When checking out the Event Viewer, we stumbled upon Event ID 1014 which says Acquisition of End User License failed. You may encounter this error under various circumstances, such as failure of Microsoft 365 deployment, activation of a new Windows computer, and more. In this post, we will discuss in detail how to resolve this issue.
Acquisition of End User License failed
Source: Security-SPP
Event ID: 1014
Fix Acquisition of End User License failed, Event ID 1014
If the acquisition of the end user license failed and you can see Event ID 1014 in the Event Viewer of your Windows 11/10 computer, follow the solutions mentioned below.
- Disable Automatically detect settings
- Make sure to have consistent network when activating
- Disable Proxy or VPN
- Reset Activation Timer
- Activate Windows machine to a Key Management Services (KMS)
- Repair Office or Microsoft 365
Let us discuss them in detail.
1] Disable Automatically detect settings
When you enable the Automatically detect settings feature, your computer will automatically configure your network settings, including the IP address and DNS server address. However, since your system is failing to acquire the license, there is a high possibility it is failing to detect the correct settings. So, we will disable it, and then reattempt at configuring Office or Microsoft 365. Follow the steps mentioned below to do the same.
- Open Control Panel.
- Now, change the View by to Large icons.
- Then, navigate to the Connections tab and click on LAN settings.
- Untick the checkbox associated with Automatically detect settings.
- Click on Ok.
Once done, you can configure Microsoft 365 again. Hopefully, you will not encounter the same issue.
2] Make sure to have a consistent network when activating
One of the reasons why the license acquisition fails is the network’s inconsistency. So, before going forward, you need to check and make sure that your network is consistent, it’s always recommended to use a wired connection, but if you can’t, at least test out your network using a free Internet speed tester before going for the activation.
3] Disable Proxy or VPN
When setting up or deploying Microsoft 365, you need to disable the Proxy or VPN network. If they are enabled and you are connected to a proxy network, your system will look for the server in your region and will fail to do so. If you have not configured any Proxy, we recommend you check if Automatic detection is enabled. To do so, follow the steps mentioned below.
- Open Settings by Win + I.
- Now, go to Network and internet > Proxy.
- Then disable Automatically detect settings from the Automatic proxy setup.
Once done, reboot your computer, and then set up your license. Hopefully, this will do the job for you.
4] Reset Activation Timer
If you get this issue while activating Windows, there is a high chance that the grace period has expired. So, in that case, we need to use slmgr /rearm command to reset the activation timer. The command essentially resets the activation timer to its initial state, thereby extending the trial period of Windows. It is commonly used to postpone the activation prompt while using a trial operating system version. To do so, open the Command Prompt as an administrator and then run the following command.
slmgr /rearm
And then reboot the computer. Finally, check if the issue is resolved.
5] Activate Windows machine to a Key Management Services (KMS)
Key Management Services (KMS) is a technology used by Microsoft to activate products like Windows and Office in volume licensing environments. Since the normal activation method is failing, we are going to activate the machine to a Key Management Services (KMS) host using the correct Generic Volume License Key. To do so, follow the steps mentioned below.
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator by searching it out of the Start Menu.
- Now, run
slmgr /ipk <product-key>. - Then, run
slmgr /ato.
Finally, reboot your computer and then check if the issue is resolved.
6] Repair Office or Microsoft 365
If you are not able to activate Office or Microsoft 365 and you have disabled the proxy and done the other network configurations mentioned earlier, we need to repair Office or Microsoft 365. To do so, follow the steps mentioned below.
- Open Settings.
- Go to Apps > Installed app.
- Search for “Microsoft 365” or “Office”, click on the three dots, and select Modify.
- Now, click on Quick Repair.
If this doesn’t work, go for Online Repair.
Hopefully, you can resolve the issue using the solutions mentioned in this post.
Read: How to disable Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) in Windows
What does the Event ID 1014 indicate?
Event ID 1014 typically indicates a license acquisition failure in Windows. This error can occur when Windows tries to activate or validate its license but fails. The message “Acquisition of End User License failed” suggests that there was an issue during the activation process, it can either be when activating Microsoft 365 or Windows client or server OS.
Read: Windows 11/10 Activation Errors: Error codes, description, fixes
What is the Event ID for Failed logon in Windows event log?
Event ID 4625 is for Failed logon attempts. This event is logged in the Windows Event Viewer and documents every failed attempt to log on to a local computer. You can open the Event Viewer after a logon attempt failure, you will find this event logged in.
Read: Error Code PIN-INAPP-INVALIDPIN-8 when trying to activate Office.
