Get help with Windows activation errors

Windows reported that the hardware of your device has changed.

0xC004F211

A Windows license is associated with your device hardware. If you make significant hardware changes, such as replacing your motherboard, Windows won’t be able to find a matching license the next time you start your device. If Windows was preinstalled on the device and you have made a change such as replacing the motherboard, you'll need a new license.

To purchase a new Windows license, Start  > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation , and then select Go to Microsoft Store.
 Open Activation settings

If you have a Windows product key you used on your device before the hardware change, enter it by selecting Start  > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation , and then selecting Change product key. 

Additionally, Microsoft provides an exception path for transferring a Windows License after a hardware change. You’ll need to be signed in to the same Microsoft account before making the hardware change and to use the exception path.  

To access this exception path, select Start  > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation , and then select Troubleshoot. If the troubleshooter can’t resolve the issue, you’ll see a link to reactivate after a hardware change. Select it to follow this path. For more info, see Reactivating Windows after a hardware change. 

The product key used on this device didn't work with this edition of Windows. You might need to get in touch with the store or company you bought Windows from, enter a different product key, or go to the Store to buy genuine Windows.

0xC004F212 

When you reinstall Windows 10 using a digital license, you’re asked to choose which edition to install. If you choose an edition other than the one you’re licensed to use, you may receive this error.  

If you think you installed the wrong edition, select Start  > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation , and then select Troubleshoot. If the troubleshooter detects a valid Windows 10 digital license for an edition not currently installed, it will let you know and show you how to install the correct edition.
 Open Activation settings

Windows reported that no product key was found on your device. 

0xC004F213

A Windows license is associated with your device hardware. If you make significant hardware changes, such as replacing your motherboard, Windows won’t be able to find a matching license the next time you start your device. If Windows was preinstalled on the device and you have made a change such as replacing the motherboard, you'll need a new license.

To purchase a new Windows license, select Start  > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation , and then select Go to Microsoft Store. 
 Open Activation settings

If you have a Windows product key you used on your device before the hardware change, enter it by selecting Start  > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation , and then selecting Change product key. 

In addition, Microsoft provides an exception path for transferring a Windows License after a hardware change. You’ll need to be signed in to the same Microsoft account before making the hardware change and to use the exception path.  

To access this exception path, select Start  > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation , and then select Troubleshoot. If the troubleshooter can’t resolve the issue, you’ll see a link to reactivate after a hardware change. Select it to follow this path. For more info, see Reactivating Windows after a hardware change. 

"Your Windows License Will Expire Soon" warning

This may occur if you have a volume license client installed. Windows 10 Pro volume license clients are used by large organizations that deploy Windows 10 to hundreds or thousands of computers.

In this situation, activation is typically managed by your organization, and you'll need to contact your system administrator for assistance. For more info, see Troubleshooting Windows license expiration issues.

0x803f7001

If you see error code 0x803F7001, it means that a valid Windows 10 license couldn’t be found to activate Windows on your device. Here's how to activate Windows:

1. Select Start  > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation .

2. If you have a valid product key, select Change product key, and then enter the 25-character product key. If you don’t have a valid product key, select Go to Microsoft Store, and follow the instructions to buy a digital license for Windows.
   Open Activation settings

For help finding your product key, see Find your Windows product key.

For more info on how to troubleshoot error code 0x803F7001, see Fix Windows activation error 0x803F7001.

0x800704cF

This error means we didn’t find a valid Windows license for your device.

You must use a valid product key to activate Windows. Your product key should be in the confirmation email you received after buying Windows, included with the packaging that came with your device, or on the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached to the back or bottom of your device.

For help finding your product key, see Find your Windows product key.

If you have a valid product key, use it to activate Windows: 
 

1. Select Start > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation .

2. Select Change product key, and then enter the 25-character product key.
   Open Activation settings

If you've made a major change to your device's hardware, such as a motherboard replacement, run the Windows Activation troubleshooter located on the activation settings page. Note that you might be asked to go through the reactivation process. For more info, see Using the Activation troubleshooter.

0xC004C060, 0xC004C4A2, 0xC004C4A2, 0x803FA067L, 0xC004C001, 0xC004C004, 0xC004F004, 0xC004C007, 0xC004F005, 0xC004C00F, 0xC004C010, 0xC004C00E, 0xC004C4A4, 0xC004C4A5, 0xC004B001, 0xC004F010, 0xC004F050

Reasons why you might see these errors:

• You entered a product key that can't be used to activate Windows. Enter a different product key or buy a new product key.

• You upgraded to Windows 10, but the activation servers were busy. If you upgraded from an activated copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, your copy of Windows 10 will be automatically activated, or you can wait a while and then select Activate. If you continue to have problems with activation, contact customer support.

• You upgraded to Windows 10 using the free upgrade offer, but Windows 10 isn't activated after a reinstall. Your copy of Windows 10 should automatically be activated as long as you didn't make any significant hardware changes to your device (such as replacing the motherboard). If you continue to have problems with activation, contact customer support.

0xC004C003

You may see this error because the Windows 10 product key you entered isn’t valid. Product keys are unique—assigned to a specific user to install on a single device. If a key was used (or attempted to be used) on multiple devices, it’s marked as not valid. To activate Windows, you’ll need to provide a different Windows key unique to your device.   

If you bought a device from a reseller of Windows 10 and expected the key to be valid, contact the reseller. If your device was purchased with Windows 10 preinstalled and you received this activation error upon turning it on for the first time, contact your device manufacturer. 

If your experience with your device is different from those listed above, try the following: 

• Run the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter: Select Start > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation  and then select Troubleshoot. 
  Open Activation settings

• Check to see if you have a paper copy of your Windows 25-character product key you can enter to activate Windows 10. 

• If your device was recently repaired at an independent repair facility, contact them to see if the repairs require a new Windows 10 license. 

• If the device is new and has never been activated, contact your device manufacturer. 

0xC004F034

You might see this error if you entered an invalid product key or a product key for a different version of Windows.

Enter a valid product key that matches the version and edition of Windows 10 installed on your device.

If Windows is installed on a device that connects to a Key Management Service (KMS) server, contact your organization's support person for more info about how to activate Windows.

0xC004F210

You might see this error if you entered a product key for a different edition of Windows than the edition installed on your device. You might also see this error if you previously upgraded to Windows 10, but the current edition of Windows installed on your device doesn't match the edition of your digital license.

You can either enter a valid product key that matches the edition of Windows installed on your device or reinstall the edition of Windows 10 that matches your digital license.

If your device is running Windows 10 (Version 1607 or later), the Activation troubleshooter can help you install the correct edition of Windows on your device. For more info, see Using the Activation troubleshooter.

0xC004E016, 0xC004F210

You might see this error if you entered a product key for a different version or edition of Windows. For example, a product key for the Enterprise edition of Windows 10 can't be used to activate Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Core editions.

Enter a product key that matches the version and edition of Windows installed on your device or buy a new copy of Windows from the Microsoft Store.

0xC004FC03

You might see this error if you're not connected to the internet or your firewall settings are preventing Windows from completing the activation process online.

Make sure that you're connected to the internet and your firewall isn't blocking Windows from activating. If you're still having problems, try to activate Windows by phone. In the search box on the taskbar, type SLUI 04, select SLUI 04 from the list of results, and then follow the instructions on the screen to activate Windows.

0xC004E028

You might see this error if you try to activate a device that is already in the process of activation. Your device should be activated after the first request is completed.

0x8007267C

You might see this error if you’re not connected to the internet or the activation server is temporarily unavailable. Make sure that you're connected to the internet and your firewall isn't blocking Windows from activating.

0xD0000272, 0xC0000272, 0xc004C012, 0xC004C013, 0xC004C014

If the activation server is temporarily unavailable, your copy of Windows will automatically be activated when the service comes back online.

0xC004C008, 0xC004C770, 0x803FA071

You might see this error if the product key has already been used on another device, or it's being used on more devices than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. To fix the problem, buy a product key for each one of your devices to activate Windows on them.

If you’re using Windows 10, you can buy Windows from the Microsoft Store:

1. Select Start > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation .

2. Select Go to Microsoft Store, then follow the instructions to buy Windows 10.
   Open Activation settings

0xC004F00F

You might see this error if you entered a product key for the Enterprise edition of Windows to activate Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro. Enter a product key that matches the edition of Windows on your device.

0xC004C020

This error occurs when a Volume License (a license that was bought from Microsoft by an organization to install Windows on multiple devices) was used on more devices than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. To fix the problem, you might need to use a different product key to activate Windows on your device. Contact your organization's support person for more info.

0x8007232B, 0xC004F074, 0xC004F038, 0x8007007B

• You might see this error if you entered a product key for the Enterprise edition of Windows to activate Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro. Try entering a product key that matches the edition of Windows on your device.

• Or, you might see this error if you're trying to activate your work device but aren't connected to your workplace's network. If you're connected to your work network and still see this error, you might need to change the network settings. Contact your organization's support person for more info.

• If your organization doesn't have a support person, you might need to enter your product key again:

1. Select Start > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation .

2. Select Change product key, and then type your 25-character product key.
   Open Activation settings

 You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice.

0x80072F8F

You might see this error if the date and time for the device is incorrect, or Windows has trouble connecting to the online activation service and can't verify your product key.

To verify the date and time, select Start > Settings  > Time & language > Date & time.
Verify date and time in Settings
 

To check your internet connection:

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type network troubleshooter, then select Identify and repair network problems from the list of results.

2. Follow the instructions to fix any problems with the network.

If the network troubleshooter didn't find any problems with your network connection, try restarting your device to see if that fixes the problem.

0xC004E003

You might see this error after installing third-party software that changed system files. Windows activation needs certain system files to complete activation. You can try to restore the system files back to an earlier point in time. This removes any software you installed after that point in time without affecting your personal files.

For more info, see the section about how to restore from a system restore point in Recovery options in Windows.

0x80004005

Select Start  > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation , and then select Troubleshoot to run the Activation troubleshooter. For more info about the troubleshooter, see Using the Activation troubleshooter.

Open Activation settings

If this doesn't work, you might need to reset your device. For more info, see the section in Recovery options in Windows.

0x87e10bc6

An error occurred with our activation server or licensing service. Please wait a few minutes and then try the following Windows 10 Pro License Recovery steps: Select Start > Settings  > Update & Security  > Activation , and then select Troubleshoot to run the Activation troubleshooter.
Open Activation settings

When the troubleshooter is complete, select Go to Microsoft Store to launch the Microsoft Store app. If the Microsoft Store app shows there was a problem, select Try again. After a few minutes, you should see a message that thanking you for activating genuine Windows, followed by another message showing that Windows was activated.

For more info about the troubleshooter, see Using the Activation troubleshooter.

0x80070652

This error can occur if the update components are missing or corrupted on the computer. This error might also occur due to poor network connectivity received by the system.

Use the Windows update troubleshooter to check for the corrupted or missing updates or components. Running the troubleshooter will help find and in some cases fix the issue.

Also, check the strength of your internet connection.

All other error codes

Go to Windows Help, enter the error code in the Search for Help box at the top-right, and run the search. Browse through the search results carefully to make sure you try only those that apply to your situation.