Fix: Windows Cannot Find the Microsoft Software License Terms Error

Is your screen displaying the ‘Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms’ error while attempting to install Windows or Windows Server?

 

 

Microsoft offers server and desktop versions of Windows to its users. Both the versions look the same at first glance, but they are developed for entirely different uses. Windows Server is designed to be stronger than the standard Windows versions and offers a firmer networking grip. 

Both versions’ installation process is relatively straightforward, but several users have recently reported that they cannot install their required version on their devices. This can be frustrating, especially if the users do not have an operating system already installed. 

If you, too, are trying to install Windows or Windows Server on your device, but the error message ‘Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms’ prevents you from doing so, you’re in the right place. 

Troubleshooting steps can be daunting, and we understand that. Don’t worry; we have listed some of the easiest yet effective methods below that will get you right back on track in no time. 

Let’s dive right in. 

• 1. Get a New Installation Image. 
• 2. Prepare Your Drive.
• 3. Switch Ports.
• 4. Fix the CFG File.
• 5. Disable Dynamic RAM.
• 6. Create a Bootable Drive through Rufus.
• 7. Try Using CleanMyPC.
• 8. Reset BIOS.

 

1. Get a New Installation Image.

If you face the ‘Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms’ error on your PC, the first thing you should do is get a new installation image. There are times when installation media files are not correctly copied or are corrupt. This prevents users from installing Windows properly. 

You can solve this issue by downloading a fresh copy of the installation image using the ‘Media Creation Tool’. 

Here is how you can do it:

1. Download the Media Creation Tool on a running PC. 
2. Once the file is downloaded, open it to start the installation process. 
3. Select Yes to accept the Terms and Conditions. 
4. Doing so will launch a ‘Windows 10 Setup’ screen. Select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC and click on Next. 

 

5. Uncheck the Use the recommended options for this PC in the next window. 
6. Under Choose which media to choose option, select USB flash drive or DVD and click Next. 

 

7. Once done, insert the drive in your PC where you want to install Windows and check if the installation completes without any error. 

If damaged or corrupt files in the Windows installation image were causing the issue, recreating the image will resolve it. Hopefully, you will not face the ‘Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms’ error again. 

 

 

2. Prepare your Drive.

Before installing Windows on your PC, it is essential to prepare your drive to hold your data properly. The data includes everything from Windows to programs and other files on your device. 

This is a one-time process as you will only need to prepare your drive before installing Windows. 

Here is what you need to do:

1. Insert the installation drive and restart your PC. 
2. Once the computer is restarted, a ‘Choose your keyboard layout’ screen will be displayed on your PC. Select your preferred layout and then navigate to Troubleshoot. 
3. Inside the Troubleshoot window, select Advanced Options and then click on Command Prompt. 

 

4. Inside the Command Prompt window, type the command mentioned below and hit Enter. Doing so will allow you to run several Diskpart on your PC. 

diskpart

 

5. Now copy the command mentioned below and paste it in the Command Prompt window to see the list of available drives.

DISKPART> list disk

 

6. From the list of available drives, choose the one where you want to install Windows. Once selected, type the command mentioned below. Don’t forget to add the drive number in front of the command. For instance, if you choose Drive 1 for Windows installation, type 1, as mentioned in the command below. 

DISKPART> select disk 1

 

7. Next, type the commands mentioned below one by one and hit Enter after each. These commands will help create a hard disk partition on your device to sort out Windows OS and other data. 

Clean

Create Partition Primary

Active

 

8. Finally, type the last command mentioned below and hit Enter to execute it. Don’t forget to choose NTFS for Windows installation in the file selection category. 

format fs=ntfs quick

 

9. Once done, close Command Prompt and see if the installation completes successfully after performing the methods mentioned above. 

You should now be able to install Windows on your PC without any errors. 

 

 

3. Switch Ports. 

Another common reason behind the ‘Windows cannot find the Microsoft Store License Terms’ is unstable ports. Unstable ports are common in PCs, and they can interrupt the installation process. You can fix this issue by inserting the USB into another port and trying to reinstall Windows. 

If you are using an optical drive instead of a USB, try connecting it to an external USB optical drive. Hopefully, it will fix the issue.

 

 

4. Create an EI.CFG File.

Configuration files are used to configure initial settings for several computer programs and even the operating system. 

If you face the ‘Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms’ error on your PC, there is a good chance that your ‘ei.cfg’ file is causing the error. You can fix this issue by recreating the ‘ei.cfg’ file on your PC. 

Here is what you need to do:

1. Open Notepad and type the following in the Notepad window. 

[Channel]

OEM

 

2. Click on File at the top-left corner of the window and select Save as. 
3. Name the file as ‘ei.cfg’ and save it. 
4. Now copy the file and paste it into the root folder of your Windows. Typically, C:\ is the root folder in Windows by default. 
5. Once done, try to reinstall Windows. If the error occurs again, copy the ei.cfg file inside the Sources folder of the root folder and then attempt to install the Windows. 

This should fix the issue on your PC, and you should now be able to install Windows without any problems. 

 

 

5. Disable Dynamic RAM.

This solution is for the users who are trying to install Windows on a Virtual Machine using Hyper-V. Several users have reported that they managed to solve the ‘Windows cannot find the Microsoft Store Software License Terms’ error by disabling the Hyper-V manager’s Dynamic RAM. 

We suggest giving it a try as it may solve the error on your Virtual Machine too. 

Here is what you need to do:

1. Open Hyper-V Manager and click on your Node. 

 

2. Doing will display a list of Virtual Machines. Now right-click on the faulty one and select Settings. 
3. Locate the Memory tab on the right-side navigation menu and uncheck the Enable Dynamic Memory option. 
4. Click OK to save the changes and try to install the Windows again. 

Hopefully, disabling the Dynamic RAM will fix the error, and Windows will be installed without any issues. 

 

 

6. Create a Bootable Drive through Rufus.

If you fail to create a bootable drive using conventional methods, try using Rufus. Rufus allows users to create bootable USB drives to install or run Microsoft Windows without any issues. 

Follow the steps mentioned below to create a bootable drive using Rufus. 

1. Download the latest version of Rufus and open it. 
2. Inside the Rufus window, click on the drop-down menu under Device and select your USB device. 
3. Now click on the drop-down menu under the Partition scheme option and choose GPT.

 

4. Similarly, under the Target system option, choose UEFI and click OK. 
5. Next, checkmark the Create a bootable disk option. Make sure that the Standard Windows installation option under it is enabled. 
6. Click on the disk icon against the Create a bootable disk option and select the .iso file that contains the Windows 10 installation.
7. Finally, click on Start and wait for the process to complete. 

You can now insert the USB into the targeted device and see if creating a bootable drive through Rufus fixes the license error. 

 

 

7. Try Using CleanMyPC.

If your computer displays the ‘Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms’ error, and you already have an operating system on your PC, try using CleanMyPC. 

There are times when a temporary bug in the operating system prevents it from installing a new Windows version. This can be due to several reasons, such as corrupt cache files and you can resolve them by eliminating the junk files by using a reliable PC cleaner. 

CleanMyPC does more than simply removing the junk files from your device. It comes with various system maintenance tools that ensure system stability, fast speed, and file organization. Moreover, CleanMyPC also protects the online privacy of its users to protect your PC from scammers. 

Enjoy all these perks and keep your PC running like new using CleanMyPC!

 

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Try CleanMyPC Now 

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8. Reset BIOS.

If none of the methods mentioned above works for you, then try resetting BIOS. There are times when the BIOS settings interfere with the operating system and prevent the users from installing any new updates. 

Resettings BIOS will revert the program to the version shipped with your PC. Don’t worry; resetting BIOS will not damage your data, so it is safe to execute. 

Once you have reset the BIOS, try installing the update again. 

This will fix the Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms error on your PC once and for all. 

This wraps up our guide on repairing the ‘Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms’ error. We tried to walk you through the steps in detail and hope that our troubleshooting steps helped resolve the issue. If you have questions regarding the troubleshooting methods, please let us know in the comment section below. 

 

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