Windows 10 activation problems, how to fix them

Windows 10 activation problems, how to fix them

Windows 10 works with a 25-character alphanumeric key activation system. When we buy a computer already assembled and ready to use in a store, the operating system is perfectly activated, so we do not have to do anything. In this article we will talk about the most common Windows activation errors , and the main ways to try to solve the problem.

0xC004F211 - Device hardware has changed

The OEM licenses of Windows 10 are associated with the hardware of the computer , so if you make changes to any of its components most important, such as replacing the motherboard, Windows will inform you that the license entered is incorrect as you restart the computer .

If this is the case, your only option will be to purchase a new Windows 10 license, to install it on your computer and make this error disappear. Here's how to do it.

To activate a new Windows license, go to Start> Settings> Update & Security> Activation.

error device hardware has changed

Now select "Change product key" to enter your new key.

This problem does not occur with Windows 10 "Retail" keys , which are the ones we can buy in stores on a regular basis. This is because these types of keys are associated with our Microsoft account, and not with specific hardware. Therefore, they will not be affected by a change in the components of our PC.

0xC004F212 - The product key used on this device did not work with this edition of Windows

This error tells you that the license you are trying to activate on your Windows 10 operating system does not correspond to the version of it you have installed . You may be trying to use a Windows Home license in Windows 10 Pro for example.

In this case, you will have to contact the store that sold you your computer, to try to solve the problem as soon as possible.

You can get more help by going to Start> Settings> Update & Security> Activation> Troubleshoot.

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Windows license will expire soon

Windows 10 commercial licenses do not have an expiration date, so you will not have the need to renew it in any case. However, there are also Windows 10 Pro volume licenses , which are used by large organizations, which install the Windows 10 operating system on several thousand computers.

If you have received this notice on your computer, you will need to contact your system administrator for assistance.

0x803f7001 - A valid Windows 10 license could not be found.

This is an error code indicating that Windows 10 could not find an activation license for some reason. In this case, the best thing you can do is try entering your Windows 10 license manually to force detection.

This is something that you can do very easily from the Start> Settings> Update and security> Activation route.

Now you will have to enter your valid Windows 10 key, remember that it is an alphanumeric sequence consisting of 25 characters.

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0xC004C003 - Invalid key

Another Windows 10 error code that tells us that the product activation key that we have to install on the computer is not valid . This error usually appears when one or more users try to use the same key on several computers.

You should know that Windows activation keys are unique and for a single computer, so you cannot use it on more than one computer, nor can they be shared by more than one person in any case.

In case you have acquired a second-hand computer, and you come across this error, you should try to contact the person who has sold you the equipment as soon as possible.

In case it's a new computer, and you come across this code the first time you turn it on, contact the device manufacturer to get a valid Windows 10 key.

0xC004F034 - Invalid system key

This Windows 10 activation error can occur to users who have a computer connected to a KMS (Key Management Service) server . In these cases, you should contact the person in charge of the technical support of the organization in question, so that they can provide you with technical assistance to solve this problem.

Force Windows 10 to wake up

Finally, we explain a fairly simple trick to perform that allows you to solve many of the problems related to the Windows 10 activation key.

In some cases, the error message that our operating system related to its activation may be due to the appearance of a bug in a new update of this system. This is something that has already happened in the past, so we cannot rule out that it will happen again.

In these cases we can resort to the CMD command window to try to force Windows activation by means of a command. It is a very simple process, but what is capable of solving the problem on many occasions.

To do this, the first thing you need to do is access the Windows 10 command window, remember that you can do it from the Start menu by typing "cmd". You will need to run this tool as an administrator for the command to work properly.

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Once the command window has opened how to enter the following in line and hit the Enter key.

slmgr.vbs -ipk product-key

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This is where our special article on the most common activation problems in Windows 10 and how to fix them. Remember that you can share this post with your friends on social networks to help us reach more users who need it.