Introduced with Windows 8.1, Microsoft allows you to sync all your settings and preferences across all the devices that you use. For this, you will require a Microsoft Account, to which the settings will be saved. Here, I shall discuss how to link Windows 10 to Microsoft account.
Windows 10 Microsoft Account
Upon launch, Windows 10 was a free upgrade for existing Windows 7 and 8.1 users. it was back then when the concept of digital license was introduced. this feature was developed upon in the Anniversary update of Windows 10, there it is possible to link Windows license to Microsoft account.
Earlier, you would have to save the product key physically in case you would ever need it to reactivate the Windows operating system. Although rarely used, some users will find the need to register Windows 10 after hardware or software changes.
With Windows 10 anniversary update, Microsoft now allows you to create a local account and a Microsoft account. When you sign in to have Windows 10 with a Microsoft account, you will not have to remember the product key, as you can activate and sync your settings using the Microsoft account itself.
How To Link Windows 10 To Microsoft Account- Easy Guide
Before beginning, you must keep in mind that not all product keys support digital licenses. Re-registering the operating system hello is now less of a hassle compared to before. Usually, when you sign in to your computer at boot, your Windows 10 license will be linked to your account automatically.
Register Windows 10 To Microsoft Account
To link your Windows computer to Microsoft account, you will first need to set up the Microsoft account beforehand. Signing up for Microsoft account is free, so set up this account from the official Microsoft website. Then, come back and follow these steps:
- Open the Windows Settings app. you can use the keyboard shortcut Win + I.
- Click on Update & Security.
- From the left pane menu, select Activation.
- In the right pane, you will various information regarding your Windows activation status.
If you have not activated your Windows 10, use the Activate option to register your Windows 10 using the product key that you received with the installation disk. If your copy of Windows 10 allows you to store your license digitally, at the bottom of the page you will find an option that says Add an account.
- Click on the Add an account option and follow the onscreen instructions to add your Microsoft account that you created before step 1.
If your product key does not support a digital license, instead of tea mentioned option you will find your product ID And the product key. in such cases, you will have to keep a physical copy of your product key safe for future uses.
Link Windows License To Microsoft Account
Even if your copy of Windows does not support a digital license, you can still save the login information to your account. to do this you will have to sign in using the Microsoft account that you created in the step above and then use it to log into Windows by default.
To convert your local account to a Microsoft account, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app using the keyboard shortcut mentioned above.
- Switch to the Accounts section.
- Make sure that Your info is selected from the left pane menu.
- In the right column, locate the following option and click on it:
Sign in with a Microsoft account instead - Follow the on-screen instructions to add your Microsoft account do your copy of Windows. Enter all the necessary credentials and save the changes that you made, which will link Windows 10 to Microsoft account.
Following this, you will have successfully registered Windows 10 to your Microsoft account. all your settings and preferences will be synced for the devices that you log into using this account. if you ever want to register Windows 10 on your device again, simply sign in using this Microsoft account, and your copy of Windows will be activated.
To check if the activation process worked, open the Settings app, and click on Update & Security. switch to the Activation tab. If you successfully linked your product key to your Microsoft account, You would find the following message under your Activation Status:
‘Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account.’
Wrapping Up
So there you have it. now you know how to link Windows 10 to Microsoft account using the information provided above. if you find any trouble activating Windows, check out some simple guides (like this one). comment below if you found this useful, and to discuss further the same.