What is Windows 10 Activation Error 0x803F7001: 3 Easy Solutions To fix it completely

Ever since Microsoft has launched the new process of system activation, Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001 is troubling some users. Although this process is more user-friendly, it has some downfall of its own. 

Let’s discuss the activation system a little more before we delve into the solution of activation error 0x803F7001 with Windows 10.

Before Windows 10, the only way of connecting your device with the Windows OS was by entering the product key. Later, Microsoft implemented the added advantage of a digital entitlement system with Windows 10 OS. Here, you don’t need to check the 25-character alphanumeric product key to activate your computer with the operating system. Instead, this straightforward process links the user’s digital license or digital entitlement not only with the system hardware but also with their Microsoft account. Whenever you have internet access, log in to your Microsoft account, and you are done. The Windows activation will be automated itself with time.

Now, why should you connect your OS digitally? Actually, it enables the activation using the Activation troubleshooter, even when you make some significant alteration on the hardware, such as the motherboard. Again, the same license can be used in the dual boot configurations as well.

Now, where does the Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001 come in this picture? Let’s find out the reasons, and after that, we will solve them one by one.

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What Is Windows 10 Activation Error 0x803F7001?

If error code 0x803F7001 appears in your device, it means that Microsoft’s database can’t find a valid registration for your Windows 10 license on the current computer. That doesn’t always mean you don’t have it. Due to some other problems, it may appear this way. Let’s find out the possibilities.

Common Reasons Behind Windows 10 Activation Error 0x803F7001

There are several reasons for Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001 to appear in your device. We have discussed the most common ones on this page.

• First-time installation: Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001 may occur at the very first time you try to install Windows 10 in your device. That means you don’t have a valid digital license yet. 

In that case, you need to enter a valid Windows 10 product key or buy a digital license from Microsoft store. Select Start Menu > Settings > Update & Security > Activation. Now, go to the store and follow the instructions to purchase your license. The only authorized Windows 10 digital license merchants are Microsoft and Amazon.com.

• A clean installation: If you are trying to clean install Windows 10 on a machine previously activated with some other Windows built, Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001 will show up. You can only initiate a clean install after the upgrade completes from the previous qualified version. Also, updating the BIOS may awake the same problem as well.

• Hardware upgrade: After a significant hardware upgrade such as the motherboard, when you start your previously Windows 10 activated device, you may see error code 0x803F7001. In that case, Windows thinks that you are running an entirely new and unregistered machine. We will deal with it later in our solution section.

Again, if the Windows edition before and after the change of computer components differs, you may see similar activation problems as well. 

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• Didn’t get much time to activate: Sometimes, the activation server can be busy, and your device can’t communicate with the database currently. Give it a couple of days to see it change automatically. If you still see the same condition even then, try other ways described here.

• Wrong installation: When you are reinstalling Windows 10, you will be asked to select the installation edition. If you choose something other than you are licensed for, Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001 may occur on your page.

You can check it by troubleshooting from the activation window. It will detect a valid edition and will navigate through the entire process.

• Error 0x803F7001 appearing at the First Boot: Rarely, this may happen even in a Windows 10 pre-installed PC due to some manufacturing error. An improper Windows 10 product key causes this situation. Launch the Activation Troubleshooter following the way below: Start Menu > Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Troubleshoot. If it’s not solved this way, you have to contact the PC’s manufacturer.

• SLUI 4 error: If the Windows 10 license key couldn’t be activated online and you ran slui.exe 4 to activate it using the phone, any problem on this method during activation may also initiate Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001.

• Installing Windows 10 on another machine: Since the license is connected to hardware, using it on a different machine isn’t allowed.

• A virus or malware attack: Any severe malicious attack on the Windows Registry may generate Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001.

• Error in Windows Registry: If not viruses, some other unknown errors in the Windows Registry may cause the same.

• Out-dated OS: If your operating system is out of date, you may see the same activation error 0x803F7001 with Windows 10.

• System driver problem: If the system drivers are not installed correctly or out-dated, your Windows 10 activation page may show the same error code 0x803F7001.

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How to Solve Windows 10 Activation Error 0x803F7001

Here, we will be discussing four useful methods to fix our current problem. Before that, we will be checking for some internal or external errors, which may initiate the Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001 on our PC.

• Internet connection: Without a proper bandwidth of your internet signal, your machine can’t communicate with the registration database. Give it time to gain more speed and see what happens.

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• Virus or malware detection: You can use Windows Defender or some other free antivirus to run a full security scan on your PC.

• Windows update: Make sure your OS is updated. If not, download the recent patches from the Windows official store and then check for your registration status. If it persists the same Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001, read further.

• Updating drivers: Update all your drivers to see how your machine behaves afterward.

• Clear Windows Registry: There are free registry cleaners that help you to eradicate corrupted and unused entries from the registry. 

Does Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001 still persist? Let’s move into the action then.

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3 Ways To Solve Windows 10 Activation Error 0x803F7001

Use Digital License After Hardware-change

Even if you had a product key or digital license before any significant hardware replacement, changing your motherboard or similar stuff may initiate Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001. Let’s learn how to reactivate after making changes.

If you had a digital license before replacing hardware components, connect your Microsoft account to your digital license, and then navigate to Activation troubleshooter. After selecting

Start Menu > Settings > Update & Security > Activation,

if you see the message “Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account,” then it reveals that your account is already connected.

If you see “Windows is activated with a digital license,” then you need to link your account to the license by logging in as an administrator using these credentials. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, create one.

Now, go to the troubleshooter, which will be available only when your OS isn’t activated. 

It will show that Windows can’t activate your PC. Now, select “Open Activation Settings” and click on the option “I changed hardware on this device recently,” and tap on the Next button.

Sign in using your Microsoft credentials for the troubleshooter to detect all the devices linked with your account. On that chart, check the box showing your current device with a message “This is the device I’m using right now.” Then click Activate.

Be aware of putting the same Microsoft account associated with your current PC. Otherwise, this process won’t work. Now see if the situation of Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001 is mitigated or not. 

Still the same? Check if the next section helps.

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Activate Using Product Key If You Notice Windows 10 Activation Error 0x803F7001

When this error occurs, you see the message “Activation failed because this device doesn’t have a valid digital entitlement or product key. Error code: 0x803F7001” on the Activation page. 

When you don’t have a digital license but a product key, go to the Activation page again, as we described in the previous section, and then tap on the “Change product key” link.

If you see the UAC prompt (User Account Control Prompt), click Yes. It helps to eradicate the malware issues if any. 

Now, check the Windows 10 version you currently have and then enter the generic product key from the list provided here or here, or some common ones listed below. Generic keys give free access for a trial period of 90 days or so. This will help you diagnose the situation.

• For Windows 10 Home, enter YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7
• For Windows 10 Home N, you have 4CPRK-NM3K3-X6XXQ-RXX86-WXCHW
• For Windows 10 Home Single Language, use BT79Q-G7N6G-PGBYW-4YWX6-6F4BT
• For Windows 10 Home Country Specific put 7B6NC-V3438-TRQG7-8TCCX-H6DDY
• For Windows 10 Pro, write VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
• For Windows 10 Professional N, enter 2B87N-8KFHP-DKV6R-Y2C8J-PKCKT

After putting the key, select the Next button. If the message shows “We couldn’t activate Windows,” repeat the same process using the serial number for whatever Windows OS you upgraded from.

If the process works properly, you will be confirmed with a message showing “You are running a genuine version of Windows 10,” and your headache with Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001 will end.

If the above solution doesn’t work in your case, you may have to contact Microsoft support to get rid of it. Try the following step presented below.

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Use phone or chat support while you see Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001

When you can’t solve your problem using the above two methods, you need to contact the Microsoft contact support to get help on that. We will proceed using the SLUI 4 method here.

Press Windows + R keys together to open the Run window. Now write “slui 4” there and click “OK.”

Now, choose your Country or Region from the drop-down list provided on the window, as shown in the image below, and press Next.

Here, you are provided with the Toll-free number here to contact the support system. Call this number from your phone to get the Confirmation ID.

You can also use the chat support from the “Contact Support” option from the “All Apps” section after you click the Start button.

Or, if you have a Windows 10 Creators Update or later versions in your PC, you may see the “Get Help” option in the same area from the Start button, and chat or call the contact support from there or even using the Web Browser.

After you got the Confirmation ID numbers, put them exactly in the same order in the A to H fields as provided.

Now, click the “Activate” button, and you are done. After this effort, the Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001 shouldn’t be seen in your machine again. But in some rare cases, some users still get the same error message as before. 

If you have tried everything and failed, try the last one described below.

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Repeat The Cycle Of Upgrading Windows 10 When You Can’t Remove Windows 10 Activation Error 0x803F7001

In this hectic method, you have to proceed in the old traditional way. Firstly, install your old Windows 7/8 or 8.1 genuine OS version with which your product key is associated. After the installation completes, download the Windows Media Creation tool. Using this application, select the option “Upgrade this PC” to update your OS into Windows 10. 

Now, restart your PC as required. This will surely do the trick to eliminate the Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001. 

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Wrapping Up

In the above discussion, we tried to elaborate all the possible solution for this common Windows 10 activation error 0x803F7001. If you still have some queries on this matter, you can comment us here or ask further help in our contact us page in the NSS Laptop Service Center website. Also, if you are willing to suggest anything, we are all ears.

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