How to fix Microsoft Office Product Activation Failed. How to fix Microsoft Office product activation failure Kmsauto default key does not exist

How to fix Microsoft Office Product Activation Failed.  How to fix Microsoft Office product activation failure Kmsauto default key does not exist
How to fix Microsoft Office Product Activation Failed. How to fix Microsoft Office product activation failure Kmsauto default key does not exist

Activating the Windows OS is a necessary step if you want to work with this operating system. However, not all users purchase a licensed version, which comes with an individual activation code. Therefore, sooner or later they meet with the following banner: "The system has problems with activation." How to resolve it? Share expert advice useful applications.

Causes of the problem

You downloaded a version of Windows on the Internet, installed the operating system on your computer. After 30 days of the trial period, it will ask you to enter special code activation. If you do not do this, the OS will stop updating, you will receive messages "The system has problems with activation", notifications that you are using a non-genuine version.

Hence the cause of the problem is the installation of a non-genuine, "pirated" version of the OS. You could also purchase a license set, but lose the activation key for it. Or it was not provided by an unscrupulous seller. The problem will be the same: "The system has activation problems." What to do?

Ways to solve the problem

A warning appeared on your Windows desktop: "The system has problems activating." There are two solutions:

  • Acquisition of a license key for activation and further use of "Windows".
  • Using third party activation software. If the system has problems with activation - KMS Auto will be the best solution.

About KMSAuto

Why? KMSAuto - universal free program:

  • Designed to activate all versions of Windows OS.
  • Suitable for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems.
  • Easy intuitive interface. Work with the program can not only advanced user PC, but also a child, old man who recently mastered the computer.
  • Copes not only with the starting variation of the operating system, but also with the maximum and corporate.
  • Ease of use. To activate any version of Windows, you need to make just a few mouse clicks, following the instructions of the application.
  • Additional bonus. KMSAuto allows you to quickly activate not only Windows, but also a common office suite Microsoft applications office.

Does the system have problems activating Windows 7? If you chose the second path, then we suggest you follow us further.

Download and install KMSAuto

The program is freely available: you can download it on any of the Internet resources that inspire confidence in you.

Downloaded Find it in the folders and extract the archive. You need to run the program with administrator rights. It is important to note that KMSAuto does not need to be installed on your computer. You only need to run the program. After starting, we proceed to solve the problem using KMSAuto: "The system has problems with activation."

OS activation using KMSAuto

Instructions for user actions to activate any of the versions of Windows installed on your computer will be identical. You should do the following simple steps:

  1. Launch KMSAuto on your computer.
  2. You will see the working window of the program. Here you need to click on the "Activation" button.
  3. In the next window, select what you need: "Windows OS Activation" or "Microsoft Office Suite Activation".
  4. Then you need to wait a while - about 2-3 minutes. During this period, the system activation process will be performed. Various messages may appear along the way - the user agrees with all of them by clicking on OK.
  5. After the key is successfully installed, a corresponding message about successful system activation will appear in the program window.
  6. "The system has problems activating 8.1." How do you know that KMSAuto has really dealt with the problem? Go to "Properties" in your computer settings. There should be information about the successful activation of the OS.
  7. Don't forget to restart your computer. After that, you can continue to work with Windows without any problems!

Problem with KMSAuto

"The system has an activation problem." KMSAuto.net will be the best solution here. Activation with this program is usually quick and easy. But problems may arise here as well. Let's analyze the frequent cases that users encountered when the application did not help activate Windows:

  • Working antivirus. Sometimes a security program can prevent the OS from successfully activating. How to solve a problem? It is enough just to disable the antivirus while KMSAuto is running.
  • Run without administrator rights. If the user inadvertently forgot to check this item ("Run with administrator rights"), then KMSAuto turned out to be powerless to help. The solution to the problem is simple: re-run the program, this time giving it administrator rights on your computer.
  • The .NET Framework 4.5 software is not installed on the computer. This problem is especially common when you need to install early version"Windows". We find a way out simply: download the .NET Framework 4.5 on the official Microsoft website. The product is distributed freely, you can download it completely free of charge.
  • Problems with downloading the archive. You cannot run KMSAuto on your computer even if setup file not fully loaded or was corrupted during download. In this case, delete it and then download it again. For fidelity, it is better to download the program from another Internet resource.

Reset activation

Let's say you have the opposite problem: you need to reset the OS activation in order to get rid of the accumulated problematic files. How to do it? You need to download software from the same series, but already called KMS Cleaner. By the way, it comes immediately with the KMSAuto archive.

Using KMS Cleaner, you can quickly "clean" the computer from traces of the activator. It's easy to do: run the program on your PC. A working window will appear with a single button "Remove activation". Click on it if you are sure of your decision.

Let us draw your attention to the fact that in this way you can reset only the activation that you performed using KMSAuto. Otherwise, the reset will fail.

Windows 10 activation

The system has problems activating Windows 10. What is its origins?

In 2015, users of Windows versions 7, 8, 8.1 had a great opportunity to upgrade their operating system to the tenth anniversary version using the original license key. Similar condition suitable even for new version distributions that were installed by the user on the hard drive.

August 1st, 2016 opportunity free activation tens has expired. But there are new opportunities. If you upgraded from the seventh and eighth to the 10th version, then the license will be tied not only to the ID number of the PC hardware components, but also to the information of your account in the Microsoft system.

Why is it good? You can cleanly replace the "iron" in your computer - the processor, motherboard and so on. But at the same time, continue to use the already obtained license on new equipment. To do this, it is enough to log in from the computer under the previous account Microsoft. The license, as you remember, is tied to it. That's how easy it is now!

You have upgraded Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10. To make sure the license is linked to your Microsoft email account, go to Settings. Then move to "Main". Opposite the "Activation" section, there should be a corresponding inscription: "The system is activated using a license linked to your Microsoft account."

If you have only used a local account so far, the system will prompt you to add an electronic account to it. A license will be attached to it in the future.

Windows 10 activation problem

We have figured out how to properly activate the licensed top ten. But what if you have trouble activating an unofficial copy that you downloaded from the Internet? Exit in the use of auxiliary programs.

These are the following applications:

  • KMS AutoNET. The same activator whose action we have already described.
  • Lite KMS-Activator. Light version of the previous program. Its main difference is in the addition of additional utilities to the functionality.
  • Reloader Activator. Another automatic activator, perfect for both the Windows line and the Microsoft office suite.
  • K.M.Spico. You can find a version that requires the installation of the program, as well as a variation that works without it.

The problem with activating the Windows operating system, as we found out, is easily solved. Most fast way is the use of an auxiliary software freely distributed on the web. The main thing here is to download the application on a reliable Internet resource so as not to bring malicious files, "worms" onto your computer, which are not easy to get rid of.

We have already touched on various aspects of setting up and functioning of the activation service more than once. Microsoft products under the Volume License program for corporate customers - KMS(Key Management Server - key management service). Let's try to collect all the basic information and necessary links about the KMS activation technology in one article.

Microsoft Activation KMS Architecture and Features

The KMS infrastructure consists of KMS-server, which is activated in Microsoft (this operation is performed once by phone or online) and clientsKMS that send activation requests to the KMS server. User and server operating systems Windows and MS Office can act as clients of the KMS server.

The KMS server itself is activated using a special corporate CSVLK key (KMShostkey) , which everyone can get corporate client Microsoft's personal account on the VLSC Volume Licensing site (https://www.microsoft.com/Licensing/servicecenter/default.aspx - MicrosoftVolumeLicensingServiceCenter–> License-> RelationshipSummary-> Productkeys -> copy the key for Windowssrv2019 datactr/stdKMS). The CSVLK key is specified on the KMS server and the KMS server is activated on the Internet on Microsoft servers. The KMS server only needs to be activated once (you will need to reactivate the KMS server if you want to activate a new CSVLK key with support for fresh Windows versions).

One KMS server can activate an unlimited number of KMS clients. For example, even though your agreement states that you have purchased a volume license for 100 computers, theoretically you can activate thousands of computers (of course, this would be a violation of the agreement, but technically the KMS server does not limit you in this). Also note that information about the activations performed and their number is not transmitted by the KMS north outside the organization.

  • The VAMT utility is not part of the OS distribution, it is part of the Windows package Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) and installed separately;
  • VAMT requires the .NET Framework;
  • VAMT database is used SQL Server Express;
  • Last available version VAMT supports all Microsoft operating systems, including Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019.

The most common mistakes when using a KMS activation server

  • Installing a KMS corporate key (CSVLK key) on clients instead of a public GVLK key;
  • The shared KMS key (CSVLK) does not match the OS version on the activated host;
  • The KMS server must be updated to support activation latest versions Microsoft products (for example, the process of updating a KMS server on Windows 2008 R2 to support Windows activation 1 and Windows Server 2012 R2);
  • If error 0xC004F074 appears when trying to activate, the reason may be the absence of the _VLMCS._tcp. SRV record. You can create it manually or specify the KMS server address manually (the command is given below);
  • Error 0xC004F038 indicates that your network does not have the required number of clients to activate (see information about the activation threshold above). Once the KMS server receives enough activation requests, it will start activating clients;
  • Check the availability of port 1688 on the KMS server with: TNC msk-mankms -Port 1688 -InformationLevel Quiet If the port is not available, a firewall may be blocking access, or the Software Protection Service (sppsvc) is not running on the KMS server;
  • Also see the article - "".

Commands for managing KMS Windows activation on the client

To manage and diagnose OS activation in all versions of Windows, there is a script slmgr.vbs.

Installing a public KMS key (GVLK) in Windows (you need to specify the GVLK key depending on the version and edition of Windows):

cscript.exe %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

Manually specify the KMS server name and port:

cscript.exe %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /skms kms-server.site:1688

Activate Windows on the specified KMS server:

cscript.exe %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato

cscript.exe %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /dlv

All license information (including MS Office activation status):

cscript.exe %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /dlv all

Advice. The pop-up window with license information does not scroll and does not always fit on the screen. The output of information for the convenience of analysis can be redirected to a text file:

cscript.exe %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs s /dlv all > c:\tmp\dlv.txt

Office activation management commands on a KMS client

To manage the activation of products from the package Microsoft office on clients, another vbs script is used - ospp.vbs. It can be found by searching the catalog Office installations(in the case of Office 2016, the ospp.vbs file is located by default in the \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16 directory).

To manually specify the KMS server address:

cscript ospp.vbs /sethst:kms-server.site

Change activation port:

cscript ospp.vbs /setprt:1689

Activate your copy of Office on a KMS server:
cscript ospp.vbs /act

The current one can be obtained using the command:

cscript ospp.vbs /dstatusall

If you have any questions about Microsoft KMS activation - ask in the comments, I will try to answer as best I can.

If a trial version of Microsoft Office 2010, 2013, or 2016 is installed on the computer, product activation will fail after the end of the free trial version. The activation wizard will say at every start that This copy of Microsoft Office is not activated. Error code: 0x8007007B.

There are two ways to remove activation failure: buy a license or use an activator like KMSAUTO NET (for any versions of Office). Since the program is really expensive, many users prefer to use the free activator for Office. This will allow you to get rid of the annoying message about the product activation failure and use all the features of the programs from the office suite.

Activation failure in licensed Office

Activation failure can occur when launching any product from the Microsoft Office suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint. This usually happens after trial version programs. The system prompts you to enter license key at every start. This is pretty annoying for users, especially along with the cut-down functionality of Office.

Occasionally, an error when activating Microsoft Office may appear on the licensed version, where the key is entered and everything was fine before. This occurs when Windows cannot connect to Microsoft servers or license authentication is not available for some reason.

Main causes of failures:

  • The proxy or firewall settings are blocking the connection.
  • Yes, the computer has the wrong date and time set, which may cause failures in synchronization with servers.
  • Office has not been updated for a long time. Applies to all versions: 2010, 2013, 2016 and others less popular.
  • The program is not running as administrator (depends on settings).

In reality, everything is much simpler - the software is not activated, because no one has purchased a license.

Remove activation failure with KMSAuto Net

The problem with Office activation occurs because the license key is missing. If Windows is also pirated, then KMSAuto Net is the only adequate way to use the system without security problems and constant reminders to activate Windows and Office.

KSM Auto is a small program that creates a virtual server. Virtual server is a normal process that practically does not waste computer resources. The process pretends to be remote server Microsoft confirming the license. It turns out that Windows sends a request to itself and receives a response that everything is in order (the license is active). The product activation failure stops appearing.

We remove the activation failure of the Microsoft Office product with KMSAuto Net:


Sometimes KMSAuto NET cannot automatic mode activate the license. In this case, a message box appears “The program was unable to activate the product in automatic mode. Now an attempt will be made to install a new GVLK-key, after which it is necessary to repeat the activation again.

This means that you will have to use the second - manual activation method. It is somewhat more complicated, but guarantees the result in almost 100% of cases.

Manual activation of Office

The GVLK product key is the same license key that is checked for authenticity. If the program did not manage to independently determine the version of Windows and select a key for it, you can do it yourself. You need to go to section Utilities and select the product to be activated from the drop-down list.


Although the problem is solved, sooner or later it will appear again. You can reduce the chance by setting the reactivation of the product (reactivation) every 10 days. But the key will still fly off, because Windows is validated every 180 days. What's more, the thorns may come off when you upgrade the system or update Windows Security. Therefore, both the program and the instructions can still come in handy.

Good afternoon, dear readers, today I want to tell you how to corporate networks where there is a domain Active Directory Windows operating systems and MS Office office products are activated. I want to note that you can do this if you have a special, purchased key, but if you don’t have one, then an alternative method of activating Windows and Office will help you, but remember that it’s more correct to buy software products, as the time may come that you can be tested.

What is activation

Windows or product activation is the mechanism by which the software is verified by the manufacturer. Through activation, authenticity is confirmed software product and that it has legitimate rights and that it has not been compromised. During the activation process, an association will be made between the product key and specific installation software on the device. Prior to Windows 8, the authentication and activation process (using Windows tools Genuine) were produced independently, which created confusion, but with the release of the eight and subsequent operating systems, everything was simplified and activation and authentication were carried out simultaneously.

Ways to activate Windows

There are three ways to activate Windows operating systems:

  • Retail supply or retail. You must have seen installation disks Microsoft, on which the key is written, its user specifies during installation and activation, via the Internet or by phone.
  • OEM keys are stickers that come on the devices themselves, with a pre-installed OS. OEM manufacturers activate the system on their side, with the help of special software in it, but the end user will not do this, everything is already activated before buying it.
  • Corporate license volume > this is a car time and there is KMS or ADBA

Many may be concerned about the question of what will happen if I do not activate the system in time, in fact, nothing, as before, it will not reboot every 3 hours for you, the only thing is that you can lose some of the settings available for editing.

What is KMS and ADBA

Imagine a situation where there is a company that has deployed an Active Directory domain on Windows Server 2012 R2 and it has 500 computers and 20 servers. Client OS from Windows 7 to Windows 10, and server platforms run on Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2016. Agree that servers can still be activated manually, but 500 client stations are very dreary, and tracking licenses is a very difficult task. For such cases, Microsoft has three ways to help solve these problems:

  • VAMT (Volume Activation Management Tool)> server, manual activation, for a small fleet of systems
  • KMS (Key Management Service) > automatic activation server for Windows and MS Office, I will consider it.
  • Active Directory Based Activation (ADBA) > Volume License Activation Service, introduced to activate systems starting with Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, takes precedence over the KMS server.

How KMS server works

As I keep telling you, before you set something up, you need to understand how it works, this will greatly simplify troubleshooting in an emergency. And so, a volume activation server, or simply KMS, is a computer or virtual machine running on the server operating system Windows Server 2008 R2 and higher, whose task is to maintain the mechanism for activating computers on the network. The principle of operation of KMS is very simple, you are in your personal account with corporate licenses, you get a special server KMS key.

https://www.microsoft.com/Licensing/servicecenter/default.aspx

In the keys and downloads section.

Choose the product you need, in my example it is Office Professional Plus 2013 with SP1, you will find a MAK key and a KMS key. The first is for entering the key on the client machine, and the second on the activation server.

After the key is received, you must activate it using a special script. As a result, in your DNS, you will see new entry format SRV _VLMCS._TCP_domain name and it will respond on port 1688, it is on it that the KMS server runs to activate Office and Windows.

You can also view the list of servers in the Active Directory forest with the command:

nslookup -q=SRV _VLMCS._TCP.your domain name

If you paint it schematically, it looks like this. The client, having got into the local network of the enterprise, makes a request to the DNS server for the presence of SRV _VLMCS._TCP_record domain name, if there is one, then it goes to the KMS server and is activated for 180 days, after which it will contact it again.

With the advent of operating systems such as Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2 and higher, the activation process has improved, increasingly tying it to Active Directory. You now have the Active Directory Based Activation (ADBA) role or, in Russian, Volume License Activation Services, its task is to activate operating systems that are members of the AD domain. The advantage is that it works on standard Active Directory ports and you don’t need to open additional ones, like KMS 1688, everything goes through LDAP ports. The client is talking to a full domain controller, not a read-only RODC. ADBA also activates domain computers for 180 days, after 6 months, it will automatically renew the activation. If a computer ceases to be part of a domain, then activation fails. Volume License Activation Services activates clients within the entire Active Directory forest.

The principle of operation is very simple, after joining a workstation to a domain, a computer or portable device asks for a generic GVLK and compares it with the activation defined by the GVLK, if they match, then reactivation is performed. By default, attempts re-activation run every 7 days. If for some reason it is not possible to get the activation object from Active Directory, an attempt will be made to search the KMS server network.

The Generic Volume License Key (GVLK) is a special KMS public key used for activation, I will list these keys below.

Key lists (GVLK - Generic Volume License Key)

Below I will provide a detailed list of universal keys for volume installation, in the future this list will be replenished.

GVLK keys for Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10

  • Windows 10 Professional > W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX
  • Windows 10 Professional N > MH37W-N47XK-V7XM9-C7227-GCQG9
  • Windows 10 Enterprise > NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43
  • Windows 10 Enterprise N > DPH2V-TTNVB-4X9Q3-TJR4H-KHJW4
  • Windows 10 Education > NW6C2-QMPVW-D7KKK-3GKT6-VCFB2
  • Windows 10 Education N > 2WH4N-8QGBV-H22JP-CT43Q-MDWWJ
  • Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB > WNMTR-4C88C-JK8YV-HQ7T2-76DF9
  • Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB N > 2F77B-TNFGY-69QQF-B8YKP-D69TJ
  • Windows Server 2016 Datacenter > CB7KF-BWN84-R7R2Y-793K2-8XDDG
  • Windows Server 2016 Standard > WC2BQ-8NRM3-FDDYY-2BFGV-KHKQY
  • Windows Server 2016 Essentials > JCKRF-N37P4-C2D82-9YXRT-4M63B

GVLK keys for Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1

  • Windows 8.1 Professional > GCRJD-8NW9H-F2CDX-CCM8D-9D6T9
  • Windows 8.1 Professional > N HMCNV-VVBFX-7HMBH-CTY9B-B4FXY
  • Windows 8.1 Enterprise > MHF9N-XY6XB-WVXMC-BTDCT-MKKG7
  • Windows 8.1 Enterprise N > TT4HM-HN7YT-62K67-RGRQJ-JFFXW
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard > D2N9P-3P6X9-2R39C-7RTCD-MDVJX
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter > W3GGN-FT8W3-Y4M27-J84CP-Q3VJ9
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials > KNC87-3J2TX-XB4WP-VCPJV-M4FWM

GVLK keys for Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8

  • Windows 8 Professional > NG4HW-VH26C-733KW-K6F98-J8CK4
  • Windows 8 Professional N > XCVCF-2NXM9-723PB-MHCB7-2RYQQ
  • Windows 8 Enterprise > 32JNW-9KQ84-P47T8-D8GGY-CWCK7
  • Windows 8 Enterprise N > JMNMF-RHW7P-DMY6X-RF3DR-X2BQT
  • Windows Server 2012 Core > BN3D2-R7TKB-3YPBD-8DRP2-27GG4
  • Windows Server 2012 Core N > 8N2M2-HWPGY-7PGT9-HGDD8-GVGGY
  • Windows Server 2012 Core Single Language > 2WN2H-YGCQR-KFX6K-CD6TF-84YXQ
  • Windows Server 2012 Core Country Specific > 4K36P-JN4VD-GDC6V-KDT89-DYFKP
  • Windows Server 2012 Server Standard >
  • Windows Server 2012 Standard Core > XC9B7-NBPP2-83J2H-RHMBY-92BT4
  • Windows Server 2012 MultiPoint Standard > HM7DN-YVMH3-46JC3-XYTG7-CYQJJ
  • Windows Server 2012 MultiPoint Premium > XNH6W-2V9GX-RGJ4K-Y8X6F-QGJ2G
  • Windows Server 2012 Data Center >
  • Windows Server 2012 Datacenter Core > 48HP8-DN98B-MYWDG-T2DCC-8W83P

GVLK keys for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

  • Windows 7 Professional > FJ82H-XT6CR-J8D7P-XQJJ2-GPDD4
  • Windows 7 Professional N > MRPKT-YTG23-K7D7T-X2JMM-QY7MG
  • Windows 7 Professional E > W82YF-2Q76Y-63HXB-FGJG9-GF7QX
  • Windows 7 Enterprise > 33PXH-7Y6KF-2VJC9-XBBR8-HVTHH
  • Windows 7 Enterprise > N YDRBP-3D83W-TY26F-D46B2-XCKRJ
  • Windows 7 Enterprise E > C29WB-22CC8-VJ326-GHFJW-H9DH4
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Web > 6TPJF-RBVHG-WBW2R-86QPH-6RTM4
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC edition > TT8MH-CG224-D3D7Q-498W2-9QCTX
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard > YC6KT-GKW9T-YTKYR-T4X34-R7VHC
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise > 489J6-VHDMP-X63PK-3K798-CPX3Y
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter > 74YFP-3QFB3-KQT8W-PMXWJ-7M648
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems > GT63C-RJFQ3-4GMB6-BRFB9-CB83V

GVLK keys for Windows 1709

  • Windows Server Datacenter 6Y6KB-N82V8-D8CQV-23MJW-BWTG6
  • Windows Server Standard DPCNP-XQFKJ-BJF7R-FRC8D-GF6G4

GVLK keys for Office

  • Office Professional Plus 2010 > VYBBJ-TRJPB-QFQRF-QFT4D-H3GVB
  • Office Standard 2010 > V7QKV-4XVVR-XYV4D-F7DFM-8R6BM
  • Office Home and Business 2010 > D6QFG-VBYP2-XQHM7-J97RH-VVRCK
  • Office 2013 ProPlus > PGD67-JN23K-JGVWV-KTHP4-GXR9G
  • Office 2013 ProPlus > YC7DK-G2NP3-2QQC3-J6H88-GVGXT
  • Project 2013 Professional > NFKVM-DVG7F-TYWYR-3RPHY-F872K
  • Project 2013 Professional > FN8TT-7WMH6-2D4X9-M337T-2342K
  • Visio 2013 Professional > B3C7Q-D6NH2-2VRFW-HHWDG-FVQB6
  • Visio 2013 Professional > C2FG9-N6J68-H8BTJ-BW3QX-RM3B3
  • Office edition > XQNVK-8JYDB-WJ9W3-YJ8YR-WFG99
  • Office Professional Plus 2016 > JNRGM-WHDWX-FJJG3-K47QV-DRTFM
  • Project Professional 2016 > YG9NW-3K39V-2T3HJ-93F3Q-G83KT
  • Project Standard 2016 > GNFHQ-F6YQM-KQDGJ-327XX-KQBVC
  • Visio Professional 2016 > PD3PC-RHNGV-FXJ29-8JK7D-RJRJK
  • Visio Standard 2016 > 7WHWN-4T7MP-G96JF-G33KR-W8GF4
  • Access 2016 > GNH9Y-D2J4T-FJHGG-QRVH7-QPFDW
  • Excel 2016 > 9C2PK-NWTVB-JMPW8-BFT28-7FTBF
  • OneNote 2016 > DR92N-9HTF2-97XKM-XW2WJ-XW3J6
  • Outlook 2016 > R69KK-NTPKF-7M3Q4-QYBHW-6MT9B
  • PowerPoint 2016 > J7MQP-HNJ4Y-WJ7YM-PFYGF-BY6C6
  • Publisher 2016 > F47MM-N3XJP-TQXJ9-BP99D-8K837
  • Skype for Business 2016 > 869NQ-FJ69K-466HW-QYCP2-DDBV6
  • Word 2016 > WXY84-JN2Q9-RBCCQ-3Q3J3-3PFJ6

What to use KMS or ADBA

The logical question is what is better to use Active Directory Based Activation or Key Management Service, everything depends on the situation. If you are in local network, activation is required only for Windows 8 and higher operating systems, and server ones from Windows Server 2012 and higher, then it will be enough for you to install the ADBA server, if you need to activate the old Windows versions 7 or office products, then there is no way without a KMS server.

The order of Windows activation will be as follows: first, when it enters the network, the computer will search the domain for the Active Directory Based Activation Services, if it cannot find them, then it will then look for the KMS server from which it tries to activate, if it no, you will get a non-activated system.

The KMS server has a requirement before it starts distributing licenses (GVLK keys), it must be contacted by at least 5 different servers or virtual machines with Windows Server and at least 25 client computers under Windows control 7 or later. The KMS server running Windows Server 2012 must connect to active Key Management Service client computers within 30 days.

If your organization or branch does not have 25 or more client operating systems, then you need to use MAK activation.

Installing and configuring Active Directory Based Activation

I have a domain controller and I want to install the Volume License Activation Service (AD BA) role on it. For installation, you can use both the graphical interface and powershell, I will analyze both methods. Open Server Manager and click Add Roles and Features.

leave the choice on "Install roles or features"

select a server from the pool, if required.

in the next step, we find the role of the Volume License Activation Service (AD BA)

at the next step, they will tell you more about the volume license activation service, click next.

The same can be done through powershell, for this, enter the command:

Install-WindowsFeature VolumeActivation –IncludeManagementTools

If you want to configure Active Directory Based Activation on a client version of Windows 8.1-10 and higher, then you will need to install the RSAT package, which contains the Volume Activation Tools snap-in, for subsequent configuration.

After installing AD BA, run the Volume Activation Tools snap-in

Either through quick launch, through the run window in which you need to enter vmw.exe.

On the first window you will see an introduction to the volume license activation service, click immediately next.

Please note that you need to be an enterprise administrator to set up Active Directory Based Activation

The interface of the utility is very simple, since you have only two options:

  • Activation with Active Directory
  • Key Management Services (KMS)

We choose the first option.

Next, you specify your KMS key (server). (the same key is used for KMS and ADBA), its name (allows you to work more conveniently with multiple keys in the future), since in my example I want to activate via KMS windows server Server 2012 R2, then I sign the display name, respectively.

The next step is to verify your KMS key, either online or over the phone.

If you are not an enterprise administrator, you will receive an access error.

Further, after all domain controllers replicate, client and server operating systems included in the domain will begin to receive activation licenses from Active Directory Based Activation and use GVLK keys. And the coolest thing is that on client computers, you don’t need to configure anything else, the list of GVLK keys I gave above.

Once again, I draw your attention to the fact that in the domain, you do not have a dedicated Active Directory Based Activation server or a separate service, everything is spread over all domain controllers, since the attributes are in a common database. If you are wondering where the ADBA activation information is located in the Active Directory, then do the following, open ADSIEdit and go to the section:

CN=Activation Objects,CN=Microsoft SPP,CN=Services,CN=Configuration

and go to Activation Object

I want to warn you right away so that you are not tempted to edit anything here, it is better and more correct to use the Volume Activation Licensing Service snap-in