The was first introduced with Windows Vista as an easy activation service for IT pros. Since then, each new release of Windows and Office provided a necessary update to KMS server, in order to keep offering activation keys to Windows and Office clients. The release of KMS activation and activation is no different then previous versions. Kies 2.0.2.11071 128.

In this post, we will covert how to use an already configured KMS server for activation of Windows 10 and Office 2016. Prerequisites for Windows 10 KMS Your KMS server will most probably be good to manage licenses for Windows 10 and Office 2016. Minimum OS requirement: • Windows 7 and up • Window Server 2008 R2 and up Mandatory: • Mandatory for Windows 7 and Windows server 2008 R2 to support Windows 10 • Mandatory for Windows 8/8.1 and Windows Server 2012/R2 to support Windows 10 • to support Office 2016 Optional: • for Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) – Version 3.1 • SQL server 2008 or later required (SQL Server Express supported) Locate your KMS Server It is most probably been a long time since you’ve played around your KMS server. To find which server is acting as your KMS: • Go to the DNS console / Forward Lookup Zones / /_TCP • Look for the _VLMCS entry to get your KMS Server name List Licensed Products on a KMS Server Run the following command line on the KMS server to retrieve all installed licences: • cscript c: windows system32 slmgr.vbs /dli all >>c: temp KMS.log • In the KMS.log file, look for License status: Licensed to retrieve which product is supported by your KMS Threshold for KMS Server Activation Each Microsoft product supported by KMS server activation has a threshold to be an active KMS server.

This mean that until the minimum concurrent activation request is met, the KMS server is not offering licenses for Windows and Office client. • A minimum of 25 Windows 10 must be running and asking for KMS activation concurrently to enable the KMS server for Windows 10 • A minimum of 5 Office 2016 must be running and asking for KMS activation concurrently to enable the KMS server for Office 2016. When you’ll try to add your Windows 10 KMS key to your KMS server, you might have the following issue: when you try to activate Windows 10 Enterprise on a Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2008 R2 KMS host. This will force you to use the Windows Srv 2012R2 DataCtr/Std KMS for Windows 10 key from the Volume licensing site.

This key is good for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2012R2. Because of this, it will likely result in meeting the minimum requirement for this key, as you probably already have 5 Windows Server 2012 R2. Once the key is activated, the first Windows 10 will be able to get an activation key from the KMS server. No need for the 25 Windows 10 threshold. For more information, read the. Add Windows 10 KMS Key to a KMS Server KMS key for Windows 10 is the same no matter which you are using. • Run a command line as administrator • Run the following command • slmgr /ipk • Product key installed successfully • To validate the key is installed, run the following command: • slmgr /dlv 20e938bb-df44-45ee-bde1-4e4fe7477f37 • The long GUID is the Activation ID for Windows 10, which is generic.

You server is not yet licensed as we didn’t had 25 up and running Windows 10 computers at this time. Add Office 2016 Key to KMS Server All Office 2016 client volume editions products are pre-installed with a Generic Volume License Key (GVLK) key, which supports automatic activation for both KMS and Active Directory-Based Activation, so you will not need to install a product key. • Execute the Microsoft Office Volume License pack • Check the Accept Terms checkbox and click Continue • Enter the KMS key from the Volume Licensing website, Click OK • Once installed, we need to activate on the Internet, click Yes • Confirmation of installed and activated • To validate the key is installed, run the following command: • slmgr.vbs /dlv 98ebfe73-2084-4c97-932c-c0cd1643bea7 • Results. Case Complete Serial Number. Never use your KMS key from the volume licencing site on your Windows clients. This will generate a new KMS server on your network. Changing Office activation to use KMS can be done the same way as for Windows 10. To change a Windows 10 from MAK to KMS: • Open VAMT, right-click on Products and select Discover products • We need to find our Windows 10 computers: • This can be done using an LDAP query, IP Address, Name or in a Workgroup • For this post, we will only find one computer.

A full Active Directory search will take time. Manually entering your 25 Windows 10 computers, separated by a comma, might be a good idea. • Our computer is found • When the computer is found, VAMT will not know the license status until we query it. To query the license, right click on the computer and select Update license Status • If you use current credential, you must be local administrator of the remote computer • Computer must be accessible on the network to update the license status • The computer will return one row per product found. In our case, the computer is running Windows 10 and Office 2016 • We now take a look at the Product key type column, we see that our Windows 10 is using a MAK key, while Office 2016 is already using the KMS. At this point, the client remain activated using a MAK key. • Go back to Products / Windows and select the computer again • Right-click and select Volume activate / Activate • This will force the computer to try to activate using the KMS server • Computer is now activated on the KMS server • Activation is also visible in the Event Viewer • In VAMT, the client is now Licensed and Genuine Event Viewer for KMS Activation You can see all activation requests that goes to this KMS server in the Event Viewer of the KMS server.

• Open Event Viewer / Applications and Services Logs / Key Management Service • All activation requests are listed On the client, you can also use Event Viewer to see activation requests: • Open Event Viewer / Application Logs • Looking for events number 12288 and 12289 • Here’s how to read 12289 events: • Here’s how to read 12288 events: Read the for more information on troubleshooting KMS. Encountered Issues Here’s a couple of support article that may comes handy.

We encountered the following issues in various environments: • • Error: 0x80072EFE when activation • Check your internet access • Check your proxy configuration • Error: 0xC004F015 for Windows 10 KMS key • You are not using the right Windows 10 KMS key • Follow the instruction using this • More error codes can be found on this.

Jun 05, 2017. Could someone describe the procedure of adding Office 2016 KMS key to WS2012R2. Pack for office 2016 on the kms host server and install it.

Graeme Bray here with a quick article around KMS and Server 2016. KMS and Server 2016 you say? Shouldn’t I be using Active Directory Based Activation? Yes, you should, but in case you are not, let’s go over the pre-requisites to activate Windows Server 2016 via KMS. ********* UPDATE (5/5/17)***************** The requirements have been updated below to remove and add a required update.

There was a supersedence change that makes 3058168 superseded by the July 2016 Update Rollup. Additionally, there is often an error saying that the update is not applicable to your machine. To fix this issue, you need to install the latest Servicing Stack Update (SSU) for 2012 or 2012 R2. Their KB’s and links are below: Windows Server 2012 R2 / KB3173424 Windows Server 2012 / KB3173426 ******************************************* First, lets review the pre-requisite updates that must be installed. Hi Christopher.

Thanks for the question! While you are correct that you must have Volume Activation Tools installed to add the activation object for AD Based Activation, you do not need to leave the role installed on your server. You could utilize a Windows Server 2012 R2 machine in each forest, enable AD Based Activation, then remove the Volume Activation Tools role from the system. Rinse and repeat. In regards to your other question, you can use the same KMS key to activate systems in your own network. This includes multiple forests/domains. From the Volume License Service Center (VLSC): “The Key Management Service (KMS) is an activation service that allows organizations to activate systems within their own network, eliminating the need for individual computers to connect to Microsoft for product activation.” I hope that is helpful.

It may be more work up front, but there are no dependencies in ADBA on the _VLMCS entry in DNS, nor specific port requirements (1688). Hi Graeme, A bit offtopic but I am really struggling with KMS using to activate Windows 10 clients. At the moment, we use a Windows Server 2008R2 KMS host to activate Windows and Office editions in our VDI environment (floating desktops) However, we would like to upgrade our VDI environment to the latest Windows 10 edition so the KMS host should activate those instances.

I have downloaded and installed the update to allow Windows Server 2008R2 to activate Windows 10 KMS clients. However, I keep getting error message: 0xC004F074 The edition I try to activate is Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB. I have added the following KMS keys to our Windows Server 2008R2 KMS host; Windows Srv 2012R2 DataCtr/Std KMS for Windows 10 Win Srv 2008 R2 Data Ctr/Itan KMS C Where the 2008 R2 always have been used for the Windows 7 clients.

I have installed the key both via VAMT 3.1 and via SLMGR.VBS but no avail. Any idea what I am doing wrong or should we upgrade the KMS host to Windows Server 2012R2? Erik – I would recommend that you enable AD Based Activation for your Windows 10 clients. You would then be able to leave your KMS host as is to service Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Office 2010. This is your KB in regards to your 0xC003F073 – This error means that there is a missing license key, or update. As far as the update for 2008 R2, you can install this: to allow Win10 to be activated by Server 2008 R2.

I strongly recommend using ADBA for your VDI infrastructure to simplify activations. I realized I didn’t read your post closely enough. You are correct that Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016 will not activate against a Windows Server 2008 R2 KMS host. You will either need to be on Windows Server 2012+ KMS host or utilize AD Based Activation. From this link (July 21, 2016 Update – KB3172614), it specifically calls out Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016.

“This update extends support of the Key Management Service (KMS) for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, in order to enable the activation of clients running Windows 10 Anniversary Update-based long-term servicing branch (LTSB) and Windows Server 2016 clients, when they become available.”. Graeme This is the same error I receive when I attempt to install a Windows Server 2016 key. I have found that to activate 2016 with KMS the KMS host needs to be on at least Windows Server 2012. I suspect it is the same with Windows 10 2016 LTSB. Error: 0xC004F050 The Software Licensing Service reported that the product key is invalid While this link show Windows Server 2008 R2 is not supported as a KMS Host for Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB edition My existing KMS host server running on Windows server 2008 R2 and existing environment clients are Windows7,8, 10, Windows server 2008R2, 2012R2, Office 2010, 2013. Please guide me so that I can able to execute in production environment. Can you please confirm?

Hi Ravi, Please see my post reply to Marc above. You are not able to activate Windows 10 2016 LTSB or Windows Server 2016 via 2008 R2. You should look to implement Active Directory Based Activation for your latest Operating Systems (see links in the main blog post). This would be our recommendation moving forward. You can use ADBA for Office 2013+, Windows 8+, and Windows Server 2012+. If you are not able to do this, you will need to build a Windows Server 2012 R2 host to install the KMS key for Windows 10 2016 LTSB or Windows Server 2016.

Hi MorgenS, I have Windows Server 2012 R2 domain and forest level. 3 Domain controllers with Windows Server 2012 R2 on the board, with full updated (except.NET 4.6.) Two activation services: 1. VAT with ADBA on third DC in domain users/PC network. Installed KMS host keys (from corp.A EA) by date/time range: a) Windows Srv 2016 DataCtr/Std KMS for Windows 10 b) Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB KMS c) Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 KMS d) Office 2016 Suites and Apps KMS e) Windows Srv 2012R2 DataCtr/Std KMS key 2. VAT with KMS Host on second DC in standalone/non_domain users/PC network (filial) a) Windows Srv 2016 DataCtr/Std KMS for Windows 10 b) Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB KMS d) Office 2016 Suites and Apps KMS e) Windows Srv 2012R2 DataCtr/Std KMS key After install Windows Srv 2012R2 DataCtr/Std KMS key, kms clients changed errors from Error: 0xc004F074 (can’t find license) TO Error: 0xc004F038 (not enough counter). I don’t know what Microsoft doing with KEY algorithms, but for Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB used Windows Srv 2016 DataCtr/Std KMS key ONLY, in domain VAT ADBA & non_domain VAT KMS HOST.

Office 2016 activated without problems. KMS host is running Windows Server 2012 R2, full patched including all optional updates. KMS host is already succefully activating our Windows 10 clients. According to the updates mentioned in this thread: KB2969339 Not Applicable KB2975061 Not Applicable KB3012199 Not Applicable KB3021910 Installed 2015-05-31 KB3058168 Not Applicable When I try to add a key for Windows Server 2016 in VAMT (10.1.10586.0) I get the error “The specified product key is invalid, or is unsupported by this version of VAMT. An update to support additional products may be available online.”. Thanks for the great article. I was just setting up an activation for Server 2016 and Windows 10 on our Server 2012 R2 KMS host.

I’ve followed up on installing all prerequisites and added the GVLK keys on the clients, while installing the Windows Srv 2016 DataCtr/Std Windows 10 KMS host CSVLK key on the KMS host. However my activations were failing because of a key mismatch error 0xC004F042. I knew this was not true, because I had the Server 2016/Windows 10 keys installed on the KMS host in the VAMT. I also saw errors 0xC004F074 – No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted. – I knew this was not true, because I added older product keys, such as Windows 7, Server 2008 and Server 2012 to up the count and to check that the server was accessible. I found one comment on a forum that suggested to install the 2016 key on the 2012 server.

(not only in the VAMT, but on the actual OS) by running the following: On the KMS Server 2012 R2 server: slmgr /ipk “add your Server 2016/Windows 10 CSLVK (KMS) key here” slmgr /ato I tried that and the Server 2016/Windows 10 clients started connecting and activating immediately. So essentially, you are installing a 2016 key on a 2012 server, which is why i assume this information is not that widely available. I hope this helps anyone who is having similar issues. There is a caveat for ADBA; *all* computers in *all* domains in a forest must be able to communicate with the domain controllers for the forest root domain in order to be activated – other domain controllers do *not* activate clients on their own. If you have any domains separated from the forest root domain by firewalls, you must open the ‘standard’ IP ports for AD communications between that domain’s clients and the forest root DCs. If you cannot do this for any reason, you have no choice but to implement KMS for those separated domains or use MAK keys.

As we learned to our dismay.