Having trouble activating Windows 10? Try these steps to resolve activation errors:
- Confirm that your device is up to date and running Windows 10, version 1607 or later. Learn how to update Windows 10.
- Use the Activation troubleshooter to resolve simple errors. See the following instructions for more details.
- If you're still seeing an error, check the list of error codes below and follow the suggested steps to resolve it.
- Make sure the error hasn't changed. Sometimes when you run the Activation troubleshooter or attempt to activate, the error code and message will change. If it has changed, look up the new code below and follow the recommended steps.
Note
See Activation in Windows 10 for more info.
To learn about activating in Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, see Activate Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.
Using the Activation troubleshooter
If you're running Windows 10, version 1607 or later, the Activation troubleshooter might be able to help reactivate Windows if you recently made a significant hardware change (such as replacing the motherboard) or reinstalled Windows.
To use the troubleshooter, select the Start button, select Settings > Update & security > Activation ?, and then select Troubleshoot.
You must be an administrator to use this option. For more info about the troubleshooter, see Using the Activation troubleshooter.
