The solution is to:
- click START (gets you to the tiles)
- type RUN
- type slui 3 and press ENTER
- yes, SLUI: which stands for SOFTWARE LICENSING USER INTERFACE
- SLUI 1 brings up the activation status window
- SLUI 2 brings up the activation window
- SLUI 3 brings up the CHANGE PRODUCT KEY window
- SLUI 4 brings up the CALL MICROSOFT & MANUALLY ACTIVATE window
- yes, SLUI: which stands for SOFTWARE LICENSING USER INTERFACE
- Type in your product key
- Have a nice day.
See the screen shots below.
I just downloaded my Windows 8 Enterprise from Technet / MSDN, wiped the hard drive on my brand new Acer Timeline X, and installed it. I did the same thing with an identical Acer Time Line but on that unit, I had yanked the hard disk and installed a spanky new Kingston V200+ SSD. Both of these laptops had the same problems:
- When I tried to activate them they showed “Windows Can’t Be Activated Right Now” DNS error 0x8007232b
- There was no link to CHANGE THE PRODUCT KEY
SLUI came out with Windows Vista and if you want more details you might find support.microsoft.com/kb/921471 useful 🙂
58 Comments
Obaid · October 5, 2015 at 1:00 am
Hi Ian
Recently I factory reset my laptop and now I am not able to activate the windows. It kept on saying that Windows Key is blocked. Windows came with the laptop and the key is builtin. Can you please help me out ?
Ian Matthews · November 8, 2015 at 2:54 pm
The next build on Windows 10, which is due out THIS week (Nov 2015), named TH2 is supposed to support the use of Windows 7 and Windows 8 keys. You might want to try installing Windows 10 with the key you have, next week.
Yan · August 24, 2015 at 1:36 am
Hi,
I want to ask about KMS in activation of windows server. couple days ago, my KMS server is not work normally. When I build a new server of Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2008, it cannot be activated. It said Error: 0xC004F074 the software licensing service reported that computer could not be activated. No KMS could be contacted.
When I try to ping KMS server it work normally. And the rearm is still 500++. Please help me to solve this issue. Thank you
Ian Matthews · August 29, 2015 at 5:55 pm
Hi Ho; I do not run a single KMS server as I have refused. After I call MS and demand a MAK key, they ALWAYS provide one. This is because several users in all of my clients can be off the LAN for more than 6 months at a time and if they are in and a KMS activation, their Windows will fail. IMHO, key management is purely a Microsoft problem and I will not let them off the hook for it.
HOWEVER, to answer your question, I would suggest you call MS support as I believe KMS support is available at no cost.
selva · July 19, 2015 at 11:14 am
i have tried a product key using the step u showed it says “Thank you ,u’r all done” but the windows is still not activated please help me to activate windows #tselvand5@gmail.com ,#facebook/tsnow000
Ian Matthews · July 28, 2015 at 7:33 pm
I would call Microsoft’s Activation Center as described https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/950929
Alaa Aziz · March 3, 2015 at 12:59 pm
I have done of all the above steps to activate windows 10 technical preview. However, it always tells me that it failed to activate, something about not being able to reach microsoft. This is funny, because my internet is fine, yet, my computer can’t seem to be able to contact microsoft. Any thoughts? I’m using the enterprise build, and it was upgraded from 8.1 enterprise.
Ian Matthews · March 22, 2015 at 12:47 am
The Windows 10 Enterprise that I am using now, also would not activate after my first build of Win10 in November. The three major updates since have all failed to Activate. Just today I tried again on build 10041 and it failed. Soooo, I posted feedback with Microsoft again. Now here is the odd part, I had to reboot for a completely unrelated reason and TADA! my Win10 is now activated. That was odd.
Will Raresheid · January 25, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Just a different scenario but this same thing occurred to me with Windows 10 preview after a refresh. I have a small domain that is not on the internet (domain.something) on a private IP. My DNS server is not exposed so hence the error. Remove the PC from the domain, it activates by itself on reboot, then rejoin domain. I realize this is not a typical situation but it can happen. It’s that error that got me to this page and when I realized the agony of listening to that ‘OK! Let’s get started’ guy at the Microsoft phone-in activation it shifted my brain right into gear. Thanks.
ias · September 27, 2014 at 1:35 pm
what words i must type in product key???
Ian Matthews · September 27, 2014 at 7:28 pm
You must enter your product key… perhaps from a small “COA” (Certificate of Authenticity) sticker on your PC or with the DVD or from your TechNet download site or…
Brian Pavey · September 19, 2014 at 7:51 am
One thing I’d like to point out is that you’ll run into this problem if your time settings are incorrect as well.
John · September 3, 2015 at 9:31 am
That’s what my problem was. I updated the time and everything activated fine after.
Kevin · July 22, 2014 at 10:18 am
Hi
My key doesnt work, i bought my laptop about 2 months ago with windows 8.1 preinstalled, and 5 days ago when i came home from a 2 week vacation i turned on my laptop and they said that i had to activate windows 8.1 and i never had to activate it before I downloaded MagicJellyBean to find my key, and when i entered it. It didnt work.
Can you help me?
Ian Matthews · July 30, 2014 at 8:53 pm
Hi Kevin; I would call Microsoft (free and relatively fast). We have all the numbers local phone numbers published http://www.urtech.ca/2014/07/solved-how-to-call-microsoft-on-the-phone-to-activate-your-windows-or-office-product/
I hope this helps 🙂
shubham · June 15, 2014 at 9:45 am
this solves the problem http://danblee.com/windows-cant-activate-right-now-error-message-when-trying-to-activate-windows-8/comment-page-1/#comment-9929
Elizabeth · June 12, 2014 at 9:16 pm
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. This activation problem has been bothering me for several month (for some reason my asus had windows 8 yet it wasn’t activated????) so here I am, finding your website months later and it worked, along with another place that suggested downloading a product key finder. Now I can customize my computer instead of having to look at the disgusting custom lock screen and I don’t have to be bothered with a blue popup screen disturbing my work and telling me to update windows. It was such a pain. Thanks again mate.
Ole · March 31, 2014 at 3:51 am
Thank you so much!!
I was going crazy trying to activate Windows 8.1. Talk about bad error messages…
L · March 26, 2014 at 7:57 am
Not very effective when this is happening on a brand-new laptop and you weren’t supplied with the product key…
Ian Matthews · March 30, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Agreed! I certainly understand the logic this simplifies a process that nearly no user wants to deal with and that manufacturers find costly to manage, but this has a substantial potential to frustrate both power users and everyday users who have problems.
rjv debilde · March 6, 2014 at 8:01 am
In a few of your lines I gathered more insight knowledge about activation then in hundreds of internet posts about how to solve from other sources. Sharing the logic of a system makes so much sence!
Thank you Ian
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