Microsoft kills Windows operating system activation by phone option
Microsoft has quietly killed an offline option to activate Windows 10 and 11: phone activation.
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Microsoft has discontinued phone activation for Windows 10 and 11, eliminating the offline activation option.
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Online activation now requires a Microsoft account, forcing users to connect to the internet and use Microsoft's online portal at aka.ms/aoh.
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Microsoft has not officially announced this change, even though their support documentation still describes the phone activation process, creating confusion.
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The Windows Activation Hotline now only plays a recorded message redirecting users to online methods instead of connecting them to support staff.
According to Neowin, the online outlet that broke the news, the first reports of the disappearance of the Windows OS activation surfaced online last month.
A user called 3K posted a message on a Microsoft community forum stating that he could no longer find the Activate Windows section in Windows 11.
Normally, you would have to go to Start > Settings > System > Activation > Activate Windows Now > Activate by Phone. However, 3K claims this option has been removed by Microsoft.
Another Windows user, Ben Kleinberg, posted a video on YouTube in which he confirms that Windows 7 Home Premium can no longer be activated by calling Microsoft’s Windows Activation Hotline.
Instead of speaking to an employee, he got a recorded message, saying:
“Support for product activation has moved online. For the fastest and most convenient way to activate your product, please visit our online product activation portal at aka.ms/aoh from an internet-connected device, and the portal will guide you through the activation steps.”
The URL in the recorded message takes users to the Microsoft Product Activation Portal for online activation. However, a Microsoft account is required to activate your copy of Windows.
Microsoft hasn’t officially confirmed that its product activation for Windows has been cancelled.
As a matter of fact, when you visit Microsoft’s support page, it describes the process of how to activate your copy of Windows 10 or 11 by phone.
The conversation on this topic is live. Join in the discussion.
There’s one interesting option for people who don’t have the Activate by Phone option. They should open Microsoft’s command prompt and type ‘slui 4,’ select OK, and follow the steps displayed on screen.
However, as verified by Cybernews, calling the product activation for Windows number plays the aforementioned recorded message and redirects users to online methods.
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