Windows 8 KMS

[Stuart_C]

I've already got a KMS server running activating Win7 and 2008R2.
However it doens't seem to activate Win8.
Now i've found this little KB article, Update adds support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2 KMS hosts with a patch and some isntructions which all looks fine however it sat that I need to improt a KMS host key for Win8 or Server 2012 activation using the command cscript %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk <KMS host key>

What exacly am I putting in the <KMS host key> bit. Is it simply the KMS ket from my windows Volume licencing site or is there something else I should be looking for?

[andy_nic]

we just rebuilt our server with 2012, but before I did look in to this as we were running kms on 2008R2 I believe you need to put a server 2012 kms type B key in. as a windows 8 kms key would only activate clients 8 and below. and type b does servers as well as clients. I found the information about this subject very vague at times.

[FN-GM]

I used a server KMS key and it activates both server and 7 no problem.

Can a 2012 key activate Windows 7?

[andy_nic]

The windows 7 ones here are still activated and a new machine I built has activated after we rebuilt the server.

[Arthur]

Can a 2012 key activate Windows 7?

Yes (Vista too ).

[Stuart_C]

So presumably I am going to need to buy a server 2012 licence then to the the KMS key.

I presume that when I install it on my 2008 R2 server that server will keep running.

[SYNACK]

So presumably I am going to need to buy a server 2012 licence then to the the KMS key.

I presume that when I install it on my 2008 R2 server that server will keep running.

You could also use a Windows 8 VM as the KMS server, it just has to keep running and I'm sure theres probably a way to add it to other KMS keys.

[AngryTechnician]

Another option might be to look into Active Directory-Based Activation

EDIT: Unfortunately it requires a Server 2012 domain schema, so not as useful in this scenario as I first thought.

When the user joins their computer to the domain, the ADBA object automatically activates Windows installed on their computer, as long as the computer has a Generic Volume License Key (GVLK) installed. No single physical computer is required to act as the activation object, because it is distributed throughout the domain.

[FN-GM]

Yes (Vista too ).

Do activations of Windows 7 machines count towards activatations of Windows 8 machines? For example could i have 1 Windows 8 machine on the domain activated with KMS sitting with the other 700 Windows 7 machines?

Thanks

[Arthur]

For example could I have 1 Windows 8 machine on the domain activated with KMS sitting with the other 700 Windows 7 machines?

That should be fine. As long as you have 25 (or more) clients in total activating through KMS, you can have as many different combinations of Windows 7 & 8 PCs as you want.

[FN-GM]

That should be fine. As long as you have 25 (or more) clients in total activating through KMS, you can have as many different combinations of Windows 7 & 8 PCs as you want.

Thanks - Just need SCCM 2012 SP1 to come out so i can start supporting them!

[FN-GM]

@Arthur is it the same for Office 2013? Can office 2013 KMS activate Office 2010 please?

[k-strider]

i updated my kms server with the office 2013 preview key and any office 2010 copies still activate just fine

[FN-GM]

Thanks

[AngryTechnician]

Just an FYI: I've now deployed the Office 2013 RTM KMS host licence, and while the Office 2010 installs are still fine, the activation threshold doesn't carry over to Office 2013, so you will still need at least five Office 2013 installs before they start activating, even if you have hundreds of Office 2010 installs activating from the same KMS server.