How to fix the SYSTEM_LICENSE_VIOLATION (0x9A) blue screen in Windows 10 and 11

SYSTEM_LICENSE_VIOLATION is stop code 0x0000009A: while starting, Windows checks the registry values that hold its edition and licence data, and stops when it cannot read them or finds them changed. It rarely means you broke a licence by accident. Start with System Restore from the recovery screens.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What SYSTEM_LICENSE_VIOLATION (0x9A) means

Microsoft's bug check reference gives SYSTEM_LICENSE_VIOLATION the value 0x0000009A and says the software license agreement has been violated. Its own examples are narrow: someone changed the product type of an offline Windows, or changed the trial period of an evaluation copy. The word "violation" sounds like an accusation, but the real trigger is usually more ordinary.

An independent analysis of the Windows kernel by software analyst Geoff Chappell explains the gap. Windows guards a few registry values: SetupType and SystemSetupInProgress in HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup, and ProductType, ProductSuite and ProductPolicy in HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ProductOptions. The 0x9A crash mostly means the kernel failed while reading or protecting those values, not that it proved a licence breach. A real, detected change of the product type only writes a License Violation entry to the System log.

On Windows 11 23H2 and older, and on Windows 10, the crash shows the blue screen with the stop code at the bottom. Microsoft says Windows 11 24H2 and later show a black screen instead, with the message Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart. and the same stop code.

What causes the system license violation blue screen, most likely first

Microsoft lists the sub-cases but not how often each one happens. The ranking below combines the parameter table with what users describe on Microsoft Q&A: the crash usually follows something that wrote to the registry or interrupted Windows.

Where to find Parameter 1 of the 0x9A crash

The stop screen shows only the name. The four parameters are saved with the crash, and the first one tells you which of the sub-cases above hit your PC. You need Windows running, or another PC that can read the dump file.

• If Windows starts at least once (after Fix 1 or in Safe Mode), open Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System and look for an entry from BugCheck. Its text starts with "The bugcheck was: 0x0000009a" and lists four values in brackets. The first one is Parameter 1.
• Small dump files are saved in C:\Windows\Minidump. Copy them to a USB stick from the recovery Command Prompt and open them on a working PC with WinDbg.
• Look in the same System log for an entry with the text License Violation. It means the kernel did see a product type change, which points to Fix 6.

How to fix the SYSTEM_LICENSE_VIOLATION blue screen

Windows usually does not start with this error, so every fix begins in the recovery screens. Windows opens them on its own after two or three failed starts. Fixes 1 and 2 undo or repair the damage without touching your files; Fix 3 tells you whether the licence keys are still there; Fixes 5 and 6 rebuild Windows.

Fix 1. Roll the registry back with System Restore from the recovery screens

15 minutesLow riskThe crash started after an update, a program or driver install, an activator, or a forced shutdown, and System Protection was on.

A restore point holds a copy of the registry, including the Setup and ProductOptions keys that the licence check reads. Restoring it puts back values that the kernel could read before, and leaves your documents alone.

1. Turn the PC on and, when the logo appears, hold the power button until it turns off. Do this twice. On the third start Windows opens Automatic Repair.
2. Select Advanced options, then Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
3. Select System Restore. If the drive is encrypted, enter your BitLocker recovery key when asked.
4. Pick a restore point dated before the first crash and select Next, then Finish.
5. Let the PC restart and do not repeat what came before the crash until Windows has started cleanly twice.

All the ways to open System Restore, with screenshots: Undo recent changes with System Restore

Fix 2. Run Startup Repair (Quick machine recovery) from the recovery screens

10 to 30 minutesNo riskThere is no restore point, or System Restore failed, and Windows keeps crashing at startup.

Startup Repair checks why Windows does not start and repairs boot files, the boot configuration and some registry problems by itself. It costs nothing to try and keeps every file.

1. Open the recovery screens as in Fix 1: two interrupted starts, then Advanced options.
2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
3. Select Quick machine recovery on current Windows 11, or Startup Repair on older Windows 11 and on Windows 10.
4. Choose an administrator account and type its password; enter the BitLocker recovery key if asked.
5. Wait for the result. If it cannot repair the PC, it says so and shows where its log file is.

Full steps, including where the repair log is: Run Startup Repair

Fix 3. Check the licence keys of the offline Windows from the recovery Command Prompt

10 minutesNo riskFixes 1 and 2 did not help and you want to know whether the registry hive is damaged before you reset Windows.

Most 0x9A sub-cases mean one of these keys or values could not be opened or read. Loading the SYSTEM hive of the broken Windows and reading them shows in a minute whether they exist, so you know whether a reset is needed.

1. Open the recovery screens as in Fix 1 and select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt. Enter the BitLocker recovery key if asked.
2. Find the Windows drive. In recovery it often is not C:. Try each letter until the list shows System32.

   dir C:\Windows
   dir D:\Windows

3. Load the SYSTEM hive of that Windows under a temporary name. Use the letter you found; D: is shown here.

   reg load HKLM\OFFSYS D:\Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM

4. Read the Setup values and the product options. An offline hive has ControlSet001 instead of CurrentControlSet.

   reg query HKLM\OFFSYS\Setup /v SetupType
   reg query HKLM\OFFSYS\Setup /v SystemSetupInProgress
   reg query HKLM\OFFSYS\ControlSet001\Control\ProductOptions

5. Unload the hive before you leave, so nothing stays locked.

   reg unload HKLM\OFFSYS

6. Close the Command Prompt and select Continue or Turn off your PC.

Fix 4. Check the Windows drive for file system errors and bad sectors

30 minutes to several hoursLow riskThe hive will not load, the crash returns after every repair, or the disk is old or makes noises.

The registry lives in files on the Windows drive. If the file system or the disk is damaged, the licence keys are lost again after each repair. Chkdsk fixes file system errors and marks bad sectors so the next repair holds.

In the recovery Command Prompt, with D: as the Windows drive:

chkdsk D: /f /r

1. Open the recovery Command Prompt and find the Windows drive as in Fix 3.
2. Run the command above. /f fixes file system errors; /r also looks for bad sectors and takes much longer on a hard disk.
3. Wait until it reaches 100 percent and read the summary at the end.
4. Restart. If Windows still crashes, go back to Fix 1 or run Fix 5.

Other ways to run chkdsk and where its log is: Check a disk for errors (chkdsk)

Fix 5. Reset this PC and keep your files

60 to 90 minutesRead the warningThe licence keys are missing or the hive is damaged, and you want to keep your personal files.

Reset this PC writes a new Windows with a fresh registry, so damaged or edited licence keys are replaced. With Keep my files your documents stay in place.

1. Open the recovery screens as in Fix 1 and select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
2. Select Keep my files. Do not select Remove everything.
3. Select Cloud download to get a fresh copy of Windows from Microsoft. Local reinstall uses the files on the PC, which may be the damaged ones.
4. Review the summary and select Reset. The PC restarts several times.
5. Once Windows runs, check Settings > System > Activation. A digital licence tied to the PC activates again on its own.

The same reset from inside Windows, with screenshots: Reinstall Windows without losing files

Fix 6. Reinstall Windows from Microsoft's own media

60 to 120 minutesRead the warningNothing above worked, Windows was changed by an activator or edition tool, or this is an evaluation copy whose clock was changed.

When the licence data was edited on purpose, a restore or reset may carry the change over. A clean install from Microsoft's media writes genuine licence data that the kernel can check. An expired or edited evaluation copy needs a full edition with a valid key.

1. On a working PC, download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's Windows download page and create a USB stick. Windows 11 is the version to install: Windows 10 no longer gets security updates.
2. Boot the broken PC from the stick. The key for the boot menu differs by maker; it is shown briefly at power on.
3. Select Install now, then Custom: Install Windows only, and choose the old Windows partition. Do not delete partitions you still need files from.
4. When asked for a product key, enter your own or select I don't have a product key if the PC had a digital licence.
5. Do not run activators or edition changers on the new Windows. Activate with a genuine key in Settings > System > Activation.

Still getting SYSTEM_LICENSE_VIOLATION: what to check and send

A crash that survives a clean install from Microsoft's media is no longer a registry problem. Memory errors (Parameter 1 0x14 points there) and a failing disk are the usual suspects.

• Test the RAM: How to test your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic
• Run chkdsk again and the disk maker's own test tool.
• Save the files from C:\Windows\Minidump and the BugCheck entries of the System log, with the four parameters.
• Write down what changed last: the update, the program, the activator, the power cut.

How to keep the system license violation crash from coming back

Frequently asked questions

What is SYSTEM_LICENSE_VIOLATION?

It is Windows stop code 0x0000009A. Microsoft defines it as Windows detecting a violation of the software license agreement, for example a changed product type or a changed evaluation period. In practice, the kernel stops when it cannot read or protect the registry values that hold the edition and licence data. That is usually registry damage or an edited licence, not a hardware fault. Readers asking in other languages what this problem is, what caused it and how to solve it, ask the same thing: Fix 1 and Fix 2 solve most cases.

Is my PC broken?

Almost certainly not. The stop code comes from a check of registry values, so the hardware is usually fine and your files are still on the disk. The crash repeats on every start because the check runs on every start. Run System Restore from the recovery screens first. Only if the crash survives a clean install from Microsoft's media should you test the memory and the disk.

Does system license violation mean my Windows is not genuine?

Not by itself. Windows that is not activated shows a watermark and limits personalization; it does not crash with 0x9A. A genuine, activated Windows can still crash when its SYSTEM registry hive is damaged. The link to piracy is real in one way: activators and edition changers edit exactly the values this check guards, and Microsoft names changed product types and changed evaluation periods as triggers. If you used such a tool, reinstall from Microsoft's media (Fix 6).

Is SYSTEM_LICENSE_VIOLATION different on Windows 11 and Windows 10?

The stop code and the fixes are the same. Two things differ. Windows 11 24H2 and later show a black screen with "Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart." instead of the blue one, and on current Windows 11 the Startup Repair tile is called Quick machine recovery. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, so if you have to reinstall anyway, install Windows 11 if the PC supports it.

Can I fix it in Safe Mode?

Usually not. Safe Mode loads the same kernel and reads the same registry, so it hits the same licence check and stops. You can try once from Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings, and if Safe Mode does open, read the BugCheck entry in Event Viewer to get Parameter 1. Otherwise use the recovery screens, which run their own small Windows. Steps: Start Windows or a Mac in Safe Mode

Will SFC or bootrec fix the license violation blue screen?

Rarely. SFC repairs protected system files, and the bootrec commands repair the boot record and boot configuration. The 0x9A check reads registry values in the SYSTEM hive, which neither tool rebuilds. That is why older guides that start with sfc /scannow or bootrec often do not help with this code. If you want to rule out damaged system files after Windows starts again, use Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files.

Can a driver cause stop code 0x9A?

Not directly. Microsoft's general advice for stop codes is to remove new hardware and update or roll back drivers, and that is sound for most blue screens. For 0x9A, a driver matters only if its install wrote to the registry and was cut off, or if it ran into the licence data. If the crash began right after a driver install, System Restore (Fix 1) undoes both the driver and the registry change in one step.

I get system license violation on Windows Server or an evaluation copy. What now?

Microsoft names two Server-related sub-cases: Parameter 1 0x0A, a workstation converted to a server, and 0x01, offline changes to the evaluation time period. Both mean the licence data was edited. Do not try to move the clock or edit the keys back. Reinstall from genuine media and activate a full edition with a valid key. We could not confirm on Microsoft's pages whether an evaluation that simply runs out shows this stop code.

Fix 1 worked. How do I stop it from happening again?

Find out what changed just before the first crash and do not repeat it: an activator, a registry cleaner, an update that was cut off by a power loss. Keep System Protection on so a restore point exists next time, and let updates finish before you shut down. If you are not sure, run chkdsk once from inside Windows to rule out a failing disk.