How to activate windows with kms

It can become quite frustrating when your operating system keeps asking you to activate it, even though it was working fine just a few days back. This is what happens when you are using a corporate PC that hasn’t been connected to the organization’s network for a re-activation of the Windows operating system.

Maybe because you are working from home or from a remote location, your OS has failed to reactivate itself because it cannot connect to the domain’s Key Management Service (KMS) server.

If you are here, it means that you already have an idea of what KMS is and why you need it, but we are still going to explain the basics and how it works for the rookies.

What is a KMS Server

A KMS server is used to manage Microsoft product activation, which includes both Windows Servers and clients operating systems and Microsoft Office products, within an organization’s domain. It is used to activate the products which have been obtained through Volume Licensing.

The role of a KMS server needs to be installed on a Windows Server OS, which can then be activated (once) using a CSVLK, also known as the KMS Host Key. This key is purchased from Microsoft and used to activate the KMS server deployed within your domain. The KMS server can then activate multiple client operating systems, depending on your Microsoft licensing agreement.

The KMS Host Key can be found on the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center at the following location:

Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center >> License >> Relationship Summary >> Product Keys

Of course, you must already have the host key purchased to find it at the said location.

Once the KMS server is activated, other clients on the domain then need to be configured to this KMS server so the products can be activated. For that, a public Generic Volume License Key (GVLK) needs to be installed on the clients, which is unique for each Windows edition. Once the GVLK is installed, you must tell your computer which KMS server to contact for activating your OS.

Remember when we said that the OS needs to “reactivate” itself after a few days? This is what a KMS server is about. With a KMS server, a client OS is only activated for 180 days. After that, the OS will show messages like “Activate Windows,” or “Your Windows license is expired” if the machine is unable to connect with the KMS server.

The client OS rechecks for activation with the KMS server every 7 days, and can reactivate an unlimited number of times. Once the KMS server is activated with a host key, it no longer sends out any information over the internet, enabling organizations to use the KSM server to activate as many licenses as required, regardless of their agreement with Microsoft. Of course, this violates the terms of the agreement, but no one knows about it except for the organization’s personnel.

KMS VS. MAK

Both KMS and Multiple Activation Keys (MAK) are forms of volume licenses but have different use cases. While KMS uses an internal organization’s server to activate client operating systems, a single MAK activation uses the same to activate multiple clients using Microsoft services over the internet.

Learn how to check if Windows is KMS or MAK activated.

Let us now show you how to activate a client Windows operating system using an already-deployed KMS server.

You can adapt the following steps if you return to your organization’s network where the KMS server is deployed to activate/reactivate your Windows operating system.

The complete process involves the following steps:

1. Apply a valid GVLK key to the client OS.
2. Specify the address of the KMS server on the client OS.
3. Activate OS.

If your OS was once activated and simply requires reactivation because you have not been connected to the KMS server for the past 180 days, then you probably do not need to install a new GVLK key or reassign a new KMS server. However, do perform these mentioned steps if you are unable to reactivate the OS using the existing KMS server.

Apply GVLK Key

The public GVLK key is unique for different editions of Windows but can be found online. You can use a GVLK key from this Microsoft KMS client activation page. Once you see the right key, copy it and then perform these steps:

1. Launch the Command Prompt with elevated privileges.

2. Now use the following cmdlet to install a GVLK key. Replace “XXXXX” with the key you have copied from the Microsoft KMS client activation page.

   slmgr.vbs /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

   

3. Now, wait for the key to be installed until you see the confirmation message.

   

Once successfully installed, proceed to the next phase.

Add KMS Activation Server

Before you start to add a new KMS server, if your Windows was previously once activated, you can check if it can still find the KMS activation server on your organization’s domain in the DNS. This DNS entry is automatically created when a new KMS server is deployed on the network.

For that, begin by contacting your system administrator for the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) of the KMS server. Once you have that, proceed to perform these steps:

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt.

2. Now run the following cmdlet whilst replacing Address with the FQDN of the KMS server.

   nslookup -q=SRV Address

   

If you are unable to find any details regarding the KMS server, you can specify it manually using these steps:

1. Open Command Prompt with administrative rights.

2. Now run the following cmdlet while replacing Address with the FQDN for the new KMS server.

   slmgr -skms Address

   

3. Now, wait for a confirmation message confirming that the new KMS server has been configured.

   

Once the new KMS server has been registered, it is now time to activate the client OS.

Activate Windows OS with KMS

A simple command in the Windows Command Line Interface (CLI) will now activate the operating system.

1. Run the following cmdlet in an elevated Command Prompt to activate the client operating system.

   Slmgr.vbs /ato

   

2. Now, wait for the “Product activated successfully” prompt.

   

Although the OS has been activated successfully, you can still confirm its activation status by running the following cmdlet:

slmgr.vbs /dli

That’s it! You have just activated your client operating system using a KMS server.

If you are an administrator yourself, you can also deploy a KMS server inside a domain using the following guide.

How to Deploy KMS Host Server on Windows Server 2022

As you may already be familiar with by now, the KMS host server needs to be activated using a CSVLK, which can be obtained from the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center. Once you have that, proceed with the following steps to deploy a KMS server on Windows Server 2022:

Note: Make sure that the Server has an active internet connection before you proceed.

1. Start by clicking Add roles and features in the Server Manager.

   

2. The “Add roles and features” wizard will now open. Click Next.

   

3. Select “Role-based or feature-based installation” and click Next.

   

4. Now select a server on your domain on which you want to install the KMS server on and click Next.

   

5. On the next page, check the box next to “Volume Activation Services.”

   

6. From the popup, leave the default settings and click Add features.

   

7. Now back on the wizard, click Next.

   

8. On the Select features page, leave the default settings and click Next.

   

9. On the next page, click Next again.

   

10. On the Confirmation page, click Install.

    

11. Once the Volume Activation Services role and its features have been successfully installed, click Close to close the wizard.

    

12. Now click on the Notifications button and then click Volume Activation Tools to configure KMS.

    

13. The “Volume Activation Tools” wizard will now open. Here, select “Key Management Service (KMS)” and then specify the FQDN for the KMS server in the text field. When done, click Next.

    

14. Now select “Install your KMS host key” and enter the CSVLK obtained from Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center. When entered, click Commit.

    

15. Now, wait for the confirmation screen for the KMS server to be activated. When it is, you may Close the wizard.

Once the KMS server has been deployed, you can now use the guide provided above to use this KMS server to activate the client Windows operating systems on your organization’s domain.

Final Thoughts

The Windows operating systems can have various types of product keys. However, to activate an OS using a KMS server, the OS needs to be using a volume or an enterprise license. A retail Windows product cannot e activated using a KMS server.

That said, KMS servers are mostly used by large organizations to save costs and activate as many Microsoft products as possible. Of course, technical teams can connect remote computers to the organization’s network via a VPN to activate them (if they are joined to the domain) using the KMS server.

Also see:

If you are like most people who don’t know How to Activate Windows 10 Free then you are at the right place. Because in today’s guide I will tell you some simple and easiest methods to activate your Windows.

This guide is for beginners who are Users in the computing world and don’t know a little bit about it. It can also be helpful for old computer users because I will provide some new tips & tricks that old users may also don’t know about it.

As everyone knows that Microsoft announces that Windows 10 is the final version. So no more Windows updates will come in the future so it is recommended to upgrade to the newer version soon.

It is because Windows 7 is also going to end which means that it will never get updated anymore. There are several ways to upgrade it like downloading Windows 10 ISO image and then burning it in a USB or DVD and installing it as you do usually.

Now the problem comes after you update Windows because it required activation after 30 days. Because this Windows 10 comes with a 30-day of free trial after it expires you will then need to purchase a license key and activate it.

Otherwise, you will be restricted from using several features like changing the theme, and installing some applications, and won’t get updates that may harm your PC as well.

Here the question arises is there any way to activate Windows 10 without purchasing a product key? The answer will be simply Yes, read this guide completely where I will tell you how you can do it by yourself as well.

How to Activate Windows 10 officially

1. Go to Settings
2. Then Go to Update & Security
3. Below Activation
4. & click on Enter Product Key
5. After this check Confirm Box
6. A message appears Windows Successful Activated

Now enter that product key that you just purchased and then click on Enter. Please make sure to have a proper internet connection because it works online. It will take some time and your Windows 10 will be activated in a few seconds.

If you just skip the Enter Key option during installation or purchased the key after the installation then you need to open

These keys are working and tested by me personally so you can also use them to activate Windows 10 Free of cost. But the activation process for this is a little bit different and there are two ways to activate by using these keys. The first method is by activating manually and another method requires you to create a batch file.

So, first, we will talk about the manual process:

1. Click on Start Menu and then look for the Command Prompt or you can search in Cortana.

2. Now right-click on CMD and click on Run as Administrator a warning dialogue will prompt so ignore it and click on Yes.

3. In the Command Prompt add this command “slmgr /ipk your license key” (enter the key which you just copied from above according to the Windows version and make sure to don’t add quotes) & then hit Enter.

4. Let the code execute and it may take some time to wait for a few seconds until it executes completely and then moves to another step.

5. After this, you need to enter this command “slmgr /skms kms8.msguides.com”. It will connect you to the KMS server.

6. When you successfully connected to the KMS server then you will need to enter this command “slmgr /ato”.  That’s it will then show you a dialogue message saying your Windows is activated successfully.

It is the easiest solution for people who don’t know how to activate Windows 10 but if you are having a problem while following the steps, you should go with the automatic method.

Let’s check how you can activate Windows 10 automatically.

• So, first of all, you need to copy the code by following the link given below:
• Copy How to Activate Windows Code
• After this open the Start Menu and search for the Notepad and open it as you do normally.
• Paste the code which you copied from the link provided above and then save it as ActivateWindows10.cmd. Make sure to save it as .cmd otherwise it won’t work and it will open as a normal text file.
• Now after saving the batch file right–click on it and click on Run as Administrator. It will then start CMD and execute some codes automatically.
• You need to wait for some time until this code connects you to the KMS server and then it will be activated automatically.

That’s it you have now successfully activated your Win 10 without purchasing a product key automatically. It is the best and the newest method which you can implement for the activation of the Win 10 Operating system.

In case these methods don’t work for you as well then there is another possible way that works 100% fine and is the stable method. This method required to have an activator so let me tell you some best activators which you can use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=EUZE0CI1L1k

How to Activate Windows 10 Free Using Activator

There are many activators available on the internet but the problem is that some of them contain viruses while others don’t work well and sometimes they even damage your Windows.

To avoid this issue I am sharing with you the best activator which works almost all the time and I personally use it.

Activate Windows with KMSPico

The name of this activator is KMSPico which is scanned by Virus Total and found no malware or trojan in it. It is the only tool available on the internet which is very famous among individuals nowadays.

This is because that is developed by the most trustful Team Daz who has contributed so many activators for Windows users.

This tool is suitable for every Windows edition and can activate both architectures as well. Some Antivirus may show you it is the virus but only caused because these types of piracy tools are blacklisted by these tools.

So you just need to ignore that because it doesn’t contain any virus and I never face any problem while using it.

It works offline and you don’t need to have an internet connection for the activation also it is very light in size which doesn’t consume huge space on your PC.

This can be removed after activation but your activation will remain the same until you install a new fresh Windows. It is the permanent solution for every Windows edition and it also supports Win7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1. The best thing about this is at it also supports the activation of Microsoft Office and its all version up to 2007.

If you want to read more about this tool and want to activate Windows then follow this Link: KMSpico Activator For Windows 10

How to Activate Windows 10  with Microsoft Toolkit

Another tool that can also be used is Microsoft Toolkit which was built by unknown developers. It is also a free tool just like the KMSPico activator it is also used to activate Windows 10 without having a product key.

There are two methods for the activation first one is by using the AutoKMS method while the other is by using the EZ Activation method.

The old name of this toolkit was EZ Activator which works on the internet connection so you have to connect to a proper internet connection then you can activate Windows otherwise you will face errors.

After the recent updates, they renamed it Microsoft Toolkit and also they added a feature of Offline activation.

If you are going to use the offline method then you need to use AutoKMS. KMS is the technology of Microsoft that connects all the computers of a huge company to a server where it activates all of them at once.

But in case you are trying to activate through the internet then you should move to the EZ Activation. It is also a safe and secure method so don’t worry about your data steal as it is also trusted by Virus Total.

Some of the Antivirus may show you it as the virus so don’t worry just ignore it and disable it you can then able to activate your Windows by using Toolkit.

If you want to learn more about this & want to activate your Windows then follow this link: Microsoft Toolkit Activator

Conclusion

These are some best and easiest methods for those who don’t know how to activate Windows 10 so after reading this guide they will surely learn everything about it.

The methods described above are 100% tested and are working fine without having an issue. I personally tested and that’s why I am sharing it with you so you can also get the benefits of it.

It is because most people can’t afford to buy a license key. In this case, they can get a copy of the key from above and activate it by using the method I have given above.

Somehow if you don’t know about the version and you want to activate it as well. Then I would highly recommend going for the activators as these are the only best solution which works automatically.

So, you don’t have to follow any extra and difficult steps just install it and you will then be able to activate your Windows. Further, you can read by going to the links of recommended tools above and reading how you can use them.

I hope you loved my work if yes then don’t forget to share it with your friends because sharing is care. In this way, they can also get the benefits of these methods.

If you find any of the methods helpful and helped you in the activation please let me know in the comment section so the readers can also get an idea that these methods are working.

After the installation of a Microsoft software product, the software has to be activated. In the past, the software activation had to be done directly by Microsoft by entering a so called “Multiple Activation Key” (MAK). This activation can also be done by the GWDG’s KMS server for every computer of the University of Göttingen within the GÖNET. So it is no longer necessary to enter a license key to activate a Microsoft software product.

Products for KMS activation

How KMS works

without having to enter a license key, a KMS software product automatically looks for a local KMS server during the installation. The software activates itself for 180 days if a KMS server has been found. Every week the software contacts the KMS server to reset this timespan back to 180 days. When the KMS server can not be reached for 180 days you get a grace period of 30 days. Within this 30 days you get a warning message and you have to reconnect to our KMS server (e.g. by VPN if you are outside the GÖNET). Otherwise the software reduces its features to a minimum until you reconnect to our KMS server.

Activation when installing

The KMS server is found automatically in many cases. Then nothing more needs to be done, especially if a computer is part of an Active Directory Domain. If this does not work, you still can activate your software manually with our KMS server (see below).

Manual KMS activation

After the installation you should complete the steps described below within 30 days if automatic activation does not work. If you already have entered a MAK key please follow the instructions in the chapter “Changing MAK to KMS activation”.

Activation of Windows OS

Activation of Microsoft Office 2016, 2019 and 2021

Changing the activation from MAK to KMS

If you have already entered a MAK key and want to change to KMS activation, you have to replace the MAK key by a KMS key. This is the default key for every Microsoft software product that has been purchased via a Microsoft volume licensing contract (e.g. MS Campus or MS select).

Changing the operating system activation

Changing Microsoft Office activation

Changing Microsoft Office 2016, 2019 and 2021 activation

Frequent errors

C:WindowsSystem32cmd.exe 

runas /user:administrator cmd.exe 

Активация клиента службы управления ключами (KMS) и ключи продуктов

Чтобы использовать KMS, в локальной сети должен быть доступен узел KMS. Компьютеры, активируемые с помощью узла KMS, должны иметь определенный ключ продукта. Этот ключ иногда называют ключом клиента KMS, но формально он называется универсальным корпоративным ключом многократной установки Microsoft (GVLK). Компьютеры, на которых выполняются выпуски Windows Server и клиент Windows с корпоративным лицензированием, умолчанию являются клиентами KMS, для которых не требуется дополнительная настройка, так как соответствующий ключ GVLK уже существует.

Но в некоторых сценариях требуется добавить GVLK на компьютер, который вы хотите активировать на узле KMS, например:

Чтобы использовать перечисленные здесь ключи (GVLK), в локальной среде должен быть узел KMS. Если у вас еще нет узла KMS, см. сведения в статье Создание узла KMS.

Если вы хотите активировать Windows без доступного узла KMS и без активации тома (например, вы пытаетесь активировать розничную версию клиента Windows), эти ключи не будут работать. Вам нужно использовать другой метод активации Windows, например использование ключа MAK или приобретение розничной лицензии. Узнайте, как найти ключ своего продукта Windows, и что такое лицензионные версии Windows.

Установка ключа продукта

Если вы переключаете компьютер из режима использования узла KMS, ключа MAK или розничной версии Windows в режим клиента KMS, установите соответствующий ключ продукта (GVLK) из списка ниже. Чтобы установить ключ продукта клиента, откройте командную строку администратора на клиенте и выполните следующую команду, а затем нажмите клавишу Enter :

Например, чтобы установить ключ продукта для выпуска Windows Server 2022 Datacenter, выполните следующую команду и нажмите клавишу Enter :

Универсальные ключи многократной установки (GVLK)

В таблицах ниже вы найдете ключи GVLK для каждой версии и выпуска Windows. LTSC означает Long-Term Servicing Channel, а LTSB — Long-Term Servicing Branch.

Windows Server (версии LTSC)

Windows Server 2022

Windows Server 2019

Windows Server 2016

Windows Server (версии Semi-Annual Channel)

Windows Server, версии 20H2, 2004, 1909, 1903 и 1809

Windows 10 (версии Semi-Annual Channel)

См. в разделе Справочные материалы по жизненному циклу Windows сведения о поддерживаемых версиях и конечных датах обслуживания.

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Ключи активации Windows Server 2019

Ключи Windows Server 2019-2016-2012-2008

Если вы пользуетесь серверной операционной системой и хотите ее активировать, то вы попали куда нужно. Здесь можно активировать Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2 и даже Windows Server 2003 R2. Конечно популярность этой системы не такой большой как Windows 10 или Windows 7, но все же кому нужно тот может активировать ее у нас. Ниже мы предоставили несколько ключей активации для Windows Server. Ключики проверенные и рабочие. Сам windows server скачать через торрент c ключом бесплатно можно на торрент сайтах, на нашем находятся только коды активации. Пробуйте!

Лицензионный ключ Windows Server 2019 r2

N69G4-B89J2-4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C — Windows Server 2019 Standard

WVDHN-86M7X-466P6-VHXV7-YY726 — Windows Server 2019 Essentials

WMDGN-G9PQG-XVVXX-R3X43-63DFG — Windows Server 2019 Datacenter

92NFX-8DJQP-P6BBQ-THF9C-7CG2H — Windows 10 Enterprise N LTSC 2019

M7XTQ-FN8P6-TTKYV-9D4CC-J462D — Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019

Ключи Windows Server 2016

JVNV2-VQ3CP-DKPMT-WWKGB-JK9Q4 — Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Retail key

623H6-N2399-P9J4X-MPD8T-V6D9R — Windows Server 2016 Standard Retail key

CTFPM-YN9D3-PT2CR-GTDJ4-8446W — Windows Server 2016 Essentials Retail key

Ключи Windows Server 2012 r2

D2N9P-3P6X9-2R39C-7RTCD-MDVJX — Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Standard

W3GGN-FT8W3-Y4M27-J84CP-Q3VJ9 — Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter

KNC87-3J2TX-XB4WP-VCPJV-M4FWM — Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials

BN3D2-R7TKB-3YPBD-8DRP2-27GG4 — Windows Server 2012

8N2M2-HWPGY-7PGT9-HGDD8-GVGGY — Windows Server 2012 N

XC9B7-NBPP2-83J2H-RHMBY-92BT4 — Windows Server 2012 Server Standard

48HP8-DN98B-MYWDG-T2DCC-8W83P — Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

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KMS Activation of Windows Server 2022 and 2019

Install Volume Activation Services Role on Windows Server

To deploy your own KMS server, you need to install the Volume Activation Services role on any of the hosts running Windows Server 2022, 2019, or 2016. If you already have a KMS server on Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019, you can use this existing server (in this case, this section can be skipped).

Activating KMS Server on Windows Server 2022/2019

Next, you need to copy your personal KMS Host Key from your Microsoft account on the Volume Licensing Center website and activate your KMS server using this key.

Updates to Extend KMS Support for Windows Server 2022 and 2019

You can use KMS hosts with previous versions of Windows Server to activate newer versions of Windows Server 2022 or 2019. But there are a number of limitations.

The KMS host (CSVLK) for activating Windows Server 2022 and Windows 11 (and all previous versions of Windows) can only be installed on Windows Server 2022, 2019, or 2016 (WS 2012R2 is not supported).

You need to install additional updates on Windows Server 2019 or 2016 that extend KMS support for Windows Server 2022. In April 2022, Microsoft released a special update KB5003478. This update is added to the latest cumulative updates for Windows Server. This means that you only need to install any cumulative Windows Server 2019/2016 update released after June 2022.

If you have only a Windows Server 2019 KMS host key, it will activate all Windows versions up to Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10. You can install such a KMS key on Windows Server 2019, 2016, or 2012 R2.

Install these updates on Windows Server 2012 R2:

The following updates are necessary on Windows Server 2016:

After installing updates and rebooting the KMS server, you can install a new KMS Host Key on it and activate it as described above.

If you have not installed updates to support KMS activation of new versions of Windows Server, then when you install a new Windows key Srv 2022 (or 2019) DataCtr/Std KMS using the following command, an error will appear:

At the same time the error with the following description can be found in the Event Viewer logs:

When trying to activate the KMS key via the GUI, the following error appears:

Also, the error may look like this:

To fix this error, you need to install the latest cumulative security updates on your Windows Server KMS host with the Volume Activation Services role.

GVLK Keys for Windows Server 2022, 2019 and Windows 10 LTSC

The list of public KMS activation keys (GVLK – Generic Volume License Key) for different Windows Server 2022, 2019, and Windows 10 LTSC editions are given in the following table:

To install a public GVLK key on a computer or server, you need to run the command (where xxxx is the GVLK key from the table above, depending on the Windows edition):

slmgr /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
You can manually specify the address and port of the KMS server on which you want to activate your Windows:

slmgr /skms corp-kms1.woshub.com:1688
To activate your Windows instance on a KMS server:

slmgr /ato
To check Windows activation status:
slmgr /dlv

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Key Management Services (KMS) client activation and product keys

To use KMS, you need to have a KMS host available on your local network. Computers that activate with a KMS host need to have a specific product key. This key is sometimes referred to as the KMS client key, but it is formally known as a Microsoft Generic Volume License Key (GVLK). Computers that are running volume licensing editions of Windows Server and Windows client are, by default, KMS clients with no extra configuration needed as the relevant GVLK is already there.

There are some scenarios, however, where you will need to add the GVLK to the computer you wish to activate against a KMS host, such as:

To use the keys listed here (which are GVLKs), you must first have a KMS host available on your local network. If you don’t already have a KMS host, please see how to create a KMS host to learn more.

If you want to activate Windows without a KMS host available and outside of a volume-activation scenario (for example, you’re trying to activate a retail version of Windows client), these keys will not work. You will need to use another method of activating Windows, such as using a MAK, or purchasing a retail license. Get help to find your Windows product key and learn about genuine versions of Windows.

Install a product key

If you are converting a computer from a KMS host, MAK, or retail edition of Windows to a KMS client, install the applicable product key (GVLK) from the list below. To install a client product key, open an administrative command prompt on the client, and run the following command and then press Enter :

For example, to install the product key for Windows Server 2022 Datacenter edition, run the following command and then press Enter :

Generic Volume License Keys (GVLK)

In the tables that follow, you will find the GVLKs for each version and edition of Windows. LTSC is Long-Term Servicing Channel, while LTSB is Long-Term Servicing Branch.

Windows Server (LTSC versions)

Windows Server 2022

Windows Server 2019

Windows Server 2016

Windows Server (Semi-Annual Channel versions)

Windows Server, versions 20H2, 2004, 1909, 1903, and 1809

Windows 10 (Semi-Annual Channel versions)

See the Windows lifecycle fact sheet for information about supported versions and end of service dates.

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Activate Windows with KMS Server

If you’ve installed your Windows with a MAK product key and now want to change it to KMS or install a clean OS (never activated), this guide will definitely help you. It also can be useful if you want to activate your Windows copy on the corporate KMS server.

Microsoft offers two ways of Windows and MS Office activation for corporate customers under the Volume License program. They can use MAK or KMS keys for product activation.

The main advantages of KMS activation:

Deploying KMS Activation Host on Windows Server 2019

KMS host is a special Windows Server role that can automate the activation of volume license Microsoft products (Windows and Office) and track their activation status.

You can install a KMS server on any version of Windows Server. In this example, we will show how to install a KMS activation server on Windows Server 2019.

You can install the KMS role using the Server Manager GUI (Server Manager > Add Roles and Features > Roles > Volume Activation Services).

Or, you can install and configure the KMS server role using PowerShell:

Please note that the KMS host key Windows Srv 2019 allows you to activate all previous versions of Windows, starting from Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2. However, if your KMS server is activated with an older host key, you won’t be able to activate new versions of Windows.

For example, if you activated your KMS server with the Windows Srv 2012R2 key, you cannot activate Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016. The maximum supported versions of Windows to activate in this case are Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2.

If you use previous versions of Windows as the KMS server, you need to install special updates before installing a new KMS host key:

How to Activate Windows with KMS Server?

Changing the activation key to the public KMS Client Setup Key

Before activating your Microsoft product (Windows or Office) on the KMS server, you must change the product activation key to the public KMS Client Setup Key. You can change the product key to KMS from the Windows GUI (use the command slui.exe 4), or you can use the slmgr command-line tool. Slmgr.vbs is a small VBS script located in the %SystemRootsystem32 folder and used to manage the Windows licensing on a local or remote computer;
To activate a KMS client, it must have a special KMS public key installed. This product key is called the GVLK key (Generic Volume License Key). For each Windows edition, this key is unique. To replace an existing product key, run the command prompt as an administrator on the computer you want to activate and type:

XXXXX is the GVLK key for your Windows edition (read the last section of this article to learn how to find the GVLK for your version of Windows).

In our case, we want to activate Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 on a KMS server. The KMS Client setup key installation command will look like this:

Wait until the confirmation message “Product key XXXXX installed successfully” appears.

Checking VLMCS Record in DNS and setting KMS server address

After you specify the GVLK key, the KMS client tries to connect to the previously configured KMS server or find a special SRV (_VLMCS) record in the DNS. This DNS record is created when you install a new KMS server in the domain and pointing to your KMS server. After the KMS server is discovered using the DNS server, the client performs the OS activation.

You can skip this step if your DNS has a valid SRV record that allows clients to find the KMS server.

Tip. You can check this DNS entry using the nslookup command:

If the client does not find the KMS server automatically, you can specify the address of the KMS server manually using the slmgr with the option /skms. You can also specify the TCP port on which the activation service listens (by default 1688):

Key Management Service machine name set to hostname successfully.

You can test network connectivity between your computer and the KMS server using the PowerShell command:

To activate your Windows client with the KMS server, run the command:

And wait until the message Product activated successfully appear;

Check the Status of Windows Activation

Optionally, you can display information about the Windows activation status:

As you can see, the utility returned the following useful info:

You can use the slmgr.vbs tool to perform Windows KMS activation on the remote computer. The following command will check the activation status on the remote computer named nywsdx3323. The connection credentials are specified in plain text:

Most Common KMS Activation Errors

Most often users facing the following errors when activating Windows with KMS server:

How to Find Out the GLVL Key for Your Windows Edition?

GVLKs or KMS Client Setup Key is a list of public keys that must be used to activate volume editions of Windows and Windows Server. A complete list of GVLK keys is available on the Microsoft website at the following link.

Let’s see how to find the KMS Client Setup key for your version of Windows? First, you need to check the version and edition of Windows on your computer. To do this, you can run the command:

Or use the following PowerShell command:

Tip. Let us remind you that Windows Home and Single Language cannot be activated on the KMS server. KMS activation is available only for Volume License editions.

In our example, we have Windows 10 Pro build 20H2 installed. According to the Windows lifecycle fact sheet, Win 10 20H2 build belongs to Semi-Annual Channel versions. Therefore, we need to look for the GVLK key in the Windows 10, all supported Semi-Annual Channel versions section.

KMS Client Setup Key for our Windows 10 Pro edition is W269N-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-T83GX.

Copy the found GVLK key and use it in the slmgr command to switch your Windows to KMS activation mode:

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