How to Fix Windows 10 Pro Activation Error 0xc004f014?

Windows 10 Pro Activation Error 0xc004f014

When we want to Update a common Windows OS version to a Pro version, there are some complications.

One of the most often errors is Windows 10 pro activation error 0xc004f014 that occurs when users enter the Pro key they received to complete the updating process.

Solution 1 – Activate Windows with a Phone Call

Windows 10 users can activate the OS through a free call regardless of the location. This is a great way to solve this, and similar Windows update errors. And that’s exactly what we’re going to try first.

Follow the steps to activate your version of Windows 10 using a free call:

1. Click on the Win key + R to open the Run window.
2. Type in slui 4 and press Enter.
3. The window will open asking you to choose the region you’re residing in.
4. Windows will now make an automated call.
5. At the time call, you’ll need to read your Installation ID. Once you read it, you’ll be provided with a Confirmation ID. 
6. After that, you’ll have to read the Confirmation ID out loud, just to make sure you got everything right.
7. Click the Activation button, and follow further instructions to finish the activation process.
8. End the call and restart your computer.

Solution 2 – Use default product key

If you weren’t able to activate Windows using the call activation, let’s try with a default activation key. This is a key provided by Microsoft for situations like this.

Basically, the default key activates Windows temporarily, allowing you to replace it with an actual product key later.

Here’s how to use the default product key to activate Windows 10:

1. Set up a text file on your desktop with the generic registration key for Windows 10 Pro, namely VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T, and your new Windows 10 Pro registration key.
2. Disable all network devices on your computer. Right-press on the Windows icon in the lower-left corner of the screen >select Network Connections > right click on your Ethernet connection > select Disable. Repeat this process for your wireless connections.
3. Reboot your computer.
4. Launch the text file from step 1 > select the generic registration key > press CTRL-C
5. Right-click on the Windows icon in the lower-left corner of the screen > select System from the menu.
6. After the system window opens, down at the bottom right, click on Change Product Key.
7. Attach the generic registration key that you copied in step 4.
8. Tap on the Start Update button in the lower right corner > wait for the upgrade process to complete. Your computer will restart multiple times at the time of the process.
9. Log return your computer > repeat step 5. Right now, your Windows Edition should be Windows 10 Pro.
10. Open the text file from step 1 > select your new Windows 10 Pro registration Key > copy it to the clipboard as you did in step 4.
11. Re-enable your Ethernet/ wireless network connections.
12. Repeat step 6. At this moment you should bring a window with two buttons, one that says Change Product Key and the other says Activate. Click on the Change Product Key button.
13. Attach your new Windows 10 Pro registration Key into the textbox > click Next.
14. In one minute or two, a message will show up informing you that your copy of Windows 10 Pro is a legitimate copy.

Solution 3 – Use Windows Activation troubleshooter

One great thing about Windows 10 is that it features a built-in troubleshooter for almost any problem you could imagine. And activation errors aren’t an exception. So, if the previous solutions failed, let’s try with the troubleshooter.

Here’s how to use the Activation troubleshooter in Windows 10:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Updates & Security > Activation. 
3. In case your copy of Windows is not correctly activated, you will see the Troubleshoot button. Click it.
4. And the troubleshooter will scan your computer for possible problems. If it finds the solution, just follow further instructions to activate Windows.

Solution 4 – Change the Product Key Using Command Prompt

You can also use the Command Prompt to activate Windows 10. However, you should really think about it before you turn to this method. Activating Windows with the Command Prompt can take up to a couple of days, or it might get activated right away.

You never know. So, if you’re willing to give your OS some time, you can try with the Command Prompt. If not, you should probably skip this solution.

Here’s how to activate Windows 10 using the Command Prompt:

1. Go to Search, type cmd, and open the Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Type in the following command and press Enter: vbs -ipk xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx (of course, xxx stands for your product key)
3. Wait for the process to finish.
4. Restart your computer.

There you go, we hope at least one of these solutions helped you to fix the problem with Windows 10 pro activation error 0xc004f014.