Windows 10 will not activate

[The_IT_Guy]

In a bit of a muddle trying to get windows 10 education to activate. I have tried configuring the AD method but the machines don't seem to automatically activate. Also tried setting up the KMS host on Windows Server 2012R2.

 

Tried using VAMT to right click the computers and install a key via "Automatically select a KMS client key (GVLK) but it says product key not found when I can see it in there as the CSVLK.

 

Also tried activating with a MAK code, the MAK code installs but then when I tell them to activate they fail with "Unknown error (0x8004fc12)"

 

Help!

[kennysarmy]

In a bit of a muddle trying to get windows 10 education to activate. I have tried configuring the AD method but the machines don't seem to automatically activate. Also tried setting up the KMS host on Windows Server 2012R2.

 

Tried using VAMT to right click the computers and install a key via "Automatically select a KMS client key (GVLK) but it says product key not found when I can see it in there as the CSVLK.

 

Also tried activating with a MAK code, the MAK code installs but then when I tell them to activate they fail with "Unknown error (0x8004fc12)"

 

Help!

 

I've had no issues here with KMS - how many clients are you trying to activate?

[The_IT_Guy]

I've had no issues here with KMS - how many clients are you trying to activate?

 

There's about 440 clients. Never had issues with Windows 7 KMS just since changing to windows 10

[kennysarmy]

There's about 440 clients. Never had issues with Windows 7 KMS just since changing to windows 10

 

440 Windows 10 clients?

[kennysarmy]

A KMS host responds to each valid activation request from a KMS client with the count of how many computers have already contacted the KMS host for activation. Client computers that receive a count below the activation threshold are not activated. For example, if the first two computers that contact the KMS host are running Windows 10, the first receives an activation count of 1, and the second receives an activation count of 2. If the next computer is a virtual machine on a computer running Windows 10, it receives an activation count of 3, and so on. None of these computers will be activated, because computers running Windows 10, like other client operating system versions, must receive an activation count of 25 or more. When KMS clients are waiting for the KMS to reach the activation threshold, they will connect to the KMS host every two hours to get the current activation count. They will be activated when the threshold is met.

[sted]

on a client you can force kms activation (or an attempt at least) from the command prompt (as an admin) slmgr.vbs /ato and it should at least say why its not working.

 

its also worth checking dns on your dns server(s) to see if there are any vlmsc records under your domain and _tcp that are pointed at the wrong server (either delete the incorrect records on the dns server(s) (though they may come back) or as a test run slmgr.vbs /skms kmsservername and try slmgr.vbs /ato again on a client)

 

you can also run checks on the kms server itself to see what it thinks kms is doing a script like this will dump the relevant info to a text file that may help

 

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

Edited December 20, 2018 by sted

[The_IT_Guy]

you can force kms activation (or an attempt at least) from the command prompt (as an admin) slmgr.vbs /ato and it should at least say why its not working. its also worth checking dns to see if there are any vlmsc records under your domain and _tcp thats are pointed at the wrong server (either delete the incorrect records (though they may come back) or as a test run slmgr.vbs /skms kmsservername and try slmgr.vbs /ato again

 

you can also run checks on the kms server itself to see what it thinks kms is doing a script like this will dump the relevant info to a text file that may help

 

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

 

Thanks, would you run those commands on the KMS server or a client that isn't activating? Thanks

[sted]

Thanks, would you run those commands on the KMS server or a client that isn't activating? Thanks

 

the top ones on a client the one that creates a text file on the server

[Kitkatninja]

It could also be a BIOS version issue... We had an issue a while ago where Windows wouldn't activate, we updated the BIOS and presto - activated...

[k-strider]

i had this issue show up on a couple of mine where they change from Volume to Retail!

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/licensing-questions/201112-microsoft-s-windows-10-activation-system-broken-fix-coming.html#post1721021

[chazzy2501]

I know I ran into this error recently when I installed win10 using the media creator, it of course didn't put a KMS client key on the PC...Durr. Took me an hour to figure that out. Just a sanity check, the clients have KMS keys installed?

 

as above use cscript slmgr.vbs /dvl and /ato to show the client key and request activation on the client. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/kmsclientkeys get your kms keys here..