Windows activation firewall

Note that you might be asked to go through the reactivation process. You entered a product key that can't be used to activate Windows. Enter a different product key or buy a new product key. You upgraded to Windows 11, but the activation servers were busy. If you upgraded from an activated copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8. If you continue to have problems with activation, contact customer support. You upgraded to Windows 11 using the free upgrade offer, but Windows 11 isn't activated after a reinstall.

Your copy of Windows 11 should automatically be activated as long as you didn't make any significant hardware changes to your device such as replacing the motherboard. Product keys are unique—assigned to a specific user to install on a single device.

If you bought a device from a reseller of Windows 11 and expected the key to be valid, contact the reseller. If your device was purchased with Windows 11 preinstalled and you received this activation error upon turning it on for the first time, contact your device manufacturer. Check to see if you have a paper copy of your Windows character product key you can enter to activate Windows If your device was recently repaired at an independent repair facility, contact them to see if the repairs require a new Windows 11 license.

You might see this error if you entered an invalid product key or a product key for a different version of Windows. Enter a valid product key that matches the version and edition of Windows 11 installed on your device.

If Windows is installed on a device that connects to a Key Management Service KMS server, contact your organization's support person for more info about how to activate Windows.

You might see this error if you entered a product key for a different edition of Windows than the edition installed on your device. You might also see this error if you previously upgraded to Windows 11, but the current edition of Windows installed on your device doesn't match the edition of your digital license.

You can either enter a valid product key that matches the edition of Windows installed on your device or reinstall the edition of Windows 11 that matches your digital license. If your device is running Windows 11 Version or later , the Activation troubleshooter can help you install the correct edition of Windows on your device.

You might see this error if you entered a product key for a different version or edition of Windows. For example, a product key for the Enterprise edition of Windows 11can't be used to activate Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Core editions.

Enter a product key that matches the version and edition of Windows installed on your device or buy a new copy of Windows from the Microsoft Store.

You might see this error if you're not connected to the internet or your firewall settings are preventing Windows from completing the activation process online. Make sure that you're connected to the internet and your firewall isn't blocking Windows from activating.

If you're still having problems, try to activate Windows by phone. You might see this error if you try to activate a device that is already in the process of activation. Your device should be activated after the first request is completed. If the activation server is temporarily unavailable, your copy of Windows will automatically be activated when the service comes back online.

You might see this error if the product key has already been used on another device, or it's being used on more devices than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. To fix the problem, buy a product key for each one of your devices to activate Windows on them. Select Go to Microsoft Store , then follow the instructions to buy Windows If you don't see Go to Microsoft Store on the Activation page, contact your organization's support person.

If you made a substantial hardware changes to your device such as replacing the motherboard and you have a valid product key, try to activate Windows by phone. For more info about reactivating Windows 11 Version or later after a hardware change, see Reactivating Windows after a hardware change. You might see this error if you entered a product key for the Enterprise edition of Windows to activate Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro.

Enter a product key that matches the edition of Windows on your device. This error occurs when a Volume License a license that was bought from Microsoft by an organization to install Windows on multiple devices was used on more devices than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow.

To fix the problem, you might need to use a different product key to activate Windows on your device. Contact your organization's support person for more info.

Try entering a product key that matches the edition of Windows on your device. Or, you might see this error if you're trying to activate your work device but aren't connected to your workplace's network. If you're connected to your work network and still see this error, you might need to change the network settings. If your organization doesn't have a support person, you might need to enter your product key again:.

Select Change product key , and then type your character product key. You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice. You might see this error if the date and time for the device is incorrect, or Windows has trouble connecting to the online activation service and can't verify your product key. Verify date and time in Settings. In the search box on the taskbar, type network troubleshooter , then select Identify and repair network problems from the list of results.

If the network troubleshooter didn't find any problems with your network connection, try restarting your device to see if that fixes the problem.

You might see this error after installing third-party software that changed system files. Windows activation needs certain system files to complete activation. You can try to restore the system files back to an earlier point in time. This removes any software you installed after that point in time without affecting your personal files. For more info, see the section about how to restore from a system restore point in Recovery options in Windows.

For more info about the troubleshooter, see Using the Activation troubleshooter. If this doesn't work, you might need to reset your device. For more info, see the section in Recovery options in Windows. Please connect to your corporate network. If you are connected and continue to see the error, contact your system administrator. You can also click on error detail to find the exact error. Error code: 0xCF Thank you! Any more feedback? The more you tell us the more we can help.

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