Activation fails when you try to activate Windows Vista or Windows Longhorn Server over the Internet
This article pertains to any of the following Vista errors.
1. Activation fails with error code 0x8004FE33.
2. The following Error events may be recorded in the Application log:
Log Name: Application
Source: Software Licensing Service
Event ID: 8198
Level: Error Description: License Activation (SLUI.exe) failed with the following error code: 0x80004005
Log Name: Application
Source: Software Licensing Service
Event ID: 1008
Level: Error Description: Acquisition of Secure Processor Certificate failed. Status Code=hr=0x8004FE33
3. Activation is not successful, and you are not prompted for credentials.
The reason for this may happen when you connect to the internet through a proxy server that has basic authentication enabled. When the proxy server is configured for Basic authentication, the server requires that you type a username and a password. However, the activation user interface does not let you enter these credentials. Therefore, the Basic authentication fails, and activation is not successful.
Here is what you can try.
1. Simply do not use the basic authentication on the proxy server or pick up that phone and activate over the phone. It is automated and should only take about 7 minutes.
2. If you must use the Basic Authentication then exclude the urls for the certificate revocation lists from. Do this by unauthenticating the CRL’s from the proxy server
crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/MicrosoftRootAuthority.crl
crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/MicrosoftProductSecureCommunications.crl
microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/MicrosoftProductSecureCommunications.crl
crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/MicrosoftProductSecureServer.crl
microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/MicrosoftProductSecureServer.crl