Error 0xc0020036 appears on computers running Windows 10. The error message states that system activation has failed. In most cases, this code appears almost immediately after the transition from an early version of Windows to the top ten.
Reasons behind the appearance of 0xc0020036
There are several reasons behind this error. Let’s go through each of them.
- Incorrect Windows product key. As it was found out, an incorrect product license key may be behind the error 0xc0020036. There is also speculation among users that the product key may have changed during the transition to a digital license, which caused the problem. In this case, everything can be corrected by re-entering the key.
- “Bad” update for Windows 10. Not all updates have a positive effect on the operation of the Windows system. Some users claim that they got this error immediately after upgrading to Windows 10 from an older version of the OS. Updating the Windows 10 build should fix the situation.
- Damaged license key. It is possible that the problem lies in an old key that cannot be removed by the activation wizard. In this situation, you need to delete the old key via the command line.
- Damage to system files. According to allegations, error 0xc0020036 can occur as a result of corrupted Windows system files. This is where utilities like SFC and DISM come to the rescue.
- The license key is stuck in the system registry. If you upgraded to Windows 10 using a free upgrade, then your old license key could literally get stuck in the Windows registry. One simple registry tweak and you’re done.
Methods for solving error 0xc0020036
Method # 1 Re-entering the key
Most of the users who encountered this error installed the 1803 update for Windows 10. It turns out that this update can break the activation of a system that was updated from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to the “dozen”. The solution in this situation is to reactivate:
- go to this link and download the Windows OEM Product Key Tool utility to your PC;
- run it and copy your license key from the utility window;
- then press Windows + R and execute the value “ms-settings: activation”;
- click on the “Add Product Key / Change Product Key” button;
- enter the previously copied key in the required field and click “Next”;
- wait for the activation process to complete and restart your computer.
Error 0xc0020036 will be resolved if the problem was a failed activation.
Method # 2 Installing updates
In November 2018, an unstable update was released for Windows 10, which you can learn from the users themselves. Perhaps you have a problem with this update. All you need to do is install all updates released after November last year.
To do this, do the following:
- press Windows + R;
- write the value “ms-settings: windowsupdate” and press Enter;
- click on the “Check for Updates” button and follow the instructions on the screen to install all accumulated updates;
- after the end of the process, restart your computer.
Check for error 0xc0020036.
Method # 3 Deleting an existing key
It turns out that this problem can occur due to the fact that the activation wizard does not correctly see your Windows activation key. This can be corrected by deleting and re-entering the key into the system. Do the following:
- right-click on Start;
- select “Command line (administrator)”;
- then run the following commands:
- at the end of the key removal procedure, close the command line and restart the computer;
- then press Windows + R and run “ms-settings: activation”;
- click on “Add Product Key” and enter your license key.
Re-entering the Windows key should save you from error 0xc0020036. But if it still appears, then try using the method below.
Method # 4 Search and repair damaged files
This problem could be caused by the common corruption of some system files. To check this, you need to use the SFC and DISM utilities. Do the following:
- right-click on Start;
- select “Command line (administrator)”;
- enter the command “sfc / scannow”;
- wait until the SFC utility finishes and restart the computer;
- if this utility did not help, then open the command line again and execute “DISM / Online / Cleanup-Image / RestoreHealth”;
- reboot the PC and check again for error 0xc0020036.
Method # 5 Contact customer service center
Can’t solve a problem with Windows activation? The easiest way is to call Microsoft Customer Service Center and ask them for help activating your system. By this link you will find a complete list of numbers for different countries and regions. Don’t worry, you won’t have to pay for the call.
Method # 6 Correction of the value of the “sppsvc” parameter in the registry
Some users claim that they managed to get rid of error 0xc0020036 by performing a small registry edit regarding the sppsvc utility. After this edit, it is enough to re-enter your license key and the problem will be solved.
- Press Windows + R and run “regedit”;
- go to “Computer HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM CurrentControlSet Services sppsvc”;
- double click on the “Start” parameter on the right side of the window;
- set the hexadecimal number system and the value “2”;
- save your changes and restart your computer.
We hope that at least one of the methods in this article helped you get rid of error 0xc0020036.