A problem occurred when windows tried to activate. Error code 0x8007232B
Posted by Russell Wright on October 15, 2009
While installing and activating a volume license edition of Windows 7, I was faced with a problem while trying to activate the new OS. Each time I ran the activation program from the GUI, I received the error “A problem occurred when windows tried to activate. Error code 0x8007232B.”
This problem has been discussed on one of the Vista forums so I thought I’d distill what worked for me in a short article.
I had to install the product key using the command line. To do this, you must first open a command prompt with elevated privileges (runas administrator).
Next, use the command line
slmgr -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
where the X’s are your product key.
The installation of the product should be instantaneous.
Finally, activate windows from Control Panel | System and Security | System.
If Windows is already activated, you won’t see the activate link.
Russ' Do It Yourself Home Workshop 
John Mason said
Brilliant, worked a treat. Thank you.
mitch daks said
Fantastic, worked perfectly
AhTim.com said
Tips: Can’t Activate Windows XP?…
Today my staff reinstall a Windows XP computer, but can’t activate it. I’m very very sure it is a genuine Windows XP CD with license product key. Wierdest is installation id don’t show up, which is needed to activate Windows OS via te…
Vanessa said
cool! worked for me 2!
Ju said
thank you thank you thank you! totally worked
Travis Brown said
Deed not work for me:(
jay said
I DID THE SAME WHAT WAS SHOWN ABOVE
I GET A POPUP WINDOW SAYING “INSTALLED KEY SUCCESSFULLY”
BUT UNFORTUNATELY IF I GO TO MY COMPUTER AND PROPERTIES I STILL SEE SAYING “17DAYS TO ACTIVATE ACTIVATE NOW”
WHATS GOING HERE CAN U PLZ HELP ME…..
Frank Lempitsky said
KMS server requires 5 server requests or 25 Desktop request before it will active. It queues request adn when the number is reached it will activate.