Windows 11 installation media ready, boot your computer, device, or virtual machine from it. You don't need a product key to download Windows 11 How to install Windows 11 without a product key Alternatively, if you want to make the bootable media using other third-party tools such as Rufus or install Windows 11 inside a virtual machine, you can choose to download a Windows 11 ISO file directly. From there, download the Media Creation Tool using the Download Now button under the “Create Windows 11 Installation Media” section and use it to create a bootable USB memory stick or DVD with Windows 11.

Start by using your favorite web browser to go to this webpage: Download Windows 11. It doesn’t ask for a Microsoft account or a Windows product key to let you get it from their servers. Microsoft allows you to download the Windows 11 installation kit without requiring any details from you. Do you intend to use Windows 11 without a product key forever?ĭo I need a product key to download Windows 11?.What are the limitations of Windows 11 if it’s not activated?.What happens if I don’t enter a Windows 11 product key during installation?.How to install Windows 11 without a product key.Do I need a product key to download Windows 11?.

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