How to Fix Error Code 0xC004f074
Written by Rimvydas Iliavicius on
How to Fix Windows Activation Error Code 0xC004f074
When attempting to activate the Windows operating system, users sometimes receive the 0xC004f074 error code, followed by a message that says, "We can't activate Windows on this device as we can't connect to your organization activation server''.
This Windows Activation error occurs when Windows cannot reach your company's activation service or system administrator (or the Key Management Service is unavailable).
This error can be caused by differences between the KMS client and KMS hosts and can occur during or after the installation of Windows. The error code 0xC004f074 can also occur when users download an illegal (pirated) version of the Windows operating system.
Key Management Service (KMS) is used to automatically activate products such as Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office. Key Management Service activations are usually valid for 180 days, during which the computer periodically checks in with the KMS server to renew the computer's activation.
Read the guide below and follow the steps to fix error code 0xC004f074.
Video Showing How to Fix Error Code 0xC004f074:
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- Execute Slmgr.vbs Command Using Command Prompt
- Execute SLUI Command
- Run System File Checker
- Video Showing How to Fix Error Code 0xC004f074
Execute Slmgr.vbs Command Using Command Prompt
To open an elevated Command Prompt, type "command prompt" in Search and right-click the "Command Prompt" result. Select "Run as administrator" from the contextual menu to run it with administrative privileges.
When you select "Run as administrator", a User Account Control prompt will appear asking if you would like to allow the Command Prompt to make changes on your computer. Click "Yes".
An elevated Command Prompt will appear. Type the "slmgr.vbs /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx" command, replace all the "x" letters with your product key number, and press Enter. This command is used to replace the product key. Restart the computer and open Command Prompt as administrator again.
Now type the "slmgr.vbs /ato" command and press Enter. This command is used to force Windows to attempt an online activation. It is useful when Windows cannot be activated due to a connection or server problem. Execute the command, restart the computer, and see if the error code 0xC004f074 is fixed.
Execute SLUI Command
Software Licensing User Interface (SLUI) can be launched using Command Prompt or Run. Four different options can be used with the slui command. "slui 1" will bring up the activation status windows, "slui 2" will bring up the activation window, "slui 3" will bring the "Change Product Key" window and "slui 4" will bring up the "Call Microsoft & Manually Activate" window.
In this case, we recommend that you run the "slui 3" or "slui 4" command. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows (Win) key + R or right-click the Start menu.
Select "Run" from the contextual menu, type "slui 3" into the Run dialog box, and press Enter. Follow the instructions. You will need your Windows product key.
Run System File Checker
System File Checker is a Windows utility that allows users to scan for corruptions in system files and restore them. This guide describes how to run the System File Checker tool (SFC.exe) to scan system files and repair any missing or corrupted ones.
To run Command Prompt, type "command prompt" in Search, right-click on "Command Prompt", and select "Run as administrator" from the drop-down menu to run it with administrator privileges. You must run an elevated Command Prompt to perform an SFC scan.
System File Checker will start and take some time to complete the scan. Wait for the scanning process to complete and restart the computer. See if this fixes error code 0xC004f074.
We hope that one of these solutions fixes error code 0xC004f074. If you know of other solutions to this problem not mentioned in our guide, please share them with us by leaving a comment in the section below.
If none of the methods mentioned above solve the problem, we recommend that you contact the Microsoft Support team and ask them to change the Windows product key or seek an alternative solution.
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