If your system is asking you for your BitLocker recovery key, the following information may help you locate your recovery key and understand why you're being asked to provide it. Important: Microsoft support is unable to provide, or recreate, a lost BitLocker recovery key.

A Windows product key is a 25-character code used to activate Windows. It looks like this: PRODUCT KEY: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. Locate your product key for Windows 10 or Windows 11.

If you're unable to activate Windows 11, the Activation troubleshooter could help. To use the troubleshooter, select Start > Settings > System > Activation , and then select Troubleshoot . Open Troubleshoot settings. You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.

Learn how to activate Windows using a product key or digital license, check your activation status, and link your Microsoft account.

Activation helps verify that your copy of Windows is genuine and hasn’t been used on more devices than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. This article will help you troubleshoot and fix common activation errors in Windows. For help finding your product key, see Find your Windows product key.

Manage your Virus & threat protection settings. Use Virus & threat protection settings when you want to customize your level of protection, send sample files to Microsoft, exclude trusted files and folders from repeated scanning, or temporarily turn off your protection.

Office is prompting me for a product key. Use your Microsoft account, not your product key, to install and activate Office and individually purchased Office apps, such as Project, Visio, Word, Excel, and Outlook. Sign in to install Office. Bookmark the site below so you always know where to go to install Office.

Behavior before October 11, 2022. Before you install the October 11, 2022, or later cumulative updates, the client computer queries Active Directory for an existing account with the same name. This query occurs during domain join and computer account provisioning.