Windows 10: Cannot Activate - no errors given

Hey folks,

I have only recently made a fresh install of Windows 10 on my machine.

After having upgraded maybe half a year ago from a legit 8.1 version, it wasn't the first one.
Now, however, after setting everything up, I ran into the issue that I am getting following message in the lower right corner of my screen:




When I go to Settings and try to activate, though, it will show me the spinning cursor animation as soon as I click it for maybe 1 second, but after that - nothing happens.





I would try to enter my old license key, but it got lost when I moved to my new home some weeks ago and I don't have any idea how to possibly retrieve it again. I didn't make any changes to my hardware setup, though, so from how I understand it, it couldn't possibly be the reason, either.
I will have to admit that I like to mess around with Windows 10 modification tools, such as Winaero Tweaker or Ultimate Windows Tweaker. Yet, I haven't found a single option that would - IMO - affect activation of Windows.

So far, I have not experienced any downside to Windows not being activated. But the message is, obviously, always there - and it starts getting on my nerves. Also, because I'd like to have everything in check.
Since all Google comes up with in this context is always related to some error message, which I am not getting, I hope one of you will be able to help me out on this.

So, any help on this issue is highly appreciated *Smile

Regards

Jan

:)

 

"You can't install Windows on a USB flash drive using Setup."

I am getting that same error when trying to install Windows 10 but when I follow the path given in the registry I have no "PortableOperatingSystem".

Also, I cannot make my partition active. The option is grayed out.

 

Cannot Copy to System32. No prompt or error given.

This is happening on my laptop. It was recently updated from 7 to 10. I had copied files to System32 after installation. But now I cannot copy files. It doesn't give me a error or prompt. It just refuses to copy.

 

If pc came with 8.1 preinstalled, key will be in bios.

Try running showkeyplus to see if it picks up original key.

If you do not get a result, you should call MS and explain it has previously activated, and they should be able to check your hardware id info with the activation servers for a match. Make sure you are talking to somebody who knows what you are talking about. The quality of some MS staff is decidely questionable.

 

Hey cerberus,

thanks for your reply.

Showkey helped me to retrieve the Key that is being used and upon entering/updating it manually, I now have gotten at least an error message.
Sadly, it is 0x80004005, which apparently means that it is an unknown error (which is somehow equally hillarious as the "unexpected error"). According to MS, the only solution would be a system restore or new installation - both which I would prefer to avoid.
So I will search around a little bit more to try and find something out in order to avoid it. After having invested a good 20+ hours into setting the system up in the way it currently is, I am not too eager to repeat all the steps over again. Most likely, it will have to do with the visual styles, since I also fiddled around with the system files on that topic.

So, anyway.. thanks alot for the hint - even though it didn't fully solve my problem, I now know at least how to adress it. *Smile

 

We need to be sure you are on right version of Windows, and you have picked up correct key.
"
Run winver and tell us version (should be 10586), and post image of showkeyplus, blanking all but last five digits of each key for security.

 

If you run showkey, and click on the displayed product codes, it will blank out all but the last 5 digits automatically with *. Then take your screen shot. It sounds like your windows 8.1 may have been the core Single Language version and you installed 10 Home instead of 10 Home SL. showkey will tell you what the original version was. https://www.tenforums.com/software-ap...7-showkey.html

 

Nice tip re blanking key.

 

this is why i buy the cd's when they come out

 

op,upgrade from win8.1 to win10.therefor they do not need to enter a key anymore when doing a clean win10 install.. just skip past where it asks for the key and win10 will activate itself when finished the install,

 

OP has already upgraded but it has deactivated. A clean install may help but it may not. MS have been known to lose the activation info on their servers. This happened to quite a few people post 10586 upgrade.

 

@pakZ
You have identified the issue correctly according to this (XP-related but the premise is the same)...the modifications made has corrupted system files.

I suspect sfc /scannow and dism /restorehealth may be a good alternative as well to fix the corruption.

 

That will work if you use the correct ISO, and a digital entitlement is present on the activation server. Us the wrong ISO though, and you get asked to select the version and or enter a key. Doing a skip will let you install but it won't activate.

I see it when people install 10 Home, when they should have installed 10 Home Single Language, or vice versa.

 

ISO's are free via the Media Creation Tool, and are identical to what you'd buy online. Oh, and it's DVD's now. Even if you have the DVD's, you still need to know which one to use, and or buy.

 

sfc fixed the issue.

As expected, it also reseted the visual style. I will reapply the changes, one by one and see if I can reproduce the error and - if so - what has caused it in the first place.

Thanks a bunch. The notification was really driving me crazy. *chuckle

Regards

Jan