Resolve ACT or ECP Errors During Activation (Home Users)

Problem

During the activation of your ESET product, one of the following errors may occur:

• Error code starts with ACT

• Error code starts with ECP

• Activation error 0015

Note: For activation issues with business products, please click here.

Solution

 Business Users |  Android

Troubleshooting activation issues

ESET products may display various ACT error codes (e.g., ACT.0, ACT.7, ACT.3, ACT.21, etc.view complete list of ACT errors) when activation is unsuccessful. Follow these steps to resolve these errors:

1. Completely remove previous antivirus programs

Uninstall any previously installed antivirus solutions – preferably using the official removal tool from the respective manufacturer.
An overview of removal tools for third-party antivirus programs can be found here.

2. Check internet connection

Ensure that your internet connection is active. To do this, visit the ESET website. Without an active connection, neither updates nor activations can be performed.

1. Open ESET product

Open your installed ESET program.
(How do I open my ESET product?)

2. Open advanced settings

Press the F5 key to open the advanced settings.

3. Clear update cache

Navigate to:

Update → General → Clear update cache → Delete → OK

• If the Delete button is grayed out, restart your computer and try again.

• If the error persists, proceed to step 6.

4. Reset Winsock

1. Open the Start menu.

2. Right-click on Command Prompt.

3. Select Run as administrator.

4. Enter the following command:

netsh winsock reset

5. Press Enter and then restart your computer.

6. Try the activation again.

7. Check hosts file

Navigate to:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\

Open the hosts file there (e.g., with Notepad).

Check if there are entries indicating a manipulated DNS redirect to the domain edf.eset.com.

• If such entries are present, delete them manually.

• You will need administrator rights to edit.

If the problem persists

If none of the steps help, please contact ESET Support directly.

Activation Error Messages – Overview & Solutions

If you receive this error message on an Android device, please refer to our Android-specific instructions.

Error Codes ACT.0 / ACT.1 / ACT.2

If one of these errors occurs in ESET version 10, please contact ESET Customer Support directly.

ACT.21

This error often appears after a product upgrade.
Solution:

1. Restart your computer.

2. Try activation again.

3. If possible, use your license key.

Further instructions:

• Activation via ESET Remote Administrator (Business)

• Activating a Windows Home User Product via Username/Password or License Key

ACT.24

The ESET product cannot connect to the GEO-IP server.
Check if your network allows access to the ESET GEO-IP server.

ACT.25

This error occurs when a license was previously used with a beta version.
➡️ Please contact ESET Customer Support.

ACT.32 / ACT.34

Activation failed – Error during activation

Your license key is not valid in the selected installation country.
Please select the correct country or contact your license provider.

ACT.39 – License Overused

Your license is being used on too many devices.

Possible solutions:

• Remove the license or deactivate ESET on unused devices via the ESET License Manager

• Remove devices in the ESET License Manager

• Uninstall ESET on unused devices

• Renew or extend the license

After correction, try to activate again.

To identify and report a pirated ESET license, visit our Knowledgebase article for instructions.

ACT.4 – Faulty Installation / Conflicts

A corrupted installation or other security software is causing conflicts.

Solution:
Check if other antivirus programs are installed and remove them completely.

ACT.5 – Invalid License Key

Enter the key exactly, including dashes.

Possible causes:

• License key has already been activated

• Incorrect key entered

• Email with login details not received

ESET offers a recovery function for lost login details.

Depending on the version of your product, you may need to enter one or more of these credentials into your ESET product to activate it.

• Activating my ESET Windows Home User Product using Username/Password or License Key
• I did not receive an email with my username and password
• I lost my username, password, or license key

Multi-User Licenses

You only need to activate your first installation with your license key or activation key. For subsequent installations, follow the steps below:

1. On the second computer, insert your CD into the computer or select your product from the download page to start your second installation.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to install your product.
3. When you reach the product activation window, select Activate with Username and Password (for version 8.x and earlier) or Activate with License Key (for version 9.x and later) and complete the installation with the credentials issued by ESET.
   • I lost my username, password, or license key
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for your remaining installations.

ACT.6 – License Expired

The license is no longer valid and cannot be renewed (e.g., expired trial version).

ACT.7 – General Activation Errors

For new products with this error → Contact ESET Support.

1. Incorrect product installed
Make sure you have downloaded the correct ESET product for your license. If necessary, download the appropriate version again from the download page .

2. Activation key has already been used
Your license has already been activated – reactivation is not required.
For multi-user licenses, activate only once and use the same license key on all other devices.
If you can no longer find your key, use the “License Lost” page and enter the email address used during registration.
If your product is new and the key has allegedly already been used, contact ESET Support.

3. Missing or invalid information in the activation form
Please carefully check all fields and enter the required information completely.
If the problem persists, contact support.

4. Communication with the activation database failed
Try again in about 15 minutes:
Open your ESET product → Update → Update now.
If the connection is stable and the error appears again, contact support.

5. Error communicating with the activation server
Check your internet connection by visiting https://www.eset.de.
If the connection works fine, click on Update → Update now in the product.
If the error persists, contact ESET Support.

6. Invalid activation key
The activation key is usually located inside the CD/DVD case and consists of 12, 13, or 20 characters including dashes.
Ensure correct entry, proper capitalization, and avoid spaces.

For more information on activating your product, see:

• How do I download, install, and activate ESET Cyber Security? (5.x)
• Download and installation of ESET Smart Security/ESET Smart Security Premium

7. Invalid data in the form
Click “Activate” again and enter your data completely.

8. Invalid response from the activation server
Wait about 15 minutes and update again via Update → Update now.

9. Activation only possible with administrator rights
You must be logged in as an administrator to activate ESET Cyber Security or Cyber Security Pro.

10. Key already expired or not found in database
Check your key again.
If the product is new and the error still appears, contact support.

11. Activation server overloaded
Try again in the specified time via Update → Update now.

ECP Error Codes

ECP.20002 – Server unreachable
Possible causes:

• No active internet connection

• Conflict with third-party software such as Lavasoft Web Companion

Solution:

1. Check your internet connection.

2. Uninstall Lavasoft Web Companion (if present).

3. Run an administrative command prompt → netsh winsock reset → restart PC.

4. Delete the following files (if present):

   • C:\Windows\system32\LavasoftTcpService64.dll

   • C:\Windows\system32\SysWOW64\LavasoftTcpService.dll (64-bit)

If the problem persists, there is likely a network/DNS issue or a remnant of old antivirus software.

ECP.20006 – Contact ESET Support
This error requires direct assistance.

ECP.20031 – Certificate validation failed
This error occurs when certificates cannot be verified correctly.
Follow the instructions for certificate validation or contact support.

ECP.4097 – Undefined error
Common cause: incorrectly set system time.
Set time/date correctly.
If problems persist, contact support.

ECP.4098 – Connection to ESET servers failed
Check your internet connection (e.g., https://www.eset.de).
Then Update → Update now.
If errors occur again, contact support.

ECP.4099 – Activation server unreachable
Known issue on some Windows systems.

Solutions:

• Fully update Windows

• completely remove other antivirus programs

• check proxy settings for ESET Endpoint products

• install Microsoft hotfix for Windows Server 2003

• ensure that Windows root certificates are up to date

If activation is still not possible, contact support and send the logs from the ESET Log Collector.

ECP.4100 – Internal error
Try activation again. If unsuccessful, contact support.

ECP.4115 – License invalid in selected country
The license must be activated in the country where it was purchased.
If necessary, contact your local ESET partner.

Other Error Codes

Error 0008 – Product activation failed
Re-enter username/password or clear update cache.
See ESET Knowledgebase.

Error 0015 – Activation error (e.g., when purchased through Staples)
Contact ESET Support and provide your activation key + proof of purchase.

Error 0097 – Key belongs to another product
Download the correct ESET product for your license here.