Activation error 9xC004F074 and 4 ways that don't fix it

lewist57

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Activation error 0xC004F074 and 4 ways that don't fix it

OK, bought a used laptop with dual boot Win7x64 / Win8Prox64 in Feb. 2013. Win8 booted up and ran just fine for the first six months. I don't know if it had anything to do with it, but I installed Office 13 in the Win8 partition not long ago, and it seems that after that Win8 kept issuing pleas to "activate windows" (but no complaints from Office 13, which is a HUP installation from my work). Finally got annoyed enough this weekend to try to resolve it, without success. Here are the four methods I tried, and the results:

Attempt 1:

go to Control Panel > search Windows Activation

Response:
Windows isn’t activated
Windows can’t be activated right now. Try activating Windows later. If this issue persists, contact your system administrator or technical support department for assistance.
[Activate button]
Activation details
Error Code:
0xC004F074
The Software Licensing Service reported that the product could not be activated. No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted. Please see the Application Event Log for additional information.


Pressing the [Activate] button gets you the same response over and over.


Attempt 2:
Open the command window as an administrator -
CMD (run as administrator) slmgr.vbs –ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX (where this is the 25 character key for Win8

Response:
Installed product key XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX successfully.

Next -
CMD (run as administrator) slmgr.vbs –ato

Response:
Activating Windows(R), Professional edition
Error: 0xC004F074 The Software Licensing Service reported that the computer could not be activated. No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted. Please see the Application Event Log for additional information.


Attempt 3:
Open the command window as an administrator -
CMD (run as administrator) SLUI 3

Response:
Enter a product key to activate Windows
(enter product key)
Your product key works! Continue when you’re ready
press [Activate]
Get same 0xC004F074 error code

Attempt 4:
Open the command window as an administrator -
CMD (run as administrator) SLUI 4

Response:
Find available phone numbers for activation
Click the nearest location:
Afghanistan

[Afghanistan is greyed out and you cannot select any other country]
Click on Next, and get a non-toll free number in Afghanistan to call.

All I want to do is (re)activate Windows 8, but it seems to be fighting me all the way. When I google Microsoft Customer Service, the web site has a lot of generic info on generic activation problems, but not this one. When you try to find the United States toll free number for Windows 8 activation (a la SLUI 4), it simply says the software will provide the number. And of course, calling the generic toll free number for Microsoft gets me a real live person that does not list English on their resume as a first (or possibly second) language.

So questions for the Forum members:
1) Why did Win8 unactivate itself?
2) What the heck is Key Management Service as it relates to Windows 8 Pro?
3) Is the version on this laptop not a standalone version? Is it a bogus or hacked installation, and how can you tell for sure?
2) What is the path of least resistance to fix the activation issue?

Thanks in advance for your input, ask for any other info that I have not covered.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8 pro
So questions for the Forum members:
1) Why did Win8 unactivate itself?
2) What the heck is Key Management Service as it relates to Windows 8 Pro?
3) Is the version on this laptop not a standalone version? Is it a bogus or hacked installation, and how can you tell for sure?
4) What is the path of least resistance to fix the activation issue?

Thanks in advance for your input, ask for any other info that I have not covered.

1.) KMS is a volume license method of activation and computers have a 180 day threshold before being required to re-activate with the KMS server again - otherwise those computers will lose activation, as in your case.

2.) KMS activation is for large organizations that have many computers running on a network - these activate via the network with a KMS server for which a CSVLK licence has been installed..

3.) Yes you were duped, you can run the following command to confirm that you have a volume licence and check KMS details
slmgr.vbs /dlv from a command prompt.

4.) Obtain a genuine key for Windows 8 Pro ... (PS don't forget to find the guy you bought it from and kick his ass...!)

PS if your restore partition is still there you can re-install Windows 7 and activate with the COA key on the case.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    PC-DOS v1.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    IBM
    CPU
    Intel 8088, 4.77MHz
    Memory
    16K, 640K max
    Graphics Card(s)
    What's that?
    Sound Card
    Not quite
    Screen Resolution
    80 X 24 text
    Hard Drives
    dual 160KB 5.25-inch disk drives
4.) Obtain a genuine key for Windows 8 Pro ... (PS don't forget to find the guy you bought it from and kick his ass...!)


Will an OEM license from TigerDirect work OK?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8 pro
Those are retail AFAIK.. but should be OK.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    PC-DOS v1.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    IBM
    CPU
    Intel 8088, 4.77MHz
    Memory
    16K, 640K max
    Graphics Card(s)
    What's that?
    Sound Card
    Not quite
    Screen Resolution
    80 X 24 text
    Hard Drives
    dual 160KB 5.25-inch disk drives
There is no such thing as a Full Retail License for Windows 8 - they are OEM System Builder licenses with an end-user extension :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win7 64-bit and Win8 32-bit in VM (+ others in VM)
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus K52F
    CPU
    i3
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    it's an i3 :)
    Sound Card
    Conexant (rubbish - or it may be the speakers)
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Internet Speed
    whatever I can get - G3
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