A watermark reading “Activate Windows” will display in the lower right corner of the screen if Windows 11 on the computer has not been activated. The watermark serves as a gentle nudge to consumers to go out and buy a licence key for the version of Windows 11 they have installed on their computers.
It’s understandable to wish to remove the Activate Windows watermark from your computer. To get rid of the watermark, Microsoft recommends purchasing a licence and activating Windows. That’s just fine, by the way.
The Watermark “Activate Windows” Must Go!
So, the question becomes, how can I get rid of the Activate Windows watermark in Windows 11 without paying for it? If you’re reading this, it’s safe to assume that you’re in the same boat and have similar goals.
This article will show you how to remove the “Activate Windows” watermark in Windows 11 in two different ways. Consequently, let’s go right in:
1: Deactivate the Timer and Start Over
To open a command prompt, hit the Taskbar’s Search button and enter CMD. Simply type “command prompt” into a search engine and right-click “Run as administrator” when the prompt opens.
- If a UAC prompt displays, select Yes to proceed.
- To re-arm your sonic defences, open the Command Prompt and enter slmgr -rearm.
- You will need to restart your computer after you see the following message box. The watermark will disappear after this.
2: The Registry Exploit
To access the Registry editor, select the Search button from the Taskbar, enter “Regedit,” and then select it from the list of results.
- If a UAC prompt displays, select Yes to proceed.
- To modify this setting, open Registry Editor and go to the following key:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\svsvc
- In the right pane, locate the Start DWORD (32-bit) Value and enter 4 into its Value data field.
- Then, exit Registry Editor and open a Command prompt as an administrator.
- The following command should be run after that:
gpupdate /force
- Finally, you can apply the modifications by restarting your computer.
With this tweak to the registry, the Activate Windows watermark will no longer be displayed.
3: Command for Test Mode Use
Some Windows users have reported success in erasing watermarks by using the command typically used to disable testing mode. Which is why you should give it a shot yourself.
- To use this technique, open a Command prompt with administrative privileges and enter the following command: bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING OFF and press the enter key.
- When you’re done, restart your computer for the modifications to take effect.
