Best practice for bulk activating Windows 10 on Server 2016?

[talksr]

Hi there,

 

I have not yet installed server 16 and Windows 10 together.

 

I have all my clients deployed via WDS - all working very well.

I have a Microsoft eOpen WDS and KMS key. What is the best way to bulk activate my systems?

[Liam]

Active directory based activation for win 10

[talksr]

Active directory based activation for win 10

 

Thank you. I have just followed through this guide and I have gone on to a couple of my domain connected systems and tried to activate them but they are just sitting there doing nothing.

 

The guide doesn't mention what will happen if the systems are already part of AD.

Should this be a problem?

[3s-gtech]

You can deploy AD activation and KMS together, MS suggest that machines will drop back to KMS if AD fails. I have both deployed now, no issues yet.

[talksr]

You can deploy AD activation and KMS together, MS suggest that machines will drop back to KMS if AD fails. I have both deployed now, no issues yet.

 

I have tried doing the Windows 10 KMS code, I get the following error:

The following error has occured. Please resolve the error and try agian.

Description:

The Software Licensing Service reported that the licence is not installed.

 

Any ideas? This seems to be nothing but a nightmare. On our 2012 server, we used Volume Activation Tools and it seemed to work really well.

[Arthur]

I have tried doing the Windows 10 KMS code

By Windows 10 KMS code do you mean the KMS host key named "Windows Srv 2016 DataCtr/Std KMS" from VLSC?

 

[talksr]

By Windows 10 KMS code do you mean the KMS host key named "Windows Srv 2016 DataCtr/Std KMS" from VLSC?

 

 

Kind of, I was referring to this one...

 

 

If I put in the one you mention,

I get the following screen:

 

I can't click the Activate Product radio button. Only Review Config is available.

If I press next on that, I get another error:

Indicated two revision levels are incompatible.

Edited April 9, 2017 by talksr

[Arthur]

Kind of, I was referring to this one...

That's definitely the wrong key for what you want to do.

 

KMS host keys are located in VLSC under: "View Relationship Summary" > your current Agreement Number > "Product Keys" tab.

 

If "Windows Srv 2016 DataCtr/Std KMS" is not there you need to request it from Microsoft. This key will enable you to activate your Windows 10 Pro clients.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Arthur

[Arthur]

I can't click the Activate Product radio button. Only Review Config is available.

Try it the other way (running slmgr.vbs from an elevated Command Prompt on the Windows Server 2016 VM that is your KMS host)...

 

cscript C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs /ipk [color="#FF0000"]12345-12345-12345-12345-12345[/color]
cscript C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs /ato

 

Replace the key above with the one from VLSC for Windows Srv 2016 DataCtr/Std KMS.

 

When you run slmgr.vbs /dlv after activation it should show VOLUME_KMS_WS16 for the channel and Licensed under License Status.

 

See this link for further details.

 

Setting up new Windows Server 2016 KMS host

Edited April 9, 2017 by Arthur

[talksr]

Try it the other way (running slmgr.vbs from an elevated Command Prompt on the Windows Server 2016 VM that is your KMS host)...

 

cscript C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs /ipk [color="#FF0000"]12345-12345-12345-12345-12345[/color]
cscript C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs /ato

 

Replace the key above with the one from VLSC for Windows Srv 2016 DataCtr/Std KMS.

 

When you run slmgr.vbs /dlv after activation it should show VOLUME_KMS_WS16 for the channel and Licensed under License Status.

 

See this link for further details.

 

Setting up new Windows Server 2016 KMS host

 

 

Thanks, after I ran: slmgr.vbs /ipk 12345-12345-12345-12345-12345

I got back Installed Product Key Successfully.

When I ran the second line, I got back the following:

Activating Windows ServerStandard edition. Product activated successfully.

 

Is that it now or must I do anything more?

 

Thanks for your help.

[Arthur]

Is that it now or must I do anything more?

Try setting up Active Directory-based Authentication using the guide you linked to in post #3. Does this work now?

 

Did you extend the schema level?

 

I have gone on to a couple of my domain connected systems and tried to activate them but they are just sitting there doing nothing. The guide doesn't mention what will happen if the systems are already part of AD. Should this be a problem?

See the "KMS Activation Thresholds" section in the following article...

 

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff793434.aspx

Edited April 10, 2017 by Arthur

[Liam]

Kms has minimum counts before it it will start to activate but it is in event viewer. There are no minimums with adba