[windows software] KMS? Anyone?

[Miscbrah]

Okay, I'm not familiar with this AT ALL. I'm hoping someone can do a bit of basic hand-holding. Stumped.

 

Our LEA run KMS servers, which we authenticate (I assume) clients to. They trust us to buy our own licensing correctly (and we all do.) Forwarders in DNS.

 

I have in my Microsoft license centre both MAK and KMS keys for Windows 10.

 

I install Windows 10 on a PC and it won't accept the KMS key.

 

What on earth am I doing wrong? Is the KMS key just for installing the ability to activate Windows 10 on my OWN domain's KMS server (which I haven't got) or is this actually right for the client and something's just going wrong?

 

I'm so confused. :/ Thanks for any replies.

[3s-gtech]

The KMS keys for Windows 10 clients should be the generic ones which are openly available. They just instruct the client to look for the KMS server using DNS. The KMS key to install onto your own KMS server is only available on request - this won't show in VLSC unless you request it.

 

It may suit you to move to AD activation. This is pretty damn cool, and can activate Office too. We have both systems running - if ADA fails it falls back to KMS.

[RLR]

The KMS keys for Windows 10 clients should be the generic ones which are openly available. They just instruct the client to look for the KMS server using DNS. The KMS key to install onto your own KMS server is only available on request - this won't show in VLSC unless you request it.

 

It may suit you to move to AD activation. This is pretty damn cool, and can activate Office too. We have both systems running - if ADA fails it falls back to KMS.

 

This. You will have to add your KMS key to your KMS server. The last few versions of Windows you have to request a KMS key from microsoft which you can then add to your KMS server.

 

You can run this command in an Elevated command prompt to view more commands for kms troubleshooting on a machine: cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs

[GroovyNerd]

I did have to import the kms key for sever 2016 to get this working at one stage. Never put the time in to work out why

[Miscbrah]

Ur all brilliant thanks!

 

Okay, I get that I could set up my own KMS server. To do that, I'd need to follow something intelligent like: https://www.blackforce.co.uk/2015/08/07/how-to-setup-kms-activation-for-windows-10-on-server-2012-r2

 

Might go that way, might stick with the LEA's KMS servers, which we have forwarders for in DNS.

 

Question I have now is, why is there a KMS key alongside the MAK keys in my VLSC account? What's that KMS key for?

 

Thanks much all!

[Bobbeh]

The KMS key would normally be added to the KMS host, which would then be used to activate the product when the KMS client connects to it. If you are connecting to a server with a KMS key already installed you shouldn't need to do anything with it. Or at least that's my understanding of it. Edited May 10, 2017 by Bobbeh

[RLR]

Ur all brilliant thanks!

 

Okay, I get that I could set up my own KMS server. To do that, I'd need to follow something intelligent like: https://www.blackforce.co.uk/2015/08/07/how-to-setup-kms-activation-for-windows-10-on-server-2012-r2

 

Might go that way, might stick with the LEA's KMS servers, which we have forwarders for in DNS.

 

Question I have now is, why is there a KMS key alongside the MAK keys in my VLSC account? What's that KMS key for?

 

Thanks much all!

 

The KMS key is added to a KMS server in which machines will look for via DNS to activate their Windows or even Office. The MAK key is used when a machine is not going to be connected to a network so can't use KMS to activate. You put the MAK key straight into the computer you're trying to activate.

[KK20]

KMS operates in two steps - a client generic key (windows 10 education: slmgr.vbs /ipk NW6C2-QMPVW-D7KKK-3GKT6-VCFB2) and a KMS server key for your own server. In VLSC under windows 10 you see your own SERVER key - this will not work in clients. Clients use the freely noted ones: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867(v=ws.11).aspx

 

Of course you can use MAK keys that you will also find under VLSC. If you are using KMS and you haven't installed your own KMS server then you will also need to configure (or forward) your KMS client requests. Look for _VMLCS "SRV" record under your _tcp zone in DNS, that will say where your clients are trying to get to on a KMS request.

 

Why are there both MAK and KMS in VLSC? Because there is a minimum amount that you need before KMS servers start activiating clients. You need a minimum of 25 clients or 5 servers before KMS starts "working" (you will get a 180 day grace period to get this count up - this can be an issue if you ONLY have 25 clients as it might not be long enough if some PCs aren't regularly switched on or broken).