Updating and activating Windows 7



If during the installation you choose to have Windows activate automatically, Windows will go ahead and activate itself three days after you log in for the first time. If you didn’t opt for automatic activation, you can activate Windows 7 manually.

To activate Windows 7 manually, follow these steps:

1. Click the Start button on the Taskbar.

2. Click Control Panel. The Control panel opens.

3. In the Control Panel, click System and Maintenance. The System and Maintenance window opens.

4. Click System and scroll down to the bottom of the window. This is where Windows tells you how much longer you have to activate Windows 7. See the Figure 1.

Figure 1: The System panel with the activation link at the bottom



5. Click Activate Windows Now. A new window appears, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Getting ready to activate Windows



6. Click Activate Windows Online Now. Windows displays a progress bar, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Activating Windows



When activation is complete, an Activation Was Successful window appears. If the activation fails, the window may present you with a toll-free number to call to activate the operating system.

Windows may prompt you to install updates shortly after it realizes it is online. Regardless, be sure that all the critical updates are installed by checking them manually. Follow these steps:

1. Click the Start button on the Taskbar and then click on All Programs.

2. Click Windows Update. The Windows Update window will appears.

3. Click on Check for Updates, a link in the upper-left side of the window. Windows checks for updates, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Checking for Updates



4. If Windows finds updates, it prompts you for permission to install them. Always install critical updates, as they often contain security fixes and other important patches.