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Hi,
I am currently facing an issue after upgrading a Windows 7 Pro (OEM Edition) to Windows 10 Pro following updates provided by Microsoft, whereby while checking my activation status, I found the following message:

"Connect to the internet to activate Windows"

I tried to activate it manually from the "Settings" window, but it gave me:

"Windows can't activate right now. Try activating again later. If that doesn't work, contact support. Error code 0xD0000272."

Any other way I can proceed to activate?

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Dani AI

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This thread documents a classic post-upgrade activation failure (error 0xD0000272). The symptom most often means Windows cannot complete an online activation handshake — commonly because of proxy/VPN/firewall/network filtering or an edition/license mismatch. As noted by later in the thread, a misbehaving proxy was the real cause in this case; fixing the proxy restored activation.

Practical troubleshooting (in order):

  1. Confirm basic internet access and correct system date/time.
  2. Remove network intermediaries that can block activation: disable VPN, browser/OS proxy and any corporate web gateway, or test using a different network (mobile hotspot). To inspect/reset WinHTTP proxy settings from an elevated Command Prompt:
netsh winhttp show proxy
netsh winhttp reset proxy
  1. Run the Windows Activation troubleshooter: Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Troubleshoot.
  2. Gather activation state and try an online activation from an elevated command prompt:
slmgr.vbs /dlv
slmgr.vbs /ato
slui 3
  1. Verify the installed Windows edition matches the entitlement (Pro vs Home). If a Microsoft account was used for the free upgrade, ensure that account is linked to the device (Settings > Accounts) so the “I changed hardware recently” recovery option will appear.

Notes and cautions: OEM licenses are typically tied to the original motherboard; replacing major hardware can require reactivation assistance from Microsoft. Avoid repeatedly forcing activations without resolving network blocks — that can complicate support. If network changes and the troubleshooter do not restore activation, escalate to Microsoft activation support with the error code and the slmgr.vbs /dlv output.

Quick checklist: disable proxy/VPN, run Troubleshooter, verify edition and MS account linkage, run the slmgr commands, then contact Microsoft support if still unresolved.

Member Avatar for Ritesh_4

Proxy server was acting weird at that time, issue solved afterwards...

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