1. Check and Correct Date, Time, and Region Settings
- Go to Settings → Time & Language → Date & Time
- Enable Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically
- Navigate to Region and ensure the location matches your actual country
- Restart your system and retry activation or update
2. Reactivate Windows or Office Manually
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator, then enter:
- For Windows:
slmgr.vbs /rearm
slmgr.vbs /ato
- For Office:
cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\OSPP.VBS" /act
- Replace Office16 with your actual Office version folder if needed.
3. Clear Office Licensing Tokens and Reactivate
- Navigate to:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\OfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform\
- Delete all files in this folder
- Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:
net stop sppsvc
net start sppsvc
- Then reactivate Office using the Office Activation Wizard or command-line script.
4. Repair Office 365 Installation
- Open Settings → Apps → Installed Apps
- Locate Microsoft Office 365, click Modify
- Choose Online Repair and complete the process
- Restart and retry activation
5. Reset Windows Update and Activation Services
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
net stop wuauserv
net stop sppsvc
net stop bits
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
net start wuauserv
net start sppsvc
net start bits
- Try the activation process again.
6. Run Activation Troubleshooter
- Go to Settings → Update & Security → Activation
- If available, click Troubleshoot
- Follow on-screen instructions to automatically resolve licensing issues
7. Reconnect to Domain (For Enterprise Users)
- Press Win + X → System
- Ensure the system is joined to the correct Active Directory domain
- If domain trust has failed, rejoin or re-establish trust relationship with your IT admin
- Then attempt to re-authenticate Office or Windows
8. Perform a Clean Boot to Rule Out Third-Party Interference
- Press Win + R, type msconfig, press Enter
- On Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services → Click Disable all
- Go to Startup tab → Open Task Manager → Disable all items
- Reboot and retry activation or update
Tip: Revert to normal boot after troubleshooting.