Activation fails Error code: 0xC004C003

NavyLCDR said:

That is not true at all. Once again....Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 SP 1 is required ONLY for upgrading via the Windows Update method. Non-SP1 Windows 7 and Windows 8.0 can be upgraded using the Media Creation Tool, "Upgrade this PC now" option (and also from the ISO).

Okay, then I have been misinformed. I really thought you needed to have Windows 7sp1 or WIndows 8.1 to get your Windows 10 activated after the upgrade.

I know a friend of mine had this problem when he upgraded Windows 8 to 10. He couldn't get his Win10 activated. I advised him to reinstall his Windows 8 image, do a upgrade to Windows 8.1 and then the upgrade to Windows 10 with the USB stick I had given him. He did like I told him, and after this, his Windows 10 activated without a problem.

Of course, this could have been a coincidence, but it worked that time.

Thanks for the information though, next time I get a Windows 8 in my hands to upgrade, I now know I don't have to do 2 upgrades behind each other. :)

I know this seems a bit out of the discussions, but as i spent a lot of time figuring this out, i thought i'd share it as it seems relevant to the topic title at least.

Just wanted to add that it is very important to select the right version for doing the clean install. I.e. i had selected the windows Home N edition to do a fresh install, and coudn't get it activated even though i had done the offical upgrade procedure. Turned out, i should have selected the normal Home edition. as when i tried that it was activated instantaenously.

Also on a separate laptop, i had both the upgrade as wel as a clean install on two different drives. The clean install was home N, while the upgrade turned out to be just plain Home. I could still boot in to both versions, and the upgrade version was activated, while the clean install (Home N) was not. I recovered the key from windows upgrade version using 3rd party software, and tried to enter that in the clean install, but it indeed said that it was not the right key for this version.

rogier said:

I know this seems a bit out of the discussions, but as i spent a lot of time figuring this out, i thought i'd share it as it seems relevant to the topic title at least.

Just wanted to add that it is very important to select the right version for doing the clean install. I.e. i had selected the windows Home N edition to do a fresh install, and coudn't get it activated even though i had done the offical upgrade procedure. Turned out, i should have selected the normal Home edition. as when i tried that it was activated instantaenously.

Also on a separate laptop, i had both the upgrade as wel as a clean install on two different drives. The clean install was home N, while the upgrade turned out to be just plain Home. I could still boot in to both versions, and the upgrade version was activated, while the clean install (Home N) was not. I recovered the key from windows upgrade version using 3rd party software, and tried to enter that in the clean install, but it indeed said that it was not the right key for this version.

Yeah, i checked it's definitely the same version unfortunately , thanks for the feedback though.

i have been trying to get it acivated but it say ther key does not work! what do i do?

danderson400 said:

i have been trying to get it acivated but it say ther key does not work! what do i do?

Not enough information to be able to answer your question. What version of Windows did you start with? Windows 7 Home, 7 Pro, 8 Home, 8 Pro, 8 Single Language, etc?

How did you do the upgrade?

During the upgrade did it ask you to enter a product key and what did you do?

it was windows 7 home

danderson400 said:

it was windows 7 home

Was the Windows 7 Home activated before the upgrade, what method did you use to upgrade it with, were you ever asked for a product key, and if you were asked for a product key, what did you do?

i was not asked for a key and i acivated it in 2009

danderson400 said:

i was not asked for a key and i acivated it in 2009

Then I would say give it a couple days. It's possible Windows activation servers are having problems again. The fact that you were not asked for a product key is a good sign that the upgrade completely properly.