Impossible to activate Windows after clean install

Hello,

I had Windows 11 Pro digitally activated and linked to my MS account on my PC before doing a clean install. After the clean install it gives me a 0x803FA067 error when I try to activate it.
I bought a Windows 8 Pro Retail key way back and got the free upgrade all up to Windows 11 Pro which activated fine on my previous and current PC (did a license transfer).

I tried the following using Troubleshooter:

1. Activated the license back on my previous PC again (went fine) in order to do a license transfer again. But choosing "I recently changed my hardware" doesn't work. It shows my registered previous and current PC on my MS account but says the following about them: "Unsupported version. These devices were registered with a version of Windows 10 that does not support this feature"
   
   
2. Entering the Windows 8 Retail key: "We can't activate Windows on this device because you don't have a valid digital license. If you think you have a valid license or code, select the Troubleshooter
   
   
3. Calling MS support: An answering machine directs me help.microsoft website and hangs up.

I'm at a loss. What do I do?

JohnnyGui said:

I had Windows 11 Pro digitally activated

Click to expand...

Repeat the clean install procedure, skip the stage of entering a Product key then just go online and let it try to activate without doing any of the other actions you listed.
- unless you have changed hardware but you do not mention having done that.

Just wait and it should reactivate after only a short time.
But don't mess about trying to enter any Product key at all - it's not needed and can mess up the re-activation attempt.


Denis

Try3 said:

Repeat the clean install procedure, skip the stage of entering a Product key then just go online and let it try to activate without doing any of the other actions you listed.
- unless you have changed hardware but you do not mention having done that.

Just wait and it should reactivate after only a short time.
You can force it to try straightaway using this command -
Force online activation attempt - NavyLCDR post #14 - ElevenForum


Denis

Click to expand...

Thanks, I will try these. Two questions though.

1. I tried the command prompt first, it gave the error 0x803F7001 and that I should run the command "slui.exe 0x2a 0x803F7001" on a computer to show the error text. Putting this line in the command prompt just says an error occurred and that it can't find a detailed error description along with more codes:
Unkown facilitycode 0x3F (63L)
Facility error: 0x7001 (28673L)

2. I now have 3 devices on my MS account because I tried to redo the license transfer.
- 1st device is my previous PC where Windows 11 is currently digitally activated on.
- 2nd device is my current PC before the clean install (Windows 11 was activated on that)
- 3rd device is my current PC after the clean install which I'm having issues activating Windows on

Which one should I delete before repeating the clean install? I'm afraid to delete all of them and not be able to activate Windows 11 through the "recent hardware change" method if the repeated clean install still fails to activate Windows.

Don't delete anything.
Don't do anything else.
Do the Clean install.
Clean Install Windows 11 - includes local account method - ElevenForumTutorials
Then let it re-activate by going online and handling things itself without any interference.

If you still have problems having done it that way then it will be time to consider other things.


Denis

If you're upgrading from the same version, your key should be the one in your Microsoft account.

The one that's digitally stored online. You don't need to activate it.

Johnny,

You do not need any key at all.
Re-activation is required but the computer will handle that without any help from you when you go online.


Denis

Try3 said:

Johnny,

You do not need any key at all.
Re-activation is required but the computer will handle that without any help from you when you go online.


Denis

Click to expand...

Just did a clean install again, no avail. This time the activation error is 0xC004F213. Trying it via the "recent hardware change" method shows the two devices on my MS account but again stays the following: "Unsupported version. These devices were registered with a version of Windows 10 that does not support this feature".

They were running Windows 11 so I don't know why it says Windows 10.

I'm just stumped why a clean install of the very same PC made it revoke my license.

What has changed between originally activating your Windows and now?
- hardware change?
- Home/Pro/etc change?


Denis

Try3 said:

What has changed between originally activating your Windows and now?
- hardware change?
- Home/Pro/etc change?


Denis

Click to expand...

1. I had an PC with a bought Retail version of Windows 8 Pro. I upgraded it freely to Windows 10 Pro as a digital license.
2. Then I got another PC on which I was able to transfer the freely upgraded Windows 10 Pro license. Later I upgraded that PC freely to a Windows 11 Pro license
3. After that I bought my current PC in February 2023 and transferred the Windows 11 Pro license. I recall it was a bit of a hassle because it gave errors but eventually it worked. However, every time when updating graphics drivers or BIOS, I had to reactivate the license via the "recently changed hardware" method.

Now after clean installing this current PC I am not able to activate it anymore.

Sounds to me you don't have a digital license for current PC linked to your account.

You have somehow tricked Windows into thinking it's activated although it really isn't...or something else went wrong. Windows should not ask to reactivate if you update drivers...

JohnnyGui said:

After that I bought my current PC in February 2023 and transferred the Windows 11 Pro license. I recall it was a bit of a hassle because it gave errors but eventually it worked. However, every time when updating graphics drivers or BIOS, I had to reactivate the license via the "recently changed hardware" method.
Now after clean installing this current PC I am not able to activate it anymore.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry, I have no suggestions.
I do not understand why activation gave you problems after graphics & Bios updates.

JohnnyGui said:

... eventually it worked ...

Click to expand...

I suppose the problem is related to that "eventually".


Denis

SlicEnDicE said:

Sounds to me you don't have a digital license for current PC linked to your account.

You have somehow tricked Windows into thinking it's activated although it really isn't...or something else went wrong. Windows should not ask to reactivate if you update drivers...

Click to expand...

Yeah, I have no idea how I tricked it though. I think I remember deleting a certain previous PC device from my MS account before I was able to activate my current PC when I bought in February 2023.

SlicEnDicE said:

Sounds to me you don't have a digital license for current PC linked to your account.

You have somehow tricked Windows into thinking it's activated although it really isn't...or something else went wrong. Windows should not ask to reactivate if you update drivers...

Click to expand...

Agree 100%

Whatever other problems I've ever had with any version of Windows activation has never been one of them.

Cheers
jimbo

I had a long thread which I linked to in my previous post, when I lost activation for my main machine and backup machine.

Managed to reativate main machine but backup machine activation has gone and I dont know why.

There are sporadic reports of problems like this for the free upgrade activations.

You could save yourself a lot of time buy a win10 pro license for a few bucks, win10 license works for win11.Plenty of places do them for 10 bucks or less.

SIW2 said:

I had a long thread which I linked to in my previous post, when I lost activation for my main machine and backup machine.

Managed to reativate main machine but backup machine activation has gone and I dont know why.

There are sporadic reports of problems like this for the free upgrade activations.

You could save yourself a lot of time buy a win10 pro license for a few bucks, win10 license works for win11.Plenty of places do them for 10 bucks or less.

Click to expand...

Got a Retail version (verified through command prompt), received a license code and this activated Windows.
But how can I link this new license to my MS account? I'm already logged in on the PC but the Activation info is still showing only "Windows is activated". Shouldn't it also say that the license is tied to my MS account? I can see the PC on my MS account page.