How to easily fix Error Code 0xC004C003

Error Code 0xC004C003– What is it?

Error Code 0xC004C003 is a pesky error that can appear when you attempt to activate your version of Windows 10. This error most often appears when a user has upgraded from Windows 8.1, Windows 8 or Windows 7 and an error has occurred with registering the product key. Unfortunately Microsoft doesn’t offer much help on their website to resolve the issue, but there are methods to solve the problem.

Common symptoms include:

Windows 10 cannot be activated
‘Activate Windows ‘ watermark will appear on your display
Windows background will regularly reset to a black background

To resolve Error Code 0xC004C003, users will need to reset their PC and attempt to upgrade to Windows 10 again. This process can be quite lengthy and will take up to a day for the installation and upgrade to complete.

Solution

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Error Causes

Error Code 0xC004C003 is often caused when a user attempts to upgrade to Windows 10 for free and an error occurs during the activation process. Usually the entire upgrade must be completed again for the activation to be completed successfully.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Both of the methods we have available for manually fixing the 0xC004C003 Error Code will require you to reset your PC and this could mean that your data will be lost. Make sure to backup any important files and data before starting any of the methods that we have listed below.

Method One is the quickest option on this list and should take less than thirty minutes. Method Two can take multiple hours depending on how slow your PC hard drive is.

Method One: Reset Windows 10

Method One doesn’t require you to reinstall Windows 10 again completely but it does mean that you’ll need to reset your data and essentially start from scratch. To perform a reset, open the Start Menu and click the settings (gear) icon. Next, use the search field to search for Recovery Options. Now click the ‘Get Started’ box underneath the ‘Reset this PC’ option. Once the reset has been completed you may be able to activate Windows 10 without any errors.

Method Two: Upgrade from Windows 7, 8, or 8.1

Unfortunately Method One may not fix the issue for everybody. If the first method cannot resolve the problem, your next best bet is to try Method Two. For this method you will need to reinstall your original operating system (Windows 7, 8, or 8.1) and then upgrade to Windows 10 again. To do this, you’ll need to find the original Windows installation disc for your version of Windows. You can then install the older version of Windows as a fresh install on your PC. After it has installed you’ll need to manually update to the latest version of Windows. Once your PC has finished updates, you’ll be able to click the Windows 10 notification to upgrade for free.

Because of the vast number of updates, this process can take up to an entire day to complete.

Method Three: Use An Automated Tool

If you’re not a fan of troubleshooting and resolving Windows errors, you may prefer this utility tool that can fix Windows 10 errors and other issues for you.