For the past week or so, I am suddenly (in the middle of working on something) getting a blue screen that says "Activate Windows. Go to PC Settings to activate Windows." And there's a PC settings button to click. The only way out of that screen is to click there. So I do, and it briefly looks like I'm going to go to some sort of settings screen, but then it disappears and it takes me to my start screen. When I go back to my desktop, whatever I was working on is right where I left it. Happens several times a day.
Why this is happening and why it never actually takes me to PC Settings and what I can do to stop this?
I'm running 8.1 - I "upgraded" (I use that term loosely!) when it first became available back in October.
Ok, so here's what I keep running into.......I turn off UAC, and within a few hours I start getting a notification that I need to activate Windows 8. It's a legit install, and this only happens when I turn off the UAC.
If I turn UAC back on, then the activation is not a problem and all is good. However, if I try to re-activate with the UAC off, it runs into an error.
I currently have an issue with activating Windows 8.1. I bought a Samsung series 7 chronos NP780 last November that came with Windows 8 installed already. I upgraded to 8.1 a few days ago and left it overnight to complete. Everything went fine up until I had to activate it. It says that the product key is incorrect and to enter a different one. I have looked at the box that the laptop came in, the manuals in it and on the laptop itself and there is no product key to be found. One or two of the manuals/booklets might be missing but I'm fairly sure that the product key is within the BIOS so should it not recognise the product key itself automatically and complete the upgrade without asking me for the key? I ran belarc to can by laptop and at the section where the product key should be it says "Key: None activated". I also ran keyfinder and the key it gave me back didnt work (although the end of it seems to match the end of the one that is listed as the "current product key".
Yesterday did a clean reinstall of Windows because my computer was acting weird. It installed no problem but after a few hours of reinstalling programs I noticed that Windows wasn't activated, so I went to PC Settings and clicked "Activate Windows," but as soon as I clicked it the page closed. I tried again, reset the computer, tried again, but the same thing happens. I've also been getting a few BSODs which I'll make a separate post about, but how to fix the activation error?
I have problem with Windows Update and i see that i am not only there. My problem is, after install updates and restart system, i get message after some time "Failure Configuring Windows Updates. Reverting Changes ..."
My Windows is Windows 8 RTM and i tried install updates manual but nothing change.
I attach screesnshot where is problem in updates ...
I purchased a new ASUS LAPTOP which came with windows 8 installed. When i tried to restart after installing Gtalk i got this message.
"Failure configuring windows updates. reverting changes. do not turn off your computer ".
I got this on last friday i.e the 6th of june, ever since i am not able to do anything with my laptop. I don't have windows 8 dvd as well. How do I reboot it?
Model number : Asus 15634 Laptop Intel Core i3 .
I also tried pressing the power button for 15 secs , still no luck. Tried f8 f9 and windows + r and windows+ X keys no luck.
Is it possible to activate WMC version of Windows 8.1 Pro only if you have a legit Windows 8 Pro WMC key from Microsoft? If no, then where are you getting the keys from?
With windows 7, we were able to use windows loader during the install the pre-activate the OS and if it was a OEM based pc it could be setup to use all the logos etc etc, I was wondering if there is something like that for windows 8? or at least activate it during the install without having to manually do it with microsoft toolkit?
After a BSOD and utter failure to boot (presumably a critical OS file damaged) I ran the recovery tools for a total factory reset.
Connected to the internet and worked for an hour or two, then tried a reboot. Windows update had 104 updates to process. It did them, then "Failure configuring Windows updates. Reverting changes. Do not turn off your computer"
This should take half an hour. After 90 minutes it has rebooted 5 or 6 times. It keeps reverting to the same "Failure configuring Windows updates. Reverting changes. Do not turn off your computer" message. Looks like it might want to reboot through each of those 104 updates.
I'm going to repeat the factory reset and the FIRST thing I will do is disable updates. I'm going to see how long I can work without any updates.
I just reinstalled 8 on a ssd and tried to install 8.1 from the store but it says i need to update windows first. I tried running windows update but i get an error saying "Windows could not search for new updates" error code 80240440. I tried everything I could find online and nothing seems to work. I tried restarting windows update, i tried turning off firewall, I tried reinstalling windows again and selecting "check for updates online" before installing from the cd, i tried running a check disk, and there is absolutely no program installed on the drive other than windows.
I did a fresh reboot of my system and now I cannot reactivate it. My product ID is "not available" and I have an activation error description. I've tried all the slui commands and the sfc scans.
two weeks ago I had a hard drive failure on the stated laptop. I installed an OCZ ssd and reinstalled windows 7 from a retail family pack. I used the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) windows key from the sticker on the HP laptop. This activated no problem. I purchased this laptop new at SAMS club.
I also upgraded two desktop computers to windows 8 that also had this family pack copy of windows 7 installed on them (about a year ago). Both of these computers activated with no problem. I also installed a separate windows media player upgrade on each computer.
I then upgraded the laptop to windows 8. I also upgraded it to windows media player. I noticed that the key provided during the upgrade was the same provided by Microsoft during the upgrade of one of the desktop computers.
The validation was successful at first.A day later I got a message stating that windows was not genuine. I then attempted to purchase another key and Microsoft stated that I could not purchase a key in my current country or region (I am in Wisconsin).
The website stated that I had to validate windows by purchasing a validation pack at a local retailer.
Why cant I validate windows? I have the COA still attached and nothing is different about the computer except the replaced hard drive.
just got windows 8 pro installed and using toolkit 2.4.1 just to check if I use the EZ-Activator will I need to use that every 180 days or does it do it its self? is that the best way to activate windows pro and office 2013?
Today I updated my Windows pro 8 PC to 8.1. Now it shows activate the license. When I'm running "Windows Vista - 7 - 8 - 8.1 KMS Activator Ultimate 2014 v1.8" tool, it shows following error.
.net_framework.pngWin license issue.png
This too display it successfully activated the Windows, but "System properties" windows shows it's not activated. Previously I used Windows loader to activate the Windows 8 pro.
I was reviewing my windows updates and saw two optional updates that were pending. First one was for MS office and it went through fine. Second one was some update to AMD vision control center. During that update screen flashed couple of times and went for re-start. After that I am unable to get into the system. I tried safe mode/debugging/low resolution mode etc.. But all resulted in the same blue screen with the 0xc000021a error message.
I am able to go only to command prompt. Nothing else (fortunately I am able to backup my photos by connecting external hard drive and using command prompt). I checked the SRT log file but it doesn't say any issue. All passed.
I tried refresh PC but it came back and said "There was a problem refreshing your PC. No changes made".
I tried using win ISO image bootable flash drive. It couldn't get through me in (I just tried with PC repair option when I booted with ISO image).
Is there a way I can get over it without re-installing?
I am currently having an issue on my laptop at the moment where it's stuck in an infinite loop of 'reverting changes' after having tried to update and failed at 30%, I have done some reading at ways to boot into safe mode however it would appear windows 8 doesn't give me the chance.
I do not have a copy of my original windows 8 disc and am at a loss!
I have tried spamming F4, F8, F10 buttons and none are allowing me to enter boot mode.
After I installed Windows 8 I started having the "0 KB Total, 0% Downloaded" issue while attempting to update, sometimes it does work, but most of the time it doesn't
So some background. I had issues with being able to install ANYTHING from an MSI file. Then I wasn't able to install any updates from Windows Update. I then reinstalled Windows, and am now facing the same issue after a few days. I would rather not reinstall yet again.
I tried doing System Restore, but it just hangs. Windows Installer hangs on "preparing to install".
I just bought new Asus Vivotab Smart Windows 8 tablet, after the very first windows update it failed to install some of the updates, and then after the reboot I am now stuck with the message "Failure configuring Windows updates, reverting changes".
It never gets any further than this, it never reverts, I have left it running for an entire day and have restarted several times.
This is a tablet, so there is no keyboard so I cannot press any F keys to get into recovery mode, and no CD to boot from etc.
I know you can activate a clean install of win 8.1 with a win 8 product key but you see, I don't have one - I only have the WMC upgrade key that got installed over it when the previous owner of my PC added the Windows Media Center feature (which I read was free once upon a time). You see I have a retail Windows 8.1_RTM_x86.iso disk image and I want to be able to do a clean install.
how to retrace my steps to manually reactivate. I have gone to Windows 8 forum (Windows Defender - Turn On or Off in Windows 8) & followed the steps...but Windows Defender is not appearing in my action center...when I go here it shows my antivirus & everything on. There's no option to expand the "security" settings to locate windows defender.
Everything else I do turns up a notification that the app is "off"; but it doesn't give me an option for turning it on. Once again I'm lost in the dust of Windows 8 & it's embedded features...where I locate windows defender to turn it back on...otherwise I'll go the simpler route & just leave things "as is" & download iobit malware fighter or something. However, I've found that I have sporadic issues with Iobit Malware fighter where it works for awhile & then for some reason after a time it won't launch.
I find I'm rather routinely having to uninstall & re-install it. Is it a compatibility glitch with Windows 8.1? Cause Iobit website insists that their malware fighter coincides with all versions of Windows 8. Or should I even be concerned about the malware fighter...I have super antispyware...but it's not a program that is automatically active. My windows security center seems to be compensating with AVG antivirus in place of a malware program. I wasn't aware there was any anti-malware or spyware embedded in AVG?
I don't see any option to hide the updates which you don't want to install. In windows 7, one can simply right click and choose hide the update, but no such thing in windows 8.1.
On Win 8 (not 8.1) will be first -time user soon - How do i do the updates for Win 8 once new computer is set up and 'running' ? Because it's been sitting on a store shelf i'm sure there are Win. updates required ..not familiar how to find 'that' section inorder to do the updates ! Guess i want to do that before signing onto internet - right ? this will be a whole new world to me - been using XP for eons
PS any other 'hints' as a newby to '8' even if i haven't thought to ask ! PPS: do you recomment i just set options to ''automatic' updates? with XP i know how to find Control Panel to set that but how do i find Control Panel (if that's where i do it ) on Win 8 ... boy am i 'green' !