Unactivated copies of Windows 11 will also soon limit Edge customizations

In a traditional computing environment, each instance of Windows needs to be purchased and activated to unlock its full capabilities. Activation helps Microsoft ensure that the copy of Windows is genuine and has not been used on more devices than the software license terms allow.

Windows activation has been a part of PC users’ lives since the days of Windows XP, but Microsoft has made activation easier in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Now, on an unactivated OS, users have very limited system customization options. Similar limitations will soon apply to the Edge browser.

Users can still use most of the features of Windows without activation, but they cannot customize the desktop or operating system interface. The system’s settings page displays the message “Windows is not activated”, which makes life even harder for unauthorized users or pirates. It’s still easy to activate Windows 10 or Windows 11 using the right (unofficial) tools, but that’s another topic entirely.

In April of this year, volunteer testers using the Edge version of the Windows native browser discovered an interesting detail about Windows activation. The Canary version of Microsoft Edge appeared to include a new restriction feature hidden behind the “msEdgeLockSettingsInNonActivatedOS” command line switch, though there was no initial confirmation of its effect on unactivated systems.

The change has now been confirmed, as Microsoft is likely testing the feature through the Edge Canary channel. A future version of the Chromium-based browser could prevent users from accessing specific customization options from the software’s Settings page, indicating the “non-activated” state of Windows through a new text message shown on top of the settings page.