Official message
Microsoft original
The Software Protection Service reported that the product key is invalid.What this means
The product key format or contents were not accepted. It may have been typed incorrectly, or it may not match the version.
Common causes
- The product key was entered incorrectly.
- The product key does not match the product version.
Do this first
Check the product key one character at a time, and watch for characters that look alike.
What to do next
- 1Enter it again, or use a product key that matches.
Continue diagnosis from this code
Take what you know into the Windows activation diagnosis. It will ask a few more questions to narrow this down.
Sources
Related articles
About this data
The meaning and the original message come from the documents listed above. The same error code can have more than one cause. This site gives an order of checks. It does not decide your exact situation from the code alone.