Buzz
This article provides a guide on how to remove the Windows Genuine Advantage notification, which often appears when using an unregistered version of Windows. The easiest (and most legitimate) way to do this is by activating Windows in the Settings, but you can also use a few temporary workarounds if necessary.
Steps
Activate Windows
Make sure you're connected to WiFi. To activate your copy of Windows, you need an internet connection so that Microsoft can verify your product key.
Click on the Activation tab on the left side of the window.
Click on the Change product key link in the middle of the Activation page to open a new window.
Enter your Windows 10 product key. Type in the activation code that came with Windows 10 in the appropriate field.
- If you purchased a physical copy, the product key can be found on the CD box, or you can find it in the confirmation email from Microsoft if you bought it online.
- If you have a product key for Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, you can use that key to activate Windows 10.
Click Next in the bottom-right corner of the window. This action will prompt Microsoft to verify your Windows copy.
Follow the on-screen instructions. If your copy of Windows is legitimate, you will receive a notification confirming that the operating system has been validated, although you may need to provide additional information as requested.
Remove the faded 'Activate' text on Windows 10
Ensure you are logged in with an administrator account. You need to use an account with administrative rights to modify your computer's registration settings.
Type regedit to search for the Registry Editor command on your computer.
Click on the regedit with the square icon located at the top of the Start window.
Click Yes when prompted to open the Registry Editor window.
Follow these steps to access the 'Activation' registry key:
- Double-click to open the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder.
- Navigate to the SOFTWARE folder.
- Scroll down and open the Microsoft folder.
- Find and open the Windows NT folder.
- Open the CurrentVersion folder.
- Go to the Software Protection Platform folder.
- Click on the Activation folder.
Right-click on the blue and white 'Manual' button on the right side of the window to open the options list.
- If your mouse doesn’t have a right-click button, click the right edge or use a two-finger click.
- If you're using a touchpad, tap with two fingers or press the bottom right corner of the touchpad.
Click on the 'Modify' button below the menu to open this window.
Change the data value. In the 'Value data' field, replace '0' with '1', then click OK.
- You may be asked to confirm this selection. If so, click Yes or OK to proceed.
Right-click on the 'NotificationDisabled' option on the right side of the page.
Click on the Modify.
Set the data value to 1. This will prevent the activation notification from showing on your screen.
Reboot your system.Power Up.
Shut Down.
Restart your computer.
Repeat this process if the notification persists. Since removing the faded notification only works temporarily, you’ll need to disable the notification again in the future.
Disable Genuine Advantage on Windows 7
Click on the search bar at the bottom of the Start menu.
Type task manager to search for the Task Manager app on your computer.
Click on the Task Manager at the top of the Start menu.
Open the Run window by pressing the ⊞ Win+R simultaneously.
- If this doesn’t work, try opening Start, typing run, and clicking on Run.
Type system32. The system32 folder typically contains many important system files.
Click OK at the bottom of the Run window to open the system32 folder.
Enable the viewing of hidden files and file extensions as follows:
- Click on the View tab.
- Check the box labeled "Hidden items".
- Check the box labeled "File name extensions".
Locate the "WgaLogon.dll" file. The easiest way to do this is by typing wga into the search bar at the top-right corner of the window and wait for the "WgaLogon.dll" file to appear.
Rename the "WgaLogon.dll" file. Right-click on the file, then select Rename and append .bak to the end of the file name and extension, then press ↵ Enter.
- The file should now be named "WgaLogon.dll.bak".
- You may be asked to confirm this action. If so, click Yes or OK.
Create a blank copy of the "WgaLogon.dll" file as follows:
- Right-click in an empty space within the system32 window.
- Select New.
- Click on Text Document.
- Type WgaLogon to name the file.
- Replace .txt with .dll.
- Press ↵ Enter, then click Yes when prompted.
Search for the "WgaTray.exe" file in the system32 folder and Task Manager. Since both files need to be deleted within 5 seconds, find them now. Follow these steps:
- system32 - You will see "WgaTray.exe" in the window if "wga" is still entered in the search bar.
- Task Manager - Click the Processes tab, scroll down until you find "WgaTray.exe", and click on it.
Delete both "WgaTray.exe" files. Select the "WgaTray.exe" file in system32 and press Del, then switch to Task Manager and click End process or End task at the bottom-right corner of the window.
Restart your computer once you've completed the task. After the restart, the Genuine Advantage notification will no longer appear.
- You may need to repeat this process occasionally as the Genuine Advantage notification tends to reappear after system updates.
Advice
- You can extend the trial period of Windows 7 for free up to 3 times by opening Command Prompt and entering the following code: slmgr.vbs /rearm
- You'll still receive critical updates (such as security updates) when using an unregistered version of Windows.
- Windows operating systems prior to Windows 2000 cannot be installed with Windows Genuine Advantage.
Warning
- Using an unlicensed version of Windows is illegal in certain regions.
- This process only disables the notification, not activating your Windows copy.
- If you edit files incorrectly, it could cause your computer to freeze.
