Yet again, another Windows related error code that I will teach you how to fix, and this time it has to do with after doing an upgrade.
There are several Windows error codes out there and Error Code 0x803f7001 (commonly associated with “unable to reach windows activation servers” and the problem “windows key not working windows 10“) occurs after you upgrade to Windows 10.
Over on Twitter, Microsoft itself has waded into the fray:
1/2 Hi! Let’s help you get this sorted out! If you are seeing the error code 0x803F7001 when activating windows, this means that a valid license cannot be found to activate Windows on your PC. Is this the first time to do this or did you recently change a hardware on your PC, https://t.co/3qcAsLFkaY
— Microsoft Support (@MicrosoftHelps) February 3, 2019
This error makes is impossible for you to activate it even after the install and downloading went perfectly.
This can be extremely frustrating and annoying and most people have no idea where to start when it comes to correcting this error. That’s where this article comes in, as I give you all of the tools here that you’ll need to fix this error. So, if you want to learn how to, continue on below.
Quick Video Fix
The YouTuber says that he’ll show you a quick workaround for this annoying error:
Also Read: Fix: Windows Update Cannot Currently Check For Updates
What is Error Code 0x803f7001?
This error is the product of Microsoft changing the way they do things a little bit. The change I am referring to is that previously when you downloaded a new version of Windows you could simply enter the product key and the download would start. However, when upgrading to Windows 10, it doesn’t require you to enter a product key. They have a new method of installing their operating system.
Consequently, it turns out that this new method is flawed and many times this error will occur. You’ll notice in the title of this article that it specifies “after upgrade” and that’s referring to upgrading to the new and improved Windows 10. The new method they now use is called “Digital Enlightenment.”
If you’d like to learn more about what exactly that means, I recommend checking out this article, but the biggest and most notable difference is that a product key isn’t required. I guess that their reasoning behind this is that the product keys are usually fairly long and many times people make typing mistakes when trying to enter them.
What Causes It?
I already established that the thing causing this error was the new method that Microsoft implemented along with their new software version. However, I didn’t mention any of the specifics as to why this new method is causing this error.
If you notice the screenshot of the error message that I provided above, it reads that “activation failed because this device doesn’t have a valid digital enlightenment or product key.” Well, you don’t need a product key, but what does not having a valid digital enlightenment code mean?
Unfortunately, not many people outside of Microsoft know exactly what is happening when this error occurs. It may confuse people because the installation isn’t the problem. Unless there’s a separate error, the downloading and installing of the software will be clean. But, the problem lies within the activation process. Anything that impacts this file on the computer can throw this activation off, so there will be several solutions you’ll need to try, which I’ll get into right now.
How to Fix It
I mentioned already that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what is causing this error, so you’ll have to go through each of these possible solutions one by one. Yes, I know that it can become a little monotonous and may get frustrating each time as you’ll be wanting it to work as soon as possible.
But, lucky for you, I ordered the possible solutions in order from easiest and quickest from most difficult and longest. Do these in order and after each solution, try to activate Windows 10 just like you did previously when you received the error. If it doesn’t work, then you can simply cross that solution off because now you know that it wasn’t the problem. Let’s just get into these solutions.
Solution 1: Change the Product Key
The first step to fixing the error is to re-enter your product key. I know that many of you may be confused by this step because I just spend time explaining how Microsoft is getting away from using product keys and how they are moving toward their new method “digital enlightenment.” However, lucky for us, they realize that there may be some flaws with this new way of activation (like this error) so they provide a product key as well for a backup.
Digital Enlightenment actually automatically enters the product key for you, but many times this error is the result of it entering one that is incorrect. Therefore, you’ll need to manually enter it yourself to see if it is correct. If you don’t have a Windows 10 product key, then try to find the one for the current version of Windows that have and reenter that one, as that could be where the problem lies.
To Change the product key:
1. Go to Settings-> Update & Security -> Activation
2. Click on Change Product key. Enter the product key of the Windows version you had before upgrading to Windows 10 or your Windows 10 key if you have one.
3. Restart your computer and then check to see if it corrected the error.
How To Change Your Product Key In Windows 7, 8 and 10
For how quick and easy this solution is, from reading reviews online, I have found that most people strongly recommend it and that it worked perfectly for them after only a couple of minutes.
Solution 2: Phone Activation
This next step deals with the dreaded automated phone systems that I’m sure that all of you love. OK, well maybe not so much, as I know that I personally despise these. However, it can be an effective way to activate your software through the phone if changing your product key was unsuccessful.
1. Press the Windows key + R at the same time on your computer to open up the command prompt. From there, type in slui 4.
2. Select your country and click Next.
3. Call the toll free number that it provides you while remaining in front of your computer as you’ll need it.
4. Use the automated system to get a Confirmation ID.
5. Add the Confirmation ID into the box.
6. Activate.
In many cases, this can address the Windows 10 activation error 0x803f7001. If it doesn’t, the system will automatically transfer you to live tech support who should be able to help you activate.
Solution 3 – Upgrade to Windows 10 Again
This is the last solution that you should try if the other two don’t work, as it can take a lot of time. Not necessarily by you, but your computer will probably spend most of the day downloading, so just be aware that you may not get Windows 10 up and work today like you previously hoped.
However, even though it can take a while, this is a very effective method, as re-installing completely is a solution that we have listed in many articles (like this one.) The premise behind it is that many times the error lies within the files and something that could take days to find is throwing it off just a little bit. It doesn’t have to be much; one error in a line of code out of thousands could prevent the activation from being a success, so everything needs to be right.
To do this, just simply delete everything you already downloaded from Windows 10. Scratch everything and essentially starts from square one. Once you do that, download Windows 10 again and reinstall it.
The error really shouldn’t persist if you make it all the way to this step and you will probably have it resolved by then, but if not, give customer service a call and tell them all of the steps that you’ve already gone through.
Related Errors
“we can’t activate windows on this device as we can’t connect to your organization”
we can’t reactivate windows on this device. try again later.
we can’t activate windows on this device as we can’t connect to your organization activation server
Conclusion
Microsoft Windows is a great operating system that people have been using for decades. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with its own errors and bugs.
This particular error occurs after trying to install the latest version of Windows 10. The download and install all went correctly but that’s not the issue. The problem occurs when you are trying to activate it as it won’t work. It seems that their new activation system title digital enlightenment is definitely not perfected yet as this error never occurred with the normal product key method.
However, this it to be expected with new software, and Microsoft has already started to make improvements on it and are continuously working to try to get rid of this error altogether. Until then, we have these three great solution techniques that should be able to resolve the issue within a matter of minutes.
From this article, I’m sure that you learned everything you need to fix Error Code 0x803f7001 for Windows. It occurs after trying to upgrade to Windows 10, so it’s an error you’ll want to fix promptly. If something in this article is unclear to you or if you have another solution that worked well for this error, don’t think twice about leaving a comment below.
We always love to hear from our readers as well as start a discussion. Also, if you liked my writing and would like to see more of it, check out all of the articles that I have written on ECP here. Thanks for reading and good luck in fixing this error so you can get Windows 10 up and running!
