KMS !!££!$!$$^$^$

[Disease]

I am being a bit thick here, I have read through most of the threads regarding this and I still do not get it.

I have setup a KMS server on a Windows 2008 Ent edition, an entry has been created in dns and the firewall exceptions have been entered.

So, I then go and install Server 2008 Ent R2 on another server, it asks me for a key during install so I enter my KMS key which it wont accept as it's says "that is a kms key" so it's left unactivated at the moment. If I go to use my KMS key again on that server it says this is a KMS key do I wish to use it?

I also install a Win 7 test machine and that did the same thing, this time I used the Win 7 KMS key and it installed the KMS server on that machine, I used the /upk command to remove it now it's left keyless and won't activate

Where am I going wrong?

[nephilim]

I dont know but I am having the same problem, its annoying as hell!

[Soulfish]

If you're running a KMS server you don't need to enter a key. It should be able to detect the KMS server running on your network and activate its self through that. Failing that you could always try one of the KMS keys - Volume Activation Deployment Guide

[mounters]

Have you installed the Win 7 KMS key on the KMS server?

[Disease]

I installed the datacenter key which is above the Win 7 key.

I think I have just worked it out, these machines I am trying to activate were installed BEFORE I had set up KMS properly, I assume that KMS in envoked DURING install and not after and that is why I was being asked for a key. I would need to re-install these machines or use a MAK key I guess.

[fawkers]

KMS needs DNS to be running correctly with the right entries, also to active a client side OS you will need 25 kms request to be logged, for the server side i think its 5.

[mounters]

HAve you got he Volume Activation Management Tool installed? This allows you to see the state of any computers on your network, you can also easily change the licensing type (KMS/MAK) should you need to.

[Jon88]

I spent ages trying this, simple solution, sack off KMS
go in to your windows licensing account and as you are looking at all your keys in there wonder you should also see a tab saying request MAK key, press this and you should get almost instantly a MAK key that will activate for you. I found our most recent batch didn’t work so went to the licences with the previous number sequence.

I read somewhere that for KMS to work with server you need something like 20 Server clients talking to a KMS server you have set up.....? Will try and find the post?

[AIT]

ok you need to install the kms key for the windows 7 machines. and try running this script to force the windows 7 machines to use your activation server:


"

"%SystemRoot%\system32\cscript.exe" "%SystemRoot%\system32\slmgr.vbs" -ipk putyourkeyhere
cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -skms putipofactivationserver:1688

cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -ato

"

should also note that you need 25 requests before the activation server will start issuing licenses

[zag]

Yeh I just use the MAK key like I did in XP, far simpler

You can request one instantly on the Volume Licensing site

[DMcCoy]

5 Server OS will activate the key for server OS (2008/R2)
25 Client OS will activate the key for clients. (Vista/7)
The same key will activate for clients and servers separately.

If you do not have sufficient servers or it's the first KMS server then it will need to be activated with a MAK key as it will not be able to self license until the key is activated. This will also depend on which class the key is as it may or may not be able to activate servers. Datacenter KMS key will activate everything below it (standard, enterprise, windows clients)

[Disease]

What a stupid system.