Windows Enterprise subscription not active

Question

Hello everyone,

For a few days now, some of our PCs have had the problem that the Enterprise license from the Microsoft 365 E3 plan is no longer active.

Under "Settings -> System -> Activation" it just says "subscription not active".

The PC is an Azure AD hybrid joint and has a Windows 11 Pro license.

I only know the problem when multiple work or school accounts are logged in and one of these accounts does not have a license, but this is not the case.

Does anyone have an idea what could be causing the problem? It only affects a small proportion of PCs and I have seen the error on both Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Greetings Daniel

Answer 1

Hello,

There could be several reasons why some of your PCs are showing "subscription not active" for the Microsoft 365 E3 plan, even though they are part of an Azure AD hybrid join and should have access to the proper licenses. Here are a few troubleshooting steps and potential causes to consider:

1. License Assignment Verification: Double-check in the Microsoft 365 admin center that the affected users indeed have the Microsoft 365 E3 license assigned to them. Sometimes, licenses can inadvertently get removed or not applied correctly during updates or management changes.
2. Multi-User Scenario: Even if you're sure that every account logged in has a valid license, sometimes the presence of multiple work/school accounts can lead to confusion for the activation service. Try signing out all additional accounts and leaving only the account with the valid E3 license signed in, then check the activation status again.
3. Time and Region Settings: Incorrect date, time, or region settings on the PCs can interfere with activation. Verify that these settings are accurate and match your organization's region.
4. Service Health Check: Log into the Microsoft 365 admin center and check the Service Health dashboard for any known issues or outages related to licensing or activation services.
5. License Exhaustion: Although less likely if only affecting a small number of PCs, verify that your organization has not exceeded the number of purchased licenses.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Hania Lian

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