Fix Windows Activation Error 0x803F7000

When you try to activate Windows 11 or Windows 10 on your device, you may encounter Activation errors like 0xC004F012, 0x803FABB8, 0xc004e016 and more. In this post, we will identify the potential causes as well as provide the most suitable solutions to fix Windows Activation error code 0x803F7000. Keep in mind that these two error codes are similar and the same fixes apply.

Windows can’t activate at this time. Try activating again later. If that doesn’t work, contact support. Error code: 0x803F7000

This Windows Activation error means that a valid license couldn’t be found to activate Windows on your PC. You may encounter this error due to one or more of the following reasons:

This is the first time Windows has been installed on this PC.
You changed the hardware on a previously activated Windows 11/10 PC.
You reinstalled the wrong edition of Windows 11/10.
Your PC was purchased with Windows 11/10 preinstalled, and the activation error code in view appears on first boot.

Windows Activation error code 0x803F7000

If you’re faced with this issue, you can try our recommended solutions below in no particular order and see if that helps to fix the Windows Activation error code 0x803F7000 that pops up on your Windows 11/10 computer.

Run Activation Troubleshooter
Activate Windows after hardware change
Purchase Windows License
Activate via Microsoft Chat Support
Contact PC manufacturer

Let’s take a look at the description of the process involved concerning each of the listed solutions.

1] Run Activation Troubleshooter

Your first action to take in fixing the error that occurred on your Windows 11/10 computer is to run the inbuilt Activation Troubleshooter. The automated wizard will access potential issues (eg; you reinstalled and trying to activate a Windows edition other than the one you’re licensed to use) and make recommendations on a possible resolution. If the tool didn’t help, you can manually create and run an activation script and see if that helps.

To create and run an activation script/batch file on your Windows device to force activation, do the following:

Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
In the Run dialog box, type notepad and hit Enter to open Notepad.
Copy and paste the syntax below into the text editor.

@echo off
:loop
cscript /nologo slmgr.vbs /ato
if errorlevel 0 goto end
goto loop
:end
echo Activation was successful. Press any key to close this window.
pause>nul
exit

Save the file (preferably to the desktop) with a name and append the .bat file extension – eg; ActivateWIN.bat and on the Save as type box select All Files.
Now, navigate to the location where you saved the script and run the batch file with admin privilege (right-click the saved file and select Run as Administrator from the context menu) and make sure the computer is connected to the internet.

If your device is still not activated after this, try the next solution.

2] Activate Windows after hardware change

Because the Windows license is tied to your PC hardware, if you make any significant hardware changes, which could be replacing your motherboard or moving the drive Windows is installed on to a new PC, the next time the system boots up, Windows won’t be able to find a matching license. In this case, to resolve the issue, follow the instructions in the guide on how to activate Windows after a hardware change.

Related error: Fix 0x803F7001 Windows Activation error

3] Purchase Windows License

As already pointed out, if this is the first time Windows 11/10 has been installed on the device and you’re encountering the error, you’ll need to provide a valid 25-character product key or digital license for Windows 11/10 that you can purchase and use to activate.

To buy a digital license online, do the following:

Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
Select Go to Microsoft Store.
In Microsoft Store, follow the instructions to buy a license for Windows.

Read: We can’t activate Windows on this device as we can’t connect to your organizations server

4] Activate via Microsoft Chat Support

A viable solution to the issue at hand is to activate Windows via phone by contacting Microsoft Support.

5] Contact PC manufacturer

There are rare cases whereby a manufacturing error where a proper Windows product key wasn’t included in your PC’s hardware – so, if your PC was purchased with Windows 11/10 preinstalled, and you’re receiving the activation error code on first boot, you can run the Activation Troubleshooter, and if the troubleshooter can’t activate your PC, you will need to contact your PC manufacturer to resolve the issue.

Hope this helps!

Can you use Windows without activating?

Windows works even without activation and can run indefinitely without activation, but it’s highly not recommended to do so. Keep in mind that Microsoft’s retail/EULA agreement only authorizes PC users to install and use the Windows operating system on a device with a valid product key.

What happens if you don’t activate Windows after 30 days?

Although there are disadvantages and limitations of using unactivated Windows, if you don’t activate Windows after 30 days even if you installed an unauthorized or illegal copy of Windows, the entire Windows experience will still be available to you, but you have the option of buying a product key and activating your operating system.