I installed Win11 quite some time ago, but continued to use Win8.1. Now that support’s running out, I’m trying to prepare Win11 for use (by installing the programs I use, etc.). One of the first things I did was to remove some icons from the taskbar. Two are gone. The other 2 – chat and widgets – require activating Windows in order for me to be able to personalize. I thought it was activated when I originally installed it, but apparently now. I tried to activate it and I got a message that no product key could be found. Since this was a long time ago, I don’t really recall, but I think I downloaded a free copy from Microsoft. It was free based on the fact that I had Windows 10 installed. However, I see it’s an OEM copy of Windows.
Is there anything I can do that won’t force me to pay?
