Setting up a KMS - getting close to rampaging...

[localzuk]

I'm currently setting up the infrastructure to support Windows 7 when we roll it out this summer, and one of those tasks is setting up a KMS host.

I'm running slmgr.vbs /ipk <key> and consistently am getting an error 0xC004F015. I don't understand... the instructions for it are pretty washy it seems.

What am I doing wrong. I've set up a blank 2k8 R2 server, updated it fully and it is running with a MAK key itself. I am then putting in the Windows 7 Pro KMS key we get through our EES license.

Am I using the wrong key somewhere?

[Quackers]

What Server are you doing this on? Sounds like your not running it on a Server running KMS 1.2 , if your doing it in Server 2008 R2 it should just work out the box, if not you will need to download an updated version of the KMS Server to take the Windows 7 keys i believe.

[localzuk]

It is a brand new Windows 2k8 R2 standard edition virtual machine, fully up to date.

[DrPerceptron]

Are you using the 2008 R2 KMS_B key?

How to Choose the Right Volume License Key for Windows

[sted]

if all else fails set up a win 7 vm and just feed it yor kms key istant kms server (jus give it a static/reserved )ip

[localzuk]

Are you using the 2008 R2 KMS_B key?

How to Choose the Right Volume License Key for Windows

No. I'm using the Windows 7 KMS key as I said. The server will only ever be authorising Windows 7 and Office 2010 (later) computers, no servers, so even according to that site, I should be able to just use that KMS key.

[sted]

yup if your server is activated with a 2008r2 kms key you shouldnt need to do aything other than allow kms trough the firewall

try running

cscript.exe C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs /dlv > "c:\Users\whoever\Desktop\kms.txt"

and see what it says it possible its already done wihout you realising it

[localzuk]

The server is activated with a MAK key, not a KMS key.

[sted]

have you got a server kms key?

[localzuk]

I have a server KMS key for Datacentre, but not standard edition. I only have MAK keys for that.

[Jamo]

This threw me when i was trying to set it up.

On the MS Vol licence site


Licenses->Relationship Summary and then click the licence agreement and select the product key tab.

Install the Product key for your KMS version of Server 2008r2 using the command:

cscript C:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk <KmsKey>


then to activate the KMS host, enter:


cscript C:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato


That should be it, it will publish iteself in DNS and the clients should pick it up. You have to have 30 clients to get it going though, I just made 30 virtual hosts. If you run:

cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /dlv

You should see the client count increasing



See this for more KMS info, its so badly documented. Basically its setup with the right version of server OS ensuring that your version of MS Server can activate all your clients (usually that is ok with standard, we have a datacenter licence so have had to migrate the KMS role to a datacenter server to keep up!) then thats it!!

How to Choose the Right Volume License Key for Windows

[localzuk]

Ok, so I will start again and set up 2k8 R2 datacentre instead of standard.

Stupid complex system. What happened to Windows having GUIs for everything?

[Jamo]

Drove me nuts, but once its set up it gets out of the way .... completely....

slightly worrying but it just seems to work... (famous last words!!)

BTW when you are activating MS Office 2010 check out this site:
Download: Office 2010 KMS Host License Pack - Microsoft Download Center - Download Details

[SYNACK]

It's ashame and weird that your agreement does not have access to a KMS_B key as that just works, you may be able to use the datacentre key on the standard server though as it should activate everything below it including standard.

[Jamo]

You can't use the datacenter key on standard as such, but you can do an inplace upgrade. Requires restarts and things, I have done it to 3 servers here with no problem:

To do this you just need to use the DSIM tool which is included with Windows
Dism /online /Set-Edition:ServerEnterprise /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Note that you can check which versions you can upgrade to by running: Dism /online /Get-TargetEditions


Note that for KMS client product keys (ie ones that you can use to ensure they contact the KMS server for activation) see this article.Note this is useful for upgrading clients from Standard to Datacenter

Example

The below example works for our servers. Remember that the command requires a restart and takes around 10 mins.

dism /online /Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter /ProductKey:xxxxxxxxx