If you’re a Windows 11 user, you might have encountered the “Windows License Will Expire Soon” error at some point. This error can be alarming, as it suggests that your operating system is about to become non-functional.
However, there’s no need to panic. This issue is typically related to license activation problems, and fortunately, it can be fixed with some straightforward steps.
Fix Windows License Will Expire Soon Error on Windows 11
In this blog, I’ll show you what to do if you encounter the ‘Windows License Will Expire Soon’ message. This issue is commonly seen with the older Windows operating system, but it can also pop up in Windows 11. Fortunately, the solution is simple and works for all the versions of Windows.
Here, we will discuss a few troubleshooting methods to fix it. Let’s dive in.
1. Restart Windows Explorer
The first thing you need to do is restart the Windows Explorer process. This can often resolve many system-related issues, including the license expiration warning.
Here’s how to restart Windows Explorer:
1. Right-click on the Windows button and select Task Manager from the list.
2. In the Task Manager, navigate to the Processes tab.
3. Find Windows Explorer, right-click on it, and select Restart. Don’t worry if your screen goes blank for a moment. Windows Explorer will restart shortly.
4. Alternatively, to restart it manually, click on the File tab in the top-left corner of Task Manager, then select Run new task.
5. In the pop-up window, type explorer.exe and press OK. Everything should return to normal now.
2. Activate Windows with Command Prompt
After that, we need to activate Windows with the Command Prompt. To do this, run Command Prompt as an administrator to potentially fix the issue. Here’s how:
1. Press the Windows button, type cmd, and select Run as administrator.
2. In the Command Prompt window, copy and paste the following command and press Enter.
slmgr –rearm
slmgr /upk
3. Once the command runs, reboot your device.
Many users have reported that running this command fixed the issue, so give it a try.
3. Modify Group Policy Settings
If the problem still persists, there’s another advanced setting you can tweak in the Group Policy Editor to prevent the message from showing up.
1. Press the Windows button, type gpedit.msc, and select it from the search results.
2. In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following location
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update
3. On the right side of the window, double-click on the Legacy Policies folder.
4. Search for the policy named No auto restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations.
5. Double-click on this policy and select the Enabled option.
6. Click Apply, then OK to save your changes.
This should prevent the ‘Windows License Will Expire Soon’ message from showing up.
4. Find Your Product Key and Activate Windows
If none of the previous steps worked, you may need to activate Windows using your product key. Here’s how you can do it:
1. You can find your product key in your purchase confirmation email or on the sticker on your device if it’s pre-installed.
2. Press the Windows button and go to Settings.
3. Navigate to System > Activation.
4. Under Activation, click the Change product key. Enter your 25-character product key, then click Next.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the activation.
And that’s it! These steps should help fix the Windows License Will Expire Soon error message on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. It’s a simple process, and I hope it works for you!
