Error 0xc0000022 during Windows activation.

Question

Error 0xc0000022 during Windows activation.

Tahmid 20

Hello,

Recently, I defragmented my entire hard drive (Using a third-party app). However, after defragmenting my Windows, it suddenly got deactivated. The text "Activate Windows" appears on the bottom right of the screen. I tried to activate Windows by re-entering my product key, and it showed error 0xc0000022.

I had done everything I could, but trying to turn on SPPSVC gives Error 5: Access is Denied. Even after taking full ownership of sppsvc.exe. I have scanned the PC with SFC and DISM, and yet no luck. This issue immediately began after the defragmentation and persists in safe mode.

Thanks!

OS: Windows 10 Home Edition x64. Version: 10.0.19045 Build 19045.

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Answer accepted by question author

Ramesh 176.3K Volunteer Moderator

Sppsvc is unable to create the folder and encounters an access denied error.

Please try the following:

icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store"

md C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0

takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0" /a /r

icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store" /restore C:\Files\Perms.acl

net start sppsvc

Post the output.

Tahmid 20 Reputation points

2025-07-25T08:07:52.1666667+00:00

I ran all of them and yes it worked! SPPSVC service has been turned on. Thanks a lot for your help.

Ramesh 176.3K Volunteer Moderator

Glad it's sorted. Hope that has resolved the activate error as well.

The following set the default permissions for the subfolders:

icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\tokens.dat" /setowner "NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService"

icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\data.dat" /setowner "NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService"

icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\cache" /setowner "NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService"

icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\cache\cache.dat" /setowner "NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService"

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Your answer

Tahmid 20 Reputation points

2025-07-25T08:07:52.1666667+00:00

I ran all of them and yes it worked! SPPSVC service has been turned on. Thanks a lot for your help.
Ramesh 176.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-07-25T08:11:59.7033333+00:00

Glad it's sorted. Hope that has resolved the activate error as well.

The following set the default permissions for the subfolders:

icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\tokens.dat" /setowner "NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService" icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\data.dat" /setowner "NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService" icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\cache" /setowner "NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService" icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\cache\cache.dat" /setowner "NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService"

Answer 1

Ramesh 176.3K Volunteer Moderator

Please do the following:

Download perms.acl and save it to a preferred location, say C:\Files

Open admin Command Prompt and run these commands:

takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0" /a /r

icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store" /restore  C:\Files\Perms.acl

icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0"

icacls "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\tokens.dat"

net start sppsvc

Post the output here.

Ramesh 176.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-07-24T17:02:30.4733333+00:00

I have edited the 1st command slightly. If you already ran them, no problem anyway.

Post the output here.
Tahmid 20 Reputation points

2025-07-25T06:06:49.95+00:00

The directory "C:\Windows\System32\spp\store" is empty. I couldn't run any of these commands cus of that.
Ramesh 176.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-07-25T06:08:09.79+00:00

Run those commands anyway.

Post the output.
Tahmid 20 Reputation points

2025-07-25T07:56:30.43+00:00

I can't run those commands cus the path simply does not exists.

Running the first command gives:

ERROR: The system cannot find the file specified.

Answer 2

Ramesh 176.3K Volunteer Moderator

0xc0000022 means "Access is denied".

This article might help.

https://scottiestech.info/2020/07/28/fix-windows-activation-failed-due-to-software-protection-service-error-code-0xc0000022/

Tahmid 20 Reputation points

2025-07-24T04:54:59.73+00:00

I had followed this article earlier. Didn't solved!
Ramesh 176.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-07-24T04:58:33.98+00:00
From admin Command Prompt, run these two commands:

reg save "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform" c:\reg1.dat reg save "HKLM\SYSTEM\WPA" c:\reg2.dat

Share c:\reg1.dat and reg2.dat on OneDrive, and post the link here.
Tahmid 20 Reputation points

2025-07-24T15:05:38.9533333+00:00

Here,

reg1.dat : https://1drv.ms/u/c/0e86f651ae586875/EUXZkz0R4nhNjSUtyJJFcZcBgfD5QOw-J4yc9tnRdhdIfw?e=dKrhHe

reg2.dat: https://1drv.ms/u/c/0e86f651ae586875/ERVqBaJFAO5CvLhaH9sA2U8B9iEqHYAA6jwN4cUQ5uHIcw?e=nAOm2V
Ramesh 176.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-07-24T15:38:14.1066667+00:00
The registry settings are good. No modifications need to be made.

Please run a ProcMon trace and share the zipped log file. See instructions below:

Open admin Command Prompt and minimize it.

Download Process Monitor: http://live.sysinternals.com/procmon.exe

Launch Process Monitor.

Reset the filter options and click OK.

If tracing does not start automatically, press Ctrl + E.

Try to start the Software Protection service by running NET START SPPSVC in the admin Command Prompt.

When the service returns an error, switch to Process Monitor and stop tracing (Ctrl + E).

Save "All Events" in a PML log file.

Zip the log file and upload it. The PML log size will be huge. Zipping it reduces the size by 90%.

Post the download link here.
Tahmid 20 Reputation points

2025-07-24T16:11:38.7066667+00:00

https://1drv.ms/u/c/0e86f651ae586875/EUTy74HAoqFBnlbnJ7H2KVgBPFITwE3VbhShNRws5Zohag?e=ZF9Du1

Answer 3

Alvise C 56,036 Volunteer Moderator

ok, what is the result of SFC and DISM commands? can you share here?

Tahmid 20 Reputation points

2025-07-24T04:21:54.87+00:00

I turned off my PC after posting the comment. I re-ran that script now and the SFC command returned this text.

Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them. For online repairs, details are included in the CBS log file located at windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For offline repairs, details are included in the log file provided by the /OFFLOGFILE flag.

Thu 07/24/2025

10:03 AM
Alvise C 56,036 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-07-24T06:25:21.71+00:00

ok, there is still a problem with the system files, repeat the SFC /SCANNOW command, please

then restart the system and let me know if there is again the written "Windows resource protection found corrupt files and succesfully repaired them"

also, follow the instruction of Ramesh and let us know if something helps

Answer 4

Alvise C 56,036 Volunteer Moderator

hi tahmid, welcome in community

open notepad, paste these commands:

@echo off
date /t & time /t
echo Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
echo ...
date /t & time /t
echo Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
echo ...
date /t & time /t
echo SFC /scannow
SFC /scannow
date /t & time /t
pause

Save the file with a name (like SFC-DISM_scan.bat) and append the .bat file extension, now repeatedly run the batch file with admin privilege until it reports no errors.

then re-try to activate the system

let me know

Elvis

Tahmid 20 Reputation points

2025-07-23T03:49:40.5433333+00:00

Nope. Same error 0xc0000022

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Error 0xc0000022 during Windows activation.

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