Office 2016 not automatically activating

[ITGURU]

I've set up a server 2016 KMS host for Server, Windows 10 and office 2016.

I have installed office 2016 on 5 clients, event log on the server shows the clients checking in. When i go into office (account) it says office needs activating.

If i navigate to the office16 folder on the client, manually set the kms server and activate via command prompt it is successful and shows activated.

If I then check the other installs, none are activated.

I have done a nslookup for the kms entry and just shows the 1 server.

Why would the other clients not be activating automatically without specifying the KMS server name, even though the request is showing the event log. as 0x0, 5

[DalekSec]

I might be wrong, but isn't there a minimum number of clients before KMS takes effect? I thought it was 15

[Liam]

Why not use ADBA?

[Steve21]

How are you installing Office? if you're doing anything sysprep'y did you ensure you re-armed it before capturing? Or is it a normal install via WIM/ISO etc?

 

Steve

[ITGURU]

I might be wrong, but isn't there a minimum number of clients before KMS takes effect? I thought it was 15

 

I believe it's 5. Question is if it was 15 why would manually pointing to the kms server and activating work?

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

How are you installing Office? if you're doing anything sysprep'y did you ensure you re-armed it before capturing? Or is it a normal install via WIM/ISO etc?

 

Steve

 

They were all manual installs from the original ISO

[caffrey]

I've had this too, it was working but then it didn't. I just added a second step to my installation batch file just to make sure (I copied ospp.vbs to my office2016 install directory first)

 

cscript ospp.vbs /act

 

always activates this way

[ITGURU]

I'm setting this up at another school which has this issue.

Set up in the same way as at my school and it all activates fine...strange

[DJ-1701]

I have to agree with @Liam, if all your machines are on the domain that need Office, then ADBA is a better way to activate it.

 

Although... if you have Office 365 for the School, what would be even better is installing Office 365 (with device based activation) which provides better integration.

Edited May 23, 2018 by DJ-1701

[Steve21]

Take it it's not a new KMS server? If so did the VLMCS DNS record go in ok and replicate across DCs?

 

Steve

[ITGURU]

Take it it's not a new KMS server? If so did the VLMCS DNS record go in ok and replicate across DCs?

 

Steve

 

yes, checked the DNS record lookup - all correct.

If I do AD activation does it affect windows 7 and office 2013 which will need to activate in future if re-imaged?

[DJ-1701]

AD Based Activation (ADBA) only works with Windows 8 and above, so it won't affect KMS settings you have for Windows 7 and Office 2013. Less of a headache, install and walk away.

[ITGURU]

Do I just re-run VAT and select AD Authentication rather than KMS?

[ITGURU]

Appears to be sorted - I rebooted all clients, then installed office on a 6th machine, went to 'account' and it showed as activated!