How to fix Windows activation error 0x80010105?

Error 0x80010105 is not an activation verdict. It is a general Windows error that means the component the troubleshooter called crashed before it could answer, so your licence state is still unknown. Restart, check the connection and activate from Settings instead of the troubleshooter first.

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

What error 0x80010105 means in Windows activation

0x80010105 is not one of Windows activation's own codes. Activation codes start with 0xC004 or 0x8007 and appear in Microsoft's list of activation errors. This one comes from COM, the Windows system that lets one program call a service in another. Microsoft's table of COM error codes lists it as RPC_E_SERVERFAULT with the text "The server threw an exception."

In plain words: the Activation troubleshooter asked a Windows component to do part of the work, and that component crashed before it could reply. The troubleshooter then shows the crash code instead of an activation result. Your licence was never checked.

Why error 0x80010105 appears, from most to least common

Microsoft publishes no cause for this code in activation. The list below follows what the code means and what the reader's situation usually is: a fresh reinstall, a PC that had other problems, and a troubleshooter run straight away.

The last row matters most. 0x80010105 can hide an ordinary licence problem, and only the real code from Fix 2 tells you which one. We could not confirm from Microsoft which component inside the troubleshooter throws the exception.

How to fix Windows activation error 0x80010105

Fixes 1 and 2 go around the crashed troubleshooter and work for most readers. Fix 3 adds the key, Fix 4 restarts the licensing service, Fix 5 uses phone activation. Fixes 6 and 7 are for a damaged system and for a licence that still will not activate. Never use an activator tool or a key from a cheap key site.

Fix 1. Restart, check the connection and activate from Settings

5 minutesNo riskYou reinstalled or reset Windows and got 0x80010105 from the troubleshooter.

A restart reloads the components that threw the exception. Activation needs a working connection to Microsoft, and the Activate button asks for the licence directly, without the troubleshooter's extra steps.

Activation checks with Microsoft online, so test the connection first: How to check your internet connection in Windows

1. Save your work and select Start > Power > Restart. Use Restart, not Shut down.
2. Sign in with an administrator account. If you use a Microsoft account, sign in with the one you used before the reinstall.
3. Open Settings > System > Activation. On Windows 10 it is Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
4. Expand Activation state. If you see Activate, select it and wait.
5. If there is no Activate button, select Troubleshoot once more and read the new result.

Fix 2. Activate from Command Prompt and read the real result

5 minutesLow riskFix 1 did not help, or you want to know what is really wrong with the licence.

slmgr is the licensing script that ships with Windows. It talks to the licensing service without the troubleshooter in between, so a crash in the troubleshooter does not hide the answer.

1. Type cmd in the search box on the taskbar, select Run as administrator next to Command Prompt, then Yes.
2. Start online activation:

   slmgr /ato

3. Wait for the Windows Script Host box and write down the message and any code in it.
4. Show the detailed licence status:

   slmgr /dlv

5. Look at License Status and the last five characters of the Partial Product Key.

The old version of this guide used slmgr /xpr as an activation step. It only shows whether and until when Windows is activated. It does not activate anything.

Fix 3. Enter your product key again

3 minutesNo riskYou bought a retail key, or you skipped the key during the reinstall.

A clean install without a key leaves Windows with a default key that cannot activate. Entering your own key gives the licensing service something to activate.

1. Find the key: the card in the retail box, the shop's confirmation email, or Order history in your Microsoft account if you bought it from Microsoft.
2. Open Settings > System > Activation (Windows 10: Settings > Update & Security > Activation).
3. Select Change product key.
4. Type the 25-character key and select Next, then Activate.

If Settings refuses the key or fails with 0x80010105 again, install it from an administrator Command Prompt, restart, and activate:

Install the key and activate

slmgr /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
slmgr /ato

Fix 4. Restart the Software Protection service

3 minutesLow riskslmgr hangs, reports a service error, or every activation attempt fails the same way.

The Software Protection service keeps the licence data and carries out activation. When it is stuck, every request to it can end in an exception, which is exactly what 0x80010105 reports.

Step by step for any Windows service: Check and restart Windows services

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Scroll to Software Protection.
3. If its status is Running, right-click it and select Restart. If it is empty, right-click and select Start.
4. Close Services and run Fix 2 again.

Fix 5. Activate Windows by phone

10 minutesNo riskOnline activation keeps failing, or the PC cannot reach Microsoft's servers.

Phone activation does not use the online path that failed. Microsoft gives it as the fallback when online activation keeps failing.

1. Type SLUI 04 in the search box on the taskbar and select SLUI 04 in the results. Win + R with slui 4 opens the same window.
2. Select your country or region and select Next.
3. Call the number shown and follow the automated system.
4. Type the confirmation ID you are given and select Activate Windows.

Fix 6. Repair Windows system files

20 to 30 minutesLow riskOther parts of Windows also fail, as they did before the reinstall, or the service in Fix 4 will not start.

A COM server that throws an exception is often a damaged system file. DISM restores the component store and SFC replaces broken files with good copies.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.

   

2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

   

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

Restart after the scan and run Fix 2 again. If SFC reports files it could not repair after a reset that kept your files, a reinstall that keeps files may be the cleaner way out: Reinstall Windows without losing files

Fix 7. Contact Microsoft support with the real activation code

15 to 30 minutesNo riskNone of the fixes above activated Windows.

0x80010105 is not on Microsoft's list of activation errors, and for codes that are not listed Microsoft says to contact customer support. Support can check a purchase that the PC cannot.

1. Run slmgr /dlv in an administrator Command Prompt and take a screenshot of the window.
2. Note every code you saw: 0x80010105 from the troubleshooter and any code from slmgr /ato.
3. Collect your proof of purchase: the key card, the shop email or the Microsoft Store order.
4. Open support.microsoft.com/contactus in a browser and choose Windows activation.
5. Give support all of this in one message, and say that you reinstalled Windows.

If error 0x80010105 is still there

If the troubleshooter keeps crashing but slmgr /dlv says Licensed, you are done: Windows is activated and the troubleshooter is the only broken part. If neither works, collect these facts before you ask for help.

We could not confirm a specific Event Viewer entry for 0x80010105. Read the entries at the exact time of the error and include them when you contact support.

How to avoid error 0x80010105 at the next reinstall

Frequently asked questions

What does error code 0x80010105 mean?

It means a Windows component threw an exception while another program was calling it. Microsoft's COM error table names it RPC_E_SERVERFAULT, with the text "The server threw an exception." In Windows activation it appears when the Activation troubleshooter fails mid-way. It does not say that your licence or key is invalid. Run slmgr /ato in an administrator Command Prompt to get the real activation result.

Does 0x80010105 mean my Windows copy is not genuine?

No. The code is a general Windows error from the troubleshooter, not an activation result. Microsoft does not even list it among activation errors. Your licence is checked only when activation itself runs, for example with Activate in Settings or slmgr /ato. If that returns a real activation code, that code tells you whether the key is the problem.

Why did 0x80010105 appear after I reinstalled Windows?

Most often because the troubleshooter ran before Windows was ready, or before the PC was online. A fresh install also may not have your key yet if you skipped it during setup. Restart, make sure the connection works, and activate from Settings (Fix 1). If the PC had crashing apps before the reinstall, damaged system files can carry over after a reset that kept your files (Fix 6).

What is IDM error 0x80010105 "Cannot transfer the download to IDM"?

It is the same COM error code in a different program. Internet Download Manager hands downloads from the browser to its own program, and the error says that hand-over crashed. It has nothing to do with Windows activation, and the fixes on this page do not apply. We found no IDM page that explains this code. Users report that restarting the browser and IDM or reinstalling IDM from its official site helps. Do not use cracked versions.

Can a printer show error 0x80010105?

The same code can appear wherever Windows programs call each other through COM, and some users search for it with printers. The meaning is the same: the program on the other side crashed. For a printer, restart the PC and the printer and reinstall its driver. This page is about Windows activation, so the activation fixes here will not help a printer.

Is 0x80010105 the same on Windows 10?

Yes. The code and its meaning are the same on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Only the path differs: Settings > Update & Security > Activation on Windows 10, Settings > System > Activation on Windows 11. Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025, so a reinstall is a good moment to move to Windows 11 if the PC supports it.

Will updating Windows fix 0x80010105?

Not on its own. No Microsoft source ties this code to a missing update, and the old version of this guide had no proof for it either. Installing updates is still worth doing after a reinstall, because it replaces older system components. Do it after Fix 1 and Fix 2, not instead of them.

What happens if I leave Windows unactivated?

Windows keeps working and your files stay, but you get reminders to activate. Users report a watermark and locked personalisation settings. The licence terms allow use only when Windows is properly activated, so use the time to find your key or run the fixes on this page, and do not turn to activator tools.

Is there a free tool or key that fixes 0x80010105?

No legitimate one. Free keys posted online are generic or stolen, and activator tools change system files and run with full rights on your PC. Microsoft's licence terms forbid bypassing activation, and such tools can bring malware with them. The legal ways are on this page: your own key, the licence linked to your Microsoft account, phone activation, or Microsoft support.

Is this page available in Spanish or other languages?

No, this guide is in English only. If you searched for "activar windows" or asked about this code in another language, the steps are the same. Open Settings > System > Activation, restart and try Activate, then run slmgr /ato in an administrator Command Prompt. The menu names appear in your Windows language.