How to Fix Activation Error Code 0xC004F009 on Windows 11/10

Some users recently encountered an activation error code 0xC004F009 on their Windows 11/10 PC. Before this, it has also been reported on different Windows 7 computer systems. This problem generally occurs when users insert a valid license key that was earlier used on a different computer.

If you’re also facing such an issue on your computer then it indicates your grace period is expired. With this error, you may see an error message that looks like – Error Code 0xC004F009, The Software Licensing Service reported that the grace period expired.

Activation error code 0xC004F009, The grace period expired

To fix Activation Error Code 0xC004F009, you can use the following methods –

Check for Update
Use Phone Activation
Through Command Prompt
Increase the Grace Period

1] Check for Pending updates

You may encounter this error if you miss the latest security or cumulative update that Microsoft regularly delivers to fix the common issue on Windows 11/10. In this case, you need to update every single pending update if it’s available on your Windows. You can check for the pending update using the following guidelines –

For Windows 11:

Press the Windows+I keys to launch the Settings window.
Navigate to Windows Update > Check for updates.

If there are pending updates, download and install them.
Restart your computer and try activating Windows again.

For Windows 10:

Open the Settings app using the Win+I keys.
Click Update & Security > Windows Update.
Now switch to the corresponding right panel and hit the Check for updates button.

Download and Install if you find available pending updates.
Restart your computer and try to activate your Windows again.

2] Use Phone Activation to fix Error 0xC004F009

Another possible reason that leads to appear Error code 0xC004F009 is of changing the motherboard. It happens when you replace your motherboard but mess up with the instructions that are for the Licensing procedure. In such cases, you can activate your Windows by Phone and see if it helps. Here are the steps you can use to do so:

Press the Windows+R keys to invoke the Run dialog box.
Type SLUI 4 in the text box and press Enter.
Select your country from the left panel and hit Next.
The next step is to contact the given number that is made available for your country.
Write down the confirmation ID that you get at this time.
Now input the same ID for the verification and click the Activate button.

3] Use the Command line to activate Windows

Alternatively, you can run a few simple commands to activate your Windows. But before this, contact your Microsoft Activation center and ask for the MAK key. Once you get the MAK key then use the following steps to activate Windows –

Run the Command Prompt as an administrator.
Inside the Command Prompt window, type the following commands and hit Enter –

Slmgr.vbs –ipk <your mak key>

Note: In the above command line, your mak key is just a placeholder. Here type your MAK key and press Enter to get the product key or replace the existing one.

Next, execute the following command –

slmgr.vbs –ato

Running the above command will activate your Windows after connecting to the Microsoft servers.

4] Increase the Grace Period

Another possible cause of this error is when you don’t activate the MAK key immediately just after buying it from a vendor. In such a case, you can extend the grace period to activate the license key by doing a registry hack. Here are the steps you can use to increase the grace period –

Click on Start, type regedit, and press Enter
If UAC prompts on the screen, click Yes to grant privileges.
Now navigate to the following key –

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\OOBE\MediaBootInstall

Double-click on MediaBootInstall, and set the Value data 0.
Click OK and close the Registry Editor window.
Now open again open the elevated command prompt.
Type the following command and press Enter to add the grace period to your activation –

slmgr -rearm

After running the above command, restart your computer.

Once you perform the above steps successfully, try to activate your Windows and check if it resolves the error code 0xC004F009. You can only reset the activation period up to 4 times. After this, you will need to get a new key and activate Windows the usual way.

That’s it. I hope these solutions helped you fix the Activation Error Code 0xC004F009. In case you’re still facing the same problem, contact a Microsoft Agent and ask for their help.

How can I resolve a problem with my Windows 11 product key?

In case your Windows 11/10 activation key doesn’t work, you can run the SFC tool to scan your computer for any corrupted system files and fix them. Follow the steps below to run SFC.

Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run command.
Type CMD and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to launch Command Prompt as an Admin.
The UAC prompt should appear next on your display screen. Hit Yes to authorize opening CMD as administrator.
Type the following near the blinking cursor and press Enter –

sfc /scannow