Solved Windows 11 Pro x64 occasionally prompts for activation, after almost 2 years of service!?

Recently I have noticed a text in the lower right-hand corner of my home screen asking me to activate Windows.
I already did so in September 2023, when I had installed 23H2, and have used Windows without problems since then.
The notification goes away if I reboot, and doesn't show every time I login, but if I look under Settings - System - Activation, it says, "Windows reported that no product key was found on your device. Error code =0xC004f213"
The PC is joined to a (private) domain, and has been since I first commissioned it in Sept. 2023
Windows automatically updated it to 24H2 at the end of last month. Could that have something to do with the issue?
I went through all of the automated troubleshooting options without success.
What is the easiest way to get this sorted?

My box did the same thing. The online activation will not work for the Pro version. Had to ring up MS & a charming young lady went through the process. Gave me some magic numbers to enter & it was fixed.

rsbrux said:

Recently I have noticed a text in the lower right-hand corner of my home screen asking me to activate Windows....

Click to expand...

MrPig said:

My box did the same thing. The online activation will not work for the Pro version....

Click to expand...

From your specs it seems both of you have built your own PCs.

Have you changed the hardware recently? A significant hardware change, such as a motherboard, can trigger loss of activation.

If not, where did you get your Windows key? Was it one of those cheap offers?

If your PC had previously said it was 'Activated with a digital licence....' then a generic key should activate from the existing digital licence. Try changing the installed key to the appropriate 'RTM Generic Key (retail)' here:

Have built my own box, the RTM key did not work. All I did was to upgrade the firmware (Gigabyte) & Windows unlicensed itself!

Windows key from Softkeys. £20!

Bree said:

From your specs it seems both of you have built your own PCs.

Have you changed the hardware recently? A significant hardware change, such as a motherboard, can trigger loss of activation.

If not, where did you get your Windows key? Was it one of those cheap offers?

If your PC had previously said it was 'Activated with a digital licence....' then a generic key should activate from the existing digital licence. Try changing the installed key to the appropriate 'RTM Generic Key (retail)' here:

Generic Product Keys to Install or Upgrade Windows 11 Editions

This tutorial will provide you with a list of RTM (retail) and KMS generic keys (default keys) for all editions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. Generic keys (aka: "default keys") for Windows 10/11 from Microsoft will allow you to install or upgrade to a specific Windows 10/11 edition you want...

www.elevenforum.com

Click to expand...

Sorry for contradicting what you wrote Bree, I am using the same activation that came from my previous PC, I called MS telling them that I was going to build a new computer ( I mean a totally new one) they told me to call them back after installation in the new PC.

Self-built, but key purchased from a reputable business, the same one I bought the motherboard, DRAM and SSD from.
Even so, the first key they sent me didn't work, After consulting with MS, they sent me a new one that did.
No change in HW, only the Windows update.

MrPig said:

Have built my own box, the RTM key did not work. All I did was to upgrade the firmware (Gigabyte) & Windows unlicensed itself!

Windows key from Softkeys. £20!

Click to expand...

Updating the firmware might make the motherboard appear as a different model or at least different piece of the same model. If auto activation fails, call Microsoft to do it by phone. However the rather cheap Windows key might be an OEM key (those that are supposed to sold with a specific brand of computers, not to everyone) and might be activated only once. Just say the firmware was automatically updated by Windows Update and the Microsoft representative might be kind enough to help you. In worst case you might have to buy a new key to activate.

Gas said:

Sorry for contradicting what you wrote Bree, I am using the same activation that came from my previous PC, I called MS telling them that I was going to build a new computer ( I mean a totally new one) they told me to call them back after installation in the new PC.

Click to expand...

Yes, before they can help you activate on the new computer, you must first install Windows on it. Also the old computer will deactivate automatically next time it is connected to the internet.

rsbrux said:

Self-built, but key purchased from a reputable business, the same one I bought the motherboard, DRAM and SSD from.
Even so, the first key they sent me didn't work, After consulting with MS, they sent me a new one that did.
No change in HW, only the Windows update.

Click to expand...

If you buy the key too cheap, most likely it is an OEM key, not a retail key, and can only be activated once. To activate again you need to call Microsoft and do it by phone. You have to convince them you have the same hardware or that your old computer died and you moved the disk to a new PC. In worst case you will have to buy a new key to activate legally.

spapakons said:

Yes, before they can help you activate on the new computer, you must first install Windows on it. Also the old computer will deactivate automatically next time it is connected to the internet.

Click to expand...

Of corse, I didn't use it anymore, it has been used by my daughter with a new installation using her account and calling MS.

spapakons said:

If you buy the key too cheap, most likely it is an OEM key, not a retail key, and can only be activated once. To activate again you need to call Microsoft and do it by phone. You have to convince them you have the same hardware or that your old computer died and you moved the disk to a new PC. In worst case you will have to buy a new key to activate legally.

Click to expand...

Maybe I do have an OEM key, but there is no indication of that on the envelope.The "END ITEM PN" is FQC-1D528, if that helps.
IAC, I shouldn't need to install it more than once. There have been no HW changes since the original activation.
After several fruitless loops through the MS troubleshooting and repair utilities, I registered for a callback from MS.
I am not happy about this. I get lots of fraudulent calls from people pretending to be from MS, so I would prefer to call them myself, but couldn't figure out how. IAC, that was several hours ago and I haven't had any response, either by telephone or by e-mail.
How long does MS usually take for such callbacks?

Open a Command Prompt as Administrator and execute slui 4. This should trigger the Activation by phone. Select your country to see the Microsoft number and call them.

I don't think this is your issue, since similar reports are floating around, but for posterity i would just like to mention that I would never buy a product key from anyone other than MS for fear it may be a reseller pushing VL keys.

If it is an unknown online shop, I would avoid it too. However, if it is a well known Computer Shop, I would trust it. Don't forget you can report any suspicious key to Microsoft.

Very suspicious that Microsoft is punishing users that change the OS drive. Makes me suspect Microsoft is storing a code in the OS drive. Or tying the drive ID to the license instead of the motherboard. Something that sounds far more like something NT 5.1 would do.

Was it really merely because I didn't enter my product key for years and I changed video cards during previous years, so the system decided that I got another PC, just for changing the SSD?

I had to enter my product key again this month. I got mine from Staples, so it's legit. So, of course, the product key was accepted.

Mine is a retail key, making it more likely that it treats an OS drive change as if it were a motherboard.

I would totally understand, if I installed Windows 11 on a brand new socket AM5 build, of course.

Update #2: Was this because of critical BIOS updates and video card changes and RAM changes in previous years as well?
So that its system then decided to use an SSD change against me?
It decided to throw a fit, like I changed the platform to AM5, when I didn't even change the motherboard, much less go to AM5!

AM5, firstly, is off the table, until at least fall, 2025.

Back in 2022, IIRC, the activation troubleshooter had it allowing me to activate and this July, it acted like it suspected me of using a Windows 8 product key and using the old loophole, which is totally false! Did the Microsoft "Windows 8 key loophole" closing have anything to do with this incident? Did that cause people who got Windows 10 product keys to accidentally be flagged as bad?

My 10 Home license was purchased in 2019 and my 10 Pro license was purchased in 2021.

Using a Windows 7 or 8 key will let you install Windows 11 but not activate because Microsoft removed this option.

spapakons said:

Open a Command Prompt as Administrator and execute slui 4. This should trigger the Activation by phone. Select your country to see the Microsoft number and call them.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately that didn't work. I logged in with the Microsoft account I used to activate the PC in the first place, opened a privileged command window and entered the text you gave above. Nothing happened. Just a new line with a new command prompt. No windows or dialogs opened, no error message was displayed. The usual advice to go to Settings - Activation doesn't work either. There is no activate by phone option there. On this web page I found a telephone number, but it leads to an AI that wants to send instructions to my smartphone. I don't need more instructions. How can I reach a live human being?

I found these Microsoft Support numbers:

United States

855 270 0615


800 865 9408


800 642 7676


305 418 9136

Here:

Thanks for the speedy response. Unfortunately, that looks like the same page I already accessed. At least it lists the same phone numbers for Switzerland (where I live).
I have now written to the seller from which I bought the license (and the HW).
It is a Microsoft Certified Partner. Perhaps they can help.

spapakons said:

Using a Windows 7 or 8 key will let you install Windows 11 but not activate because Microsoft removed this option.

Click to expand...

I talked about that, because real 10 keys may have been falsely flagged as 8 keys, unless it's because they were flagged as "fake".
In my case, re-entering the product key resulted in activation being allowed.