Activate Windows 11 Enterprise Free
Celena Holtzberg
The subscription activation feature enables a "step-up" from Windows Pro edition to Enterprise edition or from Windows Pro Education edition to Education edition. This feature can be used with a subscription to Windows Enterprise E3 or E5 licenses.
Windows Pro Education is analogous to Windows Pro, while Windows Education is analogous to Windows Enterprise. In other words, Windows Education is a step-up from Windows Pro Education, similar to how Windows Enterprise is a step-up from Windows Pro.
Organizations that have an enterprise agreement can also benefit from the service, using traditional Active Directory-joined devices. In this scenario, the Active Directory user that signs in on their device must be synchronized with Microsoft Entra ID using Microsoft Entra Connect Sync.
Organizations that use the Subscription Activation feature to enable users to "step-up" from one version of Windows to another and use Conditional Access policies to control access need to exclude one of the following cloud apps from their Conditional Access policies using Select Excluded Cloud Apps:
When a device has been offline for an extended period of time, the device might not reactivate automatically if this Conditional Access exclusion isn't in place. Setting this Conditional Access exclusion ensures that Subscription Activation continues to work seamlessly.
Starting with Windows 11, version 23H2 with KB5034848 or later, users are prompted for authentication with a toast notification when Subscription Activation needs to reactivate. The toast notification will show the following message:
The prompt for authentication usually occurs when a device has been offline for an extended period of time. This change eliminates the need for an exclusion in the Conditional Access policy for Windows 11, version 23H2 with KB5034848 or later. A Conditional Access policy can still be used with Windows 11, version 23H2 with KB5034848 or later if the prompt for user authentication via a toast notification isn't desired.
Subscription activation for Education works the same as the Enterprise edition. However, in order to use subscription activation for Education, the device must have Windows Pro Education and an active subscription plan with an Enterprise license. For more information, see the requirements section.
Inherited activation allows Windows virtual machines to inherit activation state from their Windows client host. When a user with a Windows E3/E5 or A3/A5 license assigned creates a new Windows virtual machine (VM) using a Windows host, the VM inherits the activation state from a host machine. This behavior is independent of whether the user signs on with a local account or uses a Microsoft Entra account on a VM.
For Microsoft customers that don't have EA or MPSA, Windows Enterprise E3/E5 or A3/A5 licenses can be obtained through a cloud solution provider (CSP). Identity management and device requirements are the same when using CSP to manage licenses. For more information about getting Windows Enterprise E3 through a CSP, see Windows Enterprise E3 in CSP.
These requirements don't apply to general Windows client activation on Azure. Azure activation requires a connection to Azure KMS only. Azure KMS supports workgroup, hybrid, and Microsoft Entra joined VMs. In most scenarios, activation of Azure VMs happens automatically. For more information, see Understanding Azure KMS endpoints for Windows product activation of Azure virtual machines.
As of October 1, 2022, subscription activation is available for commercial and GCC tenants. It's currently not available on GCC High or DoD tenants. For more information, see Enable subscription activation with an existing EA.
If Windows Pro is converted to Windows Pro Education, then subscription activation doesn't work. The device needs to be reimaged to Windows Pro Education for subscription activation to work. Alternatively, reimage the device directly to Windows Education.
With Windows Enterprise or Education editions, an organization can benefit from enterprise-level security and control. Previously, only organizations with a Microsoft Volume Licensing Agreement could deploy Education or Enterprise editions to their users. With Windows Enterprise E3/E5 or A3/A5 being available as an online service, it's available in select channels thus allowing all organizations to take advantage of enterprise-grade Windows features.
Windows Enterprise is assigned to a user, for example through the Microsoft 365 admin center. When a licensed user signs in to a device that meets requirements using their Microsoft Entra credentials, Windows steps up from Pro edition to Enterprise, or from Pro Education to Education. Once the edition is stepped up, Enterprise/Education features are unlocked. When a user's subscription expires or is transferred to another user, the device reverts seamlessly to Windows Pro or Windows Pro Education edition, once the current subscription validity expires.
Devices running a supported version of Windows Pro can get Windows Enterprise general availability channel on up to five devices for each user covered by the license. This limit also applies when stepping up from Windows Pro Education to Windows Education. This benefit doesn't include the long term servicing channel.
All of the Windows Pro devices step-up to Windows Enterprise. When a subscription activation-enabled user signs in, devices that are already running Windows Enterprise migrate from KMS or MAK activated Enterprise edition to subscription activated Enterprise edition.
Microsoft Entra joined devices or Active Directory-joined devices running a supported version of Windows are being used. Microsoft Entra synchronization is configured. The steps in Deploy Windows Enterprise licenses are followed to get a $0 SKU and a new Windows Enterprise E3 or E5 license in Microsoft Entra ID. The license is then assigned to all of the Microsoft Entra users, which can be Active Directory-synced accounts. When that user signs in, the device automatically steps up from Windows Pro to Windows Enterprise or from Windows Pro Education to Windows Education.
If devices are running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, more steps are required. A wipe-and-load approach still works, but it can be easier to upgrade from Windows 7 Pro directly to a currently supported Windows 10 Enterprise edition. This path is supported, and completes the move in one step. However, versions of Windows newer than Windows 10 don't support upgrading from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. For versions of Windows newer than Windows 10, an upgrade to Windows 10 would first be required, followed by upgrading to the version of Windows Enterprise newer than Windows 10. In this scenario, a wipe-and-load might be more practical.
If a device is disconnected from the internet, until its current subscription expires Windows reverts to Pro or Pro Education. As soon as the device is connected to the internet again, the license automatically renew.
Up to five devices can be upgraded for each user license. If the user license is used for a sixth device, the computer where the user hasn't signed in for the longest time reverts to Pro or Pro Education.
With a Microsoft Entra subscription, group-based licensing is the preferred method to assign Enterprise E3 and E5 licenses to users. For more information, see Group-based licensing basics in Microsoft Entra ID.
With currently supported versions of Windows, subscription activation automatically pulls the firmware-embedded Windows activation key and activates the underlying Pro license. The license then steps up to Enterprise using subscription activation. This behavior automatically migrates devices from KMS or MAK activated Enterprise to subscription activated Enterprise.
Organizations with a traditional EA must order a $0 SKU, process e-mails sent to the license administrator for the company, and assign licenses using Microsoft Entra ID. Ideally, licenses are assigned to groups using the Microsoft Entra ID P1 or P2 feature for group assignment. For more information, see Enable subscription activation with an existing EA.
Subscriptions to Windows Enterprise are also available for virtualized clients. Enterprise E3 and E5 are available for Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) in Microsoft Azure or in another qualified multitenant hoster (QMTH).
Virtual machines (VMs) must be configured to enable Windows Enterprise subscriptions for VDA. Active Directory-joined and Microsoft Entra joined clients are supported. See Enable VDA for Subscription Activation.
I'm using the Windows 10 Evaluation software (been using the software for years) but since a few days when I install the OS it gives an 'license has expired' and 'product key has been blocked' when I try to activate.
have you ever installed the ISO from the evaluation center? then you know that it is pre-pidded (eg: is has a product key factory installed that can be activated for an unlimited amount of times but it only activated windows for 90 days and then the installation is expired
@HotCakeX This exact same behaviour happens to me. For posterity, I am a fully licensed Windows 10 user with a copy of Windows 10 Professional. I use the Evaluation version to build test machines in Hyper-V that I use for blogging. Since 2015, I have been able to rearm each Windows 10 evaluation version twice and then rebuild them once the evaluation expires. As I am constantly running tests this model works perfectly - these are not production machines and are regularly rebuilt.
As the OP says this model of using the evaluation version for testing (surprisingly, that's what it is meant for!) has worked for nearly six years, yet last week, ALL product keys for Windows 10 evaluation are now blocked. EVERY version of Windows 10 (from RTM through to 20H2) now shows "product key blocked". I created a brand new VM and installed from a freshly-downloaded copy of the Windows 10 Enterprise ISO - the same happened, instantly expired and blocked.
It's all very well claiming "you must buy a copy" but for ALREADY FULLY LICENSED USERS running VMs on (Windows 10!) Hyper-V for evaluation purposes, how many copies do I need to buy to use the virtualization software Microsoft have provided? As OP said, this model has worked since inception and clearly Microsoft have now blacklisted or blocked the evaluation keys.
d3342ee215