FIX: 0x80072F8F Windows Activation Error.
The Windows activation error code 0x80072F8F may occurred while trying to activate Windows 7 or Windows Vista. As Microsoft says the error 0x80072F8F is faced because a security error is occurred when you try to activate your Windows 8, 7 or Vista copy.
In most cases the Windows activation error 0x80072F8F error is occurred due to invalid date and time settings on the machine. In this article you can find the most working methods to resolve the 0x80072F8F activation error in Windows 8, 7 or Vista.
How to fix the Windows 8, 7 or Vista 0x80072F8F activation error code.
Method 1. Check your Date and Time Settings.
First of all make sure that:
1. In BIOS: you have set the correct Date, Time and Year.
2. In Windows: you have set the correct Date, Time and Time Zone. If not, then correct them and reboot your computer. After restart try to activate your Windows copy again. If the 0x80072F8F activation error persists, then set the date or year back (in a older time), restart your system and retry to activate Windows.
Method 2. Change the MediaBootInstall registry key from 1 to 0.
1. Press Windows 
+ R keys to open the run command box.
2. Type regedit and press OK to open Registry Editor.
3. Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE
4. At the right pane, double click at MediaBootInstall REG_DWORD value and change the value data from 1 to 0.
5. Click OK and close Registry Editor.
6. Open an administrative command prompt by going to:
a. Start -> All Programs -> Accessories.
b. Right-click at Command Prompt and click Run As Administrator.
7. In command prompt window type: slmgr /rearm & press Enter.
8. Click OK at "Command complete successfully" message and restart your system. (If asked to enter your product key, then type it to activate Windows.)
9. After restart, try to activate Windows.
Method 3. Activate Windows by Phone.
If all the above fails, then use the telephone method to activate your Windows copy.
That’s all folks! Did it work for you?
Please leave a comment in the comment section below or even better: like and share this blog post in the social networks to help spread the word about this solution.
Raj
April 5, 2019 @ 3:54 pm
The second trick worked. Thank you :)
martin
April 22, 2020 @ 4:55 am
yakin???
Pranshu
August 24, 2022 @ 12:12 pm
Thanks brother 3rd method worked for me.
Greg
September 6, 2019 @ 4:01 pm
I ended up having to use the phone method (method 3)… but it did work.
Tango
June 23, 2020 @ 11:39 am
Method 2 works for me and i relay thank you. For what you gave me now, let God multiply it to 100 fold to you and would like you to have plenty of knowledge to give
mn
June 26, 2020 @ 6:10 pm
thank you!.
first method (set date one year back, reboot, set actual date, reboot, activate)…. work perfectly.
Nikolas
January 1, 2021 @ 5:05 pm
even the phone method did not work. The CS agent dictate me the wrong Confirmation ID – not six digit full in two block
Tiya
February 10, 2021 @ 8:15 pm
Method 2 worked for me ..thank you
Grant
February 23, 2021 @ 6:31 pm
method 3 worked for me, but it still won't let windows update run. any ideas?
Jon
March 10, 2021 @ 11:43 am
The second method worked for me. Thank you very much.
Peter
June 9, 2021 @ 7:34 pm
Didn't work for me. Time and date are both correct. Maybe because windows 7 is no longer supported?
Lakonst2013
June 12, 2021 @ 7:11 am
Have you tried to activate over phone?
badintense
September 17, 2022 @ 5:09 pm
All those phone numbers are now disconnected. MS is really making a push to get people on 10 or 11 now. I don't think they are allowing older versions to activate.
Ira Ward
June 7, 2022 @ 4:57 pm
The method worked for me.
I installed W7 on an old XCube shuttle and it worked perfec1!
Thanks!
Wind
July 5, 2022 @ 8:53 am
thanks, method 3 worked for me. "show me other ways to activate" > "Use the automated phone system" > call one of the number > follow the instructions over the phone