Killjoy Microsoft Shuts Down Windows 11 Activation Without An Internet Connection

Microsoft has seemingly disabled phone call activation for Windows 11, and perhaps older versions as well, making it impossible to activate Windows without an Internet connection.

This is an unwelcome development for users that want to airgap their systems and enthusiasts who want to activate older versions of Windows on retro hardware. There are some conflicting reports which suggest that select regions may still offer phone activation, but for users in the United States, early reports indicate other Windows versions are impacted by this change as well.

Ben Kleinberg suggested phone activation was no longer possible in a Dec 18th YouTube upload, where an attempt to activate Windows 7 failed. In the weeks since, other reports (thanks, Neowin) have emerged related to Windows 10 and Windows 11, claiming phone activation was unavailable, with an automated response stating that "Support for product activation has moved online. For the fastest and most ...