Windows 10: Win 10 Activation failed (Error code: 0xC004C003)

currently i cant see any key and the system is activated. I can't see any last digits somehow just a serial number.

edit: ok, maybe it comes out with a clean install in the process to activation.

 

There are some important things here.

1) Microsoft support people don't always know what they're talking about (some do, some don't). So do not take what they say as gospel, especially if they tell you things like "you can't ever clean install". They were told something, that you can't clean install the first time, and now they think that you can't ever clean install.

Also, don't listen to them about installing all updates, that is only required to use the GWX windows update method. If you are using the Media Creation Tool, you do not have to have any updates installed.

2) You must make absolutely certain that if you use the Media Creation Tool, you create the correct edition (ie if you have 7/8.x home you have to create 10 Home media). If you're not 100% sure, make a new set.

3) If it asks you for a key, NEVER ENTER ONE. Not even the generic key. Especially not the generic key. Just click the skip link. If it asks several times, click the skip link each time. If your license is an upgrade (even if you're doing a clean install) a key is *NEVER EVER USED* except for your original Windows 7/8.x installation. Forget about using key finders, they are useless. They do not give you anything you can ever use for any purpose, other than perhaps re-installing your original OS.

As has been said many many times, DO NOT CLEAN INSTALL THE FIRST TIME. You must perform an upgrade install the first time, and if using media or the Media Creation Tool, it must be the correct edition. Make sure that it is activated before you do a clean install.

DO NOT think you can bypass any of this. Once installed, if you have not performed a full, activated upgrade first, your only choice is to re-install your old OS and perform the upgrade again.

Microsoft cannot, and will not give you a key over the phone to activate you. They won't have any secret way to activate. The support people can only activate the same way we do, via an upgrade. There are no shortcuts.

4) You may be forced to clean install your old OS to perform the upgrade. I know it sucks, but if you keep getting rollbacks when upgrading, this may be your only option.

 

I did an upgrade from Win 8.1 Pro to Win 10 Pro and it activated. I then changed the M2 SSD for a newer one and did a clean install of Win 10 Pro. It wouldn't activate giving me the same error as the OP "product key is blocked". I reset the PC and chose to keep nothing (there was nothing on it anyway). Once it was finished, Windows was activated

 

After 24 hours with the system running activated, I'm trying to perform a clean install, at the first attempt the BIOS went somehow corrupted, I dont know what happened but I had to reset the settings to the default, ...fantastic, at first i tought the SSD was gone for good.

I will post the result later if I survive.

 

Did you sign into your Microsoft account at all during the installation or afterwards? Also, what did you choose after keep nothing? Did you select clean the drives too?

 

More than likely, this is a case of a false cause and effect. Because you re-installed, it attempted to re-activate and succeeded. If you had simply left your 10 for a few hours, it likely would have re-activated all on its own (the servers are overloaded, and often fail multiple attempts). Either that, or you tried to use a key when you installed clean.

 

I think you may be right, although the activation process would have taken a lot longer than just a few hours. I'm going on like 5 days now and know I did the clean install correctly (chose Win 10 Pro non N version / regular English language / skipped product keys).

 

ok, waiting after an installation didn't help, the clean install is unable to activate, gonna roll back to win 8.1

 

I have the same problem from 5th August!Spent four days, and Microsoft Hellas tells me the same with other countries, I need to wait a few days.Really, I waited four days and did not change nothing!I dont know what's wrong but Microsoft something must be done immediately!
Shame on you Microsoft ! Problematic Microsoft !

 

So, I think I'm in the same boat. I had a legit version of Windows 7 for a long time. Was using Windows 10 with the Insider Program. Installed the final release of Windows 10 with the media creation tool using the "Upgrade" option first. Everything looked good and it showed activated. I wanted a clean install, so I ran that and now it won't activate.

I don't have my old Windows 7 key to even attempt reinstalling and I stupidly deleted the Windows.old directory (actually had two of them... one for Win7 and one for Win10 beta I think) because I thought it was successfully activated, so I can't restore that or recover my key from it.

Am I pretty much screwed at this point?

 

Same problem with me. Unable to activate Win 10. Code 0xC004C003. I upgraded from Win 7 (regular licence) to Win 10 on 6 August by clicking on the Windows icon displayed on the tools bar. Microsoft Customer Service in France told me to wait. But I don't understand why it takes so long time and why there is no official communication from Microsoft about this topic.

 

Please make sure that you clean installed the same version (Home or Pro) that you originally upgraded to.

 

Hey guys I have an update for you. I was having problems with my clean install activating as well even after I made sure that the upgrade activated. So I went back to Windows 7 and then I restarted the whole process and now its working. In both stages, upgrade and clean install, it was already activated when I checked it. It has been a couple of days since I've done it and it has not been revoked or any thing.

Heres what I did, I'm not sure if anything I did here made a difference but the end result was good:

1. Rolled back to Windows 7, in my case I had cloned my permanent drive to a temporary one before starting the upgrade process.

2. Checked for and removed device from Microsoft account. When I checked my Microsoft account the computer showed up twice, I removed them both.

3. Upgrade to Windows 10:
Before doing this I uninstalled my antivirus.
I upgraded by using USB installation media that I created using the Media Creation Tool. I launched the Setup application from file explorer.
During the upgrade process I choose to NOT to do updates, NOT keep anything and did not link my Microsoft account(stayed with local).
When the upgrade was done, I checked activation and it had already activated.

4. Clean install Windows 10: I
I started my clean install 30secs after seeing the upgrade had activated, have seen some posts saying to wait a couple days even at this stage to insure clean install activates.
I started clean install by booting from the same USB installation media I used to upgrade.
During install I choose to clear all existing partitions and again NOT do updates or link my Microsoft account.
When clean install was done, I checked activation and it had already activated, then I linked my Microsoft account.

 

If you selected to not keep anything, then you just did a clean install. There is no reason to do another one.

 

I made some similar, i rolled back to a backup of win 8.1 pro, then I used the USB to upgrade, I followed the tutorial on the forum, and I choose the option nothing(clean install on upgrade), I used to download the updates while installing following the tutorial; I skipped the MSA and made a local user, when the operation was done the license was already activated without logging on the MSA.(i have a backup of this)

anyway I did a clean install(format and partition wipe) with the same USB following the same procedure, but sadly it didn't work out.
I was logged on MSA during the win8.1>win10 that because of the store needed to install the 8.1 update.

I will try again to clean install without the lan cable.

the installation asked me 3 times to skip the key, did you got so many requests?


edit: ok Im rolling back to win 8.1 and try the sme stuff without upgrades.