INF: Ports That Are Used by Windows Product Activation

Windows Product Activation uses the following ports:

For Windows Product Activation to succeed, configure firewalls or other devices that are between the client and the Internet to allow traffic to pass over ports 80 and 443.

You can use Microsoft Internet Explorer or other Web browsers to test connectivity through these ports.

To test whether port 80 is open, follow these steps:

1. Start Internet Explorer.
2. Type http://www.microsoft.com:80 in the Address bar, and then press ENTER.

If the Microsoft Web page opens in your browser window, port 80 is open. If you receive a "connection timed out" message, network traffic through port 80 may be blocked.

To test whether port 443 is open, follow these steps:

1. Start Internet Explorer.
2. Type https://www.microsoft.com:443 in the Address bar, and then press ENTER.

If the Microsoft Web page opens in your browser window, port 443 is open. If you receive a "connection timed out" message, network traffic through port 443 may be blocked.

Windows Product Activation will display an "Error 32777" error message if it is unable to connect to the Product Activation server. In this case, check for proper Internet connectivity.

Note: Windows Product Activation may also fail with error 32777 if your computer's date or time settings are incorrect. To view the date and time settings, open Control Panel, and then double-click Date and Time.

For additional information about how to activate Windows, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: