Microsoft has confirmed that this month’s Patch Tuesday security updates are causing Windows activation and licensing failures with error codes 0x80041008.
According to a service alert published Wednesday by BleepingComputer, this known issue affects organizations that automate Windows activation and licensing processes or use the Software Licensing Management Tool (SLMGR) command-line tool.
“Affected devices may experience error 0x80041008, invalid parameter (SWbemObjectEx), when running commands to activate Windows, configure the Key Management Service (KMS), or manage product keys,” Microsoft said.
“Devices configured to use KMS activation may experience errors when attempting to initiate their activation. KMS-activated devices typically remain activated for up to 180 days after successful activation.”
Activation failures occur after running the ‘slmgr.vbs /skms-domain file
However, Microsoft added that customers with the KMS client key installed in their image and who do not use SLMGR for license management are not affected.
“Devices that are already activated will remain activated. Customers whose devices already have the correct KMS client key and KMS configuration, and who do not need to run the affected Slmgr.vbs commands, should not be affected,” the company noted.
Although a fix will be available in the coming days, Microsoft has advised affected organizations that need immediate mitigation to contact Microsoft Support for Business.
In January, Microsoft fixed another known issue that caused Windows license migration failures during upgrades because affected devices were unable to register with the Windows Activation Server for digital licenses.
This week, it also confirmed that Windows 11 November 2026 security updates are failing to install on systems with the October 2026 Preview Update and that Windows updates released since October Patch Tuesday are triggering SQL Server performance and stability issues.
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