What to do when the Software Licensing Service reported that the grace period expired with error code 0xc004f009 on Windows 10/11? If you still feel at loss at the moment, this post from MiniTool Solution might help you to find out potential workarounds.
Windows Activation Error 0xc004f009
Once you installed a copy of Windows on the computer, it will fall into the grace period. Before this period is expired, you can use all the features in Windows without any restriction. If you receive the activation error 0xc004f009, it indicates that the grace period has expired. The complete error message is:
Error code: 0xc004f009
Error Description: The Software Licensing Service reported that the grace period expired.
After that, your operating system will be unstable and vulnerable because some important functions might fail to work. Therefore, you need to solve activation error code 0xc004f009as soon as possible. In this guide, we have list 5 effective solutions to you. Scroll down to get detailed instructions.
Tips:
Once you receive activation error 0xc004f009 on Windows 10/11, your system might not function properly. To protect your system, you can create a system image with a PC backup software called MiniTool ShadowMaker in advance. Once your system is crashing or freezing, you can use the system image to restore your system to the normal working state.
How to Fix Windows 10 Activation Error 0xc004f009?
Fix 1: Run Windows Activation Troubleshooter
When encountering Windows activation error 0xc004f009, you can consider firstly utilizing Windows inbuilt tools to identify the error and fix it. Here’s how to run Windows Activation Troubleshooter:
Step 1. Press Win + I to open Windows Settings and select Update & Security.
Step 2. In the Activation tab, hit Troubleshoot. If this tool detects any problems, follow the on-screen commands to solve it.
Fix 2: Increase the Grace Period
If you purchased the MAK key but didn’t activate it immediately, Windows activation error 0xc004f009 might also appear. If this is the case, you can extend the grace period by tweaking the value data of mediabootinstall. To do so:
Tips:
It is noted that you can reset the activation period up to 4 times for each MAK license.
Step 1. Press Win + R to open the Run box.
Step 2. Type regedit.exe and hit Enter.
Step 3. Navigate to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Setup\\OOBE\\mediabootinstall
Step 4. In the right pane, right-click on mediabootinstall > hit Modify > tick Hexadecimal > change the Value data to 0 > save the changes > reboot your system.
Tips:
If you don’t see mediabootinstall, create it manually: right-click on the empty space in the right pane > select New > hit DWORD (32-bit) Value > rename it as mediabootinstall.
Step 5. Launch Command Prompt with administrative rights> type slmgr -rearm > hit Enter.
Step 6. Restart your computer and repeat the activation process.
Fix 3: Repair Corrupted System Files
Corrupted system files are a common cause for most issues on your computer. Therefore, repairing system file corruption via SFC and DISM is also worth a shot. To do so:
Step 1. Press Win + R to open the Run box.
Step 2. Type cmd and press Shift + Ctrl + Enter to launch Command Prompt as an adminstrator.
Step 3. In the command window, type sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
Step 4. After the process is done. Restart your computer and execute the following commands one by one in an elevated Command Prompt and don’t forget to hit Enter after each command.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Fix 4: Activate Windows via CMD
To cope with Windows 10 activation error 0xc004f009, another way is to activate your Windows version via Command Prompt. Follow these instructions:
Step 1. Run Command Prompt as an administrator.
Step 2. In the command window, type vbs -ipk <MAK key> and hit Enter. Remember to replace MAK key with your MAK key.
Step 3. After Windows is installed, type vbs -ato and hit Enter in an elevated Command Prompt.
Step 4. Restart your computer to see if activation error 0xc004f009 is gone.
Fix 5: Activate Windows by Phone
It is reported that activating your Windows version by phone can also do the trick. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Right-click on the Start icon and select Run.
Step 2. Type ms-settings:activation or SLUI 4 and hit Enter.
Step 3. Choose your country and hit Phone Activation.
Step 4. Call the provided phone number to contact Microsoft’s support team to activate the copy of Windows on Phone.
Final Words
That’s all you can do to deal with grace period error 0xc004f009. If none of the solutions help you out, you can contact Microsoft support directly. After that, you can use Windows without any restrictions on its features. Have a nice day!
