Receiving an activation error code 0x8007251D or some different error code is quite common if you are using a generic product key on your Windows PC. In such cases, what you may do is ensure using a valid product key and this problem resolves in no time. However, if you don’t own such a product key, you may purchase the same by visiting Microsoft’s official site.
When does this error 0x8007251D appear?
An error 0x8007251D occurs in two different cases and they are –
- When you change the Windows edition from Home to Pro, Enterprise to Education, or any other lower version to a higher one.
- When you are not using a genuine product key.
In either case, you need a valid product key to activate your Windows copy. However, there are cases when you might receive the same error code despite using a genuine product key. If that’s the case, try the third solution and your Windows PC will activate in no time.
In cases where your device was previously activated using the digital license, make sure to log into your Microsoft account and check if this activation error resolves this way. You need not worry about anything next as Microsoft will take care of the rest automatically.
Apart from these two, you may also encounter this error code after you perform an OS upgrade or replace the hardware. An error 0x8007251D occurs due to a direct result of the system being not able to find any records for the DNS query.
Now that you know what may cause such an error code in Windows, let’s explore the ways by which you can solve this issue on Windows –
How do I fix Activation Error 0x8007251D?
To solve the activation error 0x8007251D in Windows 10, try the following suggestions –
1] Through Command prompt
Since you are here, you must have updated Windows 10 build OS to the latest major release and started receiving this error code. Well, there is nothing to worry about it as you can fix this error by executing the two codes on Command Prompt. Here’s how to proceed –
- Press Windows + R to launch the Run dialog.
- Type CMD on it and jointly press the “Ctrl + Shift + Enter” keys.
- When the UAC window comes into view, hit Yes to proceed further.
- On the elevated prompt, copy/paste the below code followed by the Enter key.
slmgr.vbs –ipk <Windows product key>
Note: In the above command line replace <Windows product key> with the genuine 25-digit character.
- Next, copy/paste the below code and hit Enter –
slmgr.vbs -ato
- Wait for a while and you will receive a message that reads “Windows 10 successfully activated“.
Now, go back to the activation tab inside Settings UI and check whether Windows 10 is activated or not. Alternatively, you may also check this under the System Properties window.
That’s it. If you are still struggling with the error 0x8007251D, let us know with the exact error message in the below comment section.
2] Run Activation Troubleshooter
The activation troubleshooter is another great tool by Microsoft that works to solve activation issues in Windows 10. All you need is to follow the below guideline –
Note: To use this method, you need to first sign in to your computer with full administrative rights. In case, you don’t have any, manually create a local user or administrator account on your PC.
- Press the Windows key, and select the Settings (gear) icon.
- Select the Update & Security and thereafter Activation on the left pane.
- Go to the adjacent right pane and hit the Troubleshoot button.
- Doing so will automatically detect and repair the faults that prohibit Windows 10 activation.
Imp: The Troubleshoot option comes into display only if you are on Windows 10 1607 or higher versions.
3] Use your original Product Key
If you are still receiving the “Windows not activated” message on the Desktop, try using the genuine product key or digital license linked to your Microsoft account.
- First of all, reach out to the below path on your computer –
Settings (WinKey + I) > Update & Security > Activation
- Head over to the right side and click “Change Product Key“.
- Fill in the 25-digit product key on the subsequent screen and hit Next.
- Windows will look for any issues with the typed-in numbers. And if none is found, your device will activate on its own using the product key entered by you.
4] Activate Windows using Digital License
There is a possibility that you simply misplace your product key and don’t know how to access that. In all such cases, having a digital license attached to your Microsoft account helps to re-activate your Windows copy.
Additionally, there are users who have never bought any such keys, rather they keep on upgrading their PCs right from the Windows 10 launch. If you are one such user and have used a personal Microsoft account on the PC at that time, you may activate your PC quite easily.
This is possible because a digital license must have associated with your Microsoft account. And, you may use that to activate your Windows copy.
Note: To use the “Digital license”, you must remain on the same Windows edition. For example – Windows 11/10 Home users may use the digital license to activate the Home edition only. This applies to Pro/Enterprise/Education and other Windows editions as well.
Here’s how to activate your Windows copy via the digital license –
- Download/Install the same edition using bootable installation media.
- In case you have already installed the same edition on your computer, just sign out of the current user account.
- When a window prompts you to sign in, use your Microsoft account credentials to log into your official account.
- Wait for some time and your device will activate on its own using the digital license associated with your account.
Now that your device is activated, restart your device once so that any recent changes come into effect. Hopefully, you must not be getting the same error code 0x8007251D again on your computer.
