Windows 10: Activation fails Error code: 0xC004C003

I removed my devices from my Microsoft account, ran the slmgr.vbs /ato. got the same error code saying the key was blocked. As I understand the error MS thinks that key has been used on too many different devices, right?

 

That blocked key message is a generic message.

Did you remove the device in question from the MS account while on Windows 8 or before you reinstalled in Windows 8.

Did you reinstall Windows 8 fresh?
If so did you associate your MS account to the windows account. Did you run the vbs command? Did you reboot a few times.

I'm pretty sure you just are missing a step...

It's ridiculous that there is such a sloppy process for a clean install.

I am now 4 for 4 with clean install successes. Everyone activated instantly. Each one of these 4 I had tried previously and failed.. Previosuly i just upgraded to windows 10 via windows update and had previously been using a local account for my windows. I didn't login to my MS account till windows 10 was upgraded... that still didn't work.

 

I didn't reinstall w8.1 I just took the option to go back to 8.1 in the recovery options. Should I try going back to 8.1 removing the device, then going thru the update to v10 again? Do I try the slmgr.vbs /ato command while in w8.1 before I try the upgrade again? What a PITA. BTW the only hardware changes I have made to the PC is to replace the Wifi card a couple years ago after the original one died.
Thanks for your help on this.

 

I haven't tried a "clean" install. I don't have a copy of w10 on a thumb drive or anywhere. I have just been using the windows update process.

 

I think I'll try the universal MS fix..... Alt/Ctl/Del..... a few times. I have seen a couple people suggest this...... Be back later.

 

For people getting this error. If you are using media, to upgrade, make sure you are upgrading to the same version you are upgrading from. Home->Home or Pro->Pro. this includes N versions. If your old system wan an N version, you must upgrade to an N version.

When you create the media, be VERY CAREFUL and make certain you are making media for the correct version. If not, it will fail to activate.

As has been said many many times, you MUST upgrade install first before you can clean install. This means you must choose "Keep my files and settings" during the install. You cannot choose "Keep nothing".

Once you have successfully upgraded, and activated... you can then clean install (again, you must use the same version you upgraded from, you cannot clean install Pro if you upgraded Home.

 

Can someone with this error please check the event log at %SystemRoot%\System32\Winevt\Logs\Application.evtx

Look for event 1003 (ignore those relating to Office). It will list a bunch of entries which relate to the different editions of the installed version - if it finds a key that matches it tries to activate with that.
Code: The Software Protection service has completed licensing status check. Application Id=55c92734-d682-4d71-983e-d6ec3f16059f Licensing Status= 1: 040fa323-92b1-4baf-97a2-5b67feaefddb, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 2: 0724cb7d-3437-4cb7-93cb-830375d0079d, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 3: 0cdc4d08-6df6-4eb4-b5b4-a373c3e351e7, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 4: 221a02da-e2a1-4b75-864c-0a4410a33fdf, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 5: 2c293c26-a45a-4a2a-a350-c69a67097529, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 6: 2de67392-b7a7-462a-b1ca-108dd189f588, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 7: 377333b1-8b5d-48d6-9679-1225c872d37c, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 8: 3df374ef-d444-4494-a5a1-4b0d9fd0e203, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 9: 49cd895b-53b2-4dc4-a5f7-b18aa019ad37, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 10: 4de7cb65-cdf1-4de9-8ae8-e3cce27b9f2c, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 11: 613d217f-7f13-4268-9907-1662339531cd, 1, 1 [(0 )(1 )(2 [0x00000000, 1, 0], [(?)( 1 0x00000000)(?)(?)(?)(?)( 10 0x00000000 msft:rm/algorithm/flags/1.0)(?)])(3 )] 12: 7a802526-4c94-4bd1-ba14-835a1aca2120, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 13: b0773a15-df3a-4312-9ad2-83d69648e356, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 14: bbc56067-37f8-49dd-87b2-a418a9ba130a, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 15: bd3762d7-270d-4760-8fb3-d829ca45278a, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 16: c082c31b-2c4f-4e07-94d7-9181fa802c4b, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 17: c86d5194-4840-4dae-9c1c-0301003a5ab0, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 18: d6eadb3b-5ca8-4a6b-986e-35b550756111, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 19: ef51e000-2659-4f25-8345-3de70a9cf4c4, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 20: fe74f55b-0338-41d6-b267-4a201abe7285, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 21: 4a8149bb-7d61-49f4-8822-82c7bf88d64b, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )] 22: ec67814b-30e6-4a50-bf7b-d55daf729d1e, 1, 0 [(0 [0xC004F014, 0, 0], [(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)])(1 )(2 )(3 )][/quote] 0xC004F014 merely means "product key not found" for that channel (eg OEM) as it is not installed and thus can be ignored.

The important entry is in bold above - 0x00000000 means 'the operation completed sucessfully" ie. activated.

I'd like to know if the 0xC004C003 error occurs there as well or if another error may be reported.

 

I also have this error but I find on mine is there is no activation button. So how can I activate without the button? When you goto setting under activation there is no activation button. When you goto computer properties and try to activate their it beings you to settings.

 

I got the same error on installing to my tablet after doing the upgrade from 8.1 Home to 10 Core. Made sure it was activated on my tablet after the upgrade, verified it in my Microsoft account under "Devices" that it was recognized at activated under 10 Core.

Did a clean install multiple times and get this same error every time. Says my key is blocked now. Can't go back to 8.1 because I let 10 reclaim the 8.1 restore partition to reclaim the limited space on the main drive and assumed that this activation system for 10 would work properly. Shame on me I guess for believing MS.

NOT HAPPY about the possibility of having to spend $120 for a license key for a $89 tablet that is actually very useful. Kind of turned off by the whole deal, though 10 is running fine on my two laptops.

 

You're not alone. I'm running a old Toshiba Satellite L305-S5921 that came with Vista. At first chance I entered the Windows 8 beta program and took advantage of the $36 upgrade to Windows 8 pro when it became available. All went well. I even took the free upgrade to Window media center.
This laptop had gone through Windows 8.1 and the somewhat mandatory 8.1 update without issue. Here I am today with a the same issue you have and my options are limited to trusting the call center (which I will not) and wait up to 72 hours for it to activate.
I trusted the GWX KB3035583 to take care of all necessary items to upgrade me. This is not the case.
My Acer Windows 7 Home Premium had no issues at all.
My Toshiba Windows 8.1 Pro/WMC 32 has yet to activate.. One good thing is the "Windows 10" restore feature is very fast, so I'm sticking to 8 till I see a majority decline in these type of postings concerning activation.
Good Luck!

 

I'm having the same issue as you with a Toshiba Satellite L505-S6946, getting error 0xC004C003 on upgrade, even from a clean reinstall of windows 8.1 Pro/WMC 64. All my other PCs (including an old netbook) upgraded fine. I'm also waiting for a while before trying to upgrade again hoping it will be fixed.

 

I was having the same problem. I was able to chat with MS support, he (Roland) remotely activated my Windows 10. He ran slmgr -ato to get my Windows 7 prod. key, but it was blank. I provided him the prod. key, he verified that it was valid. He checked with his manager got a new Win 10 prod key, deactivated my Win 7 prod. key and activated Win 10. He provided me the new key and that was it. I didn't have to wait to long for the support.

 

I had the same problem with a Toshiba Encore Mini 7" tablet. After running the upgrade twice and it automatically rolling it back, on the second rollback it did something to the recovery partition and the system wouldn't even boot.

I installed 10 home from the Media Creation Tool. But of course, I got the same error as noted above. I eventually called Microsoft. Use the phone call back function to get them to call you. The screen kept changing from about a 5 minute to a 13 minutes wait. Well, I went into the queue and they called me right back at the indicated time.

I explained everything to him and gave him remote access to the PC. He checked everything out and because I had the receipt from the Microsoft Store where I bought it, he activated the tablet AND gave me the product code for future use.

My little tablet is humming along fine on Windows 10 now. VERY handy. VERY nice.