Windows 10 activation errors and how to fix

This article addresses the main activation error messages that can occur when trying to activate your Windows 10 system. As with most Microsoft error’s the error messages you can receive when trying to activate your newly installed operating system are not self-exploratory. You may get an error message “will not work” this can be due to various reasons but without further investigation the error message doesn’t give full details on what the problem actually is. We break down the most common error messages and provide information on how to fix them.

Product Key not valid

The main reason for this error message is that you have typed or copy/pasted the product key incorrectly. The 25-digit product key needs to entered 100% correctly for the activation to complete. If there are any incorrect characters typed this error will appear. Also, a common mistake is when copy/pasting the code into the activation screen you copy a space either at the start or end if the product key. Check you have typed the product code in correctly and there are no spaces when copy/pasting. If you still get the same error message after double checking the license it will be time to contact the supplier of the product code.

Product Key will not work

This error message normally occurs when you have installed a different Windows edition than the purchased license key. For instance, if you have purchased a Windows 10 Professional code and have Windows 10 Home installed. Most Windows 10 Professional licenses will not activate Windows 10 home systems hence the error message “will not work”

The first thing to check is what version of Windows 10 you have installed. There are various ways to check which edition of Windows 10 you have installed. These are covered in another blog post - https://ecokeys.co.uk/blog/quick-ways-to-find-out-what-version-of-windows-you-have/

If you have installed a different version of Windows than the purchased license a new install will normally be required (see below for a quicker fix for windows home to Pro). It is easy to accidentally install the wrong edition of Windows as Microsoft includes all Windows editions on the media provided. Also, your install can default to a previous installed edition. If your install defaults to a certain Windows edition and you need to install a different edition contact support@ecokeys.co.uk and they will provide information on how to get your install to default to the correct Windows version.

If you meant to install Windows 10 Professional but accidentally installed the home version there is another way to upgrade without doing a new install of Windows 10 Professional see blog post

https://ecokeys.co.uk/blog/-how-to-upgrade-from-windows-10-home-to-windows-10-professional-without-doing-a-new-clean-install/

We can’t activate Windows on this device because you do not have a valid digital license or product key

This error message normally means the product license is at fault. We suggest restarting the machine and checking your network connection. If you have done this and still get the error message, contact the supplier of the Windows 10 license. If you have purchased from ecokeys.co.uk contact support as per the order email details.

A security error occurred. (Error code: 0x80072F8F)

This error occurs when the date and time on your machine are not correct. This is easily fixed by changing the time and date on the machine. Go to Start button > Settings > Time & language > Date & time and change. Restart your Pc and then try the activation process again.

Windows 10 Activation Error code 0xC004F034

This error normally means there is a network issue either on your machine or the Microsoft servers. Check you network connection on your Pc, if you can get online on your Pc the problem probably resides on the Microsoft servers. The servers can become overloaded at some points, the only option here is to keep trying to activate and you should eventually be able to activate.

Activation Error 0x803FA071 – The product key is being used on another pc, please try a different Key

The error is self-explanatory and you should contact the license supplier advising the error code. In the rare event you have purchased from Ecokeys.co.uk and get this error contact support as per the order email info.

This article will be continually updated as and when new/common windows activation errors are reported. The errors listed are the current most common error messages either reported to us or on web search. Most fixes are either changing settings or an issue with the product key. There are occasions when the issue is with the actual installation of Windows before reinstalling Windows follow this check list.

1. Check the version of Windows installed matches the product code version purchased.

2. Check the date and time on the system are correct.

3. Check you have typed or copy/pasted the 25-digit code in correctly.

4. Are all Windows updates installed – if not run all available windows updates and try activation.

5. Contact the supplier of the product code – the code could be an issue, they should advise a fix.

Only once you have run through the checklist consider reinstalling Windows. This could be quicker than a reinstall and the reinstall might not fix the issue in hand.

This concludes the article on Windows 10 activation errors, we hope it helps in getting your machine activated or at least know what the error message means. Thanks for reading.