Windows 8 activation on domain network with VAMT 3 (6.2.9200.0) hosted on 2008 R2.

[BarryBKS]

Hi,

 

This could probably go in a number of different forums, but as the main issue is with Windows 8 Pro, I have posted here. Please feel free to move / duplicate to Server 2008, if that is a better place for it.

I am trying to activate a Windows 8 Pro machine on our domain network.

 

In preparation for Win 8, I had already found out about the requirement to upgrade VAMT from 2 to 3 and I have downloaded the ADK and installed VAMT 3 (v6.2.9200.0) on the required 2008 R2 server with SQL 2008.

This was a straight forward process and the VAMT service is running. I have installed all of my required keys, of which VAMT is quite happy with.

 

I have also installed KB2757817, which is required when running VAMT 3 on 2008 R2.

 

I ran slmgr /dlv to check that the server was running correctly and got an active response.

 

VAMT has found lots of existing Windows 7 pcs and Office 14 which have been set against the KMS keys that we have been provided with. This tells me that the KMS service is running happily.

 

To make sure I have looked at the Server Manager Event Logs. The KMS log shows lots of Event 12290, where the server is finding machines on the network, however the Windows 8 pcs in these events are returning an error code of 0xC004F042 in their data but, the Windows 7 pcs return 0x0 in their data.

 

The VAMT log on the server shows an error event 1000 VAMT Runtime.

Data for this is:

Error while updating products: System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x800706BA): The RPC server is unavailable. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x800706BA) at System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHRInternal(Int32 errorCode, IntPtr errorInfo) at System.Management.ManagementScope.InitializeGuts(Object o) at System.Management.ManagementScope.Initialize() at System.Management.ManagementScope.Connect() at Microsoft.Licensing.VolumeActivation.WmiConnection.Connect() at Microsoft.Licensing.VolumeActivation.UpdateProductsProvider.RefreshMachineGenericInformation() at Microsoft.Licensing.VolumeActivation.UpdateProductsProvider.UpdateProducts() on machine using credential

 

On the Windows 8 pc, I have run the slmgr /dlv, which tells me that the Product key ends: J8CK4, however my KMS key on the server ends: FKQW7. This report also says that I need to run slmgr /ato to activate the machine? (Doesn't this defeat the point of a KMS server if each machine has to be activated individually?)

 

The KMS log on the PC is empty. The application log however, contains the following:-

Information event ID 12288 - The client has sent an activation request. (The data for this shows the IP address of the VAMT server, so its trying to talk to the right server.)

Information event ID 1003 - The software protection service has completed licensing status check.

Error event ID 8198 - License Activation (slui.exe) failed with the following error code: hr=0xC004F074.

 

As our network has its own Firewall, I have turned off the firewall on all internal machines on the domain so there should not be any restrictions on any network services or protocols.

 

The RPC service is running on both the server and the Windows 8 PC.

 

As you can see, this is becoming a little frustrating, especially as the VAMT server is functioning fine with all of the Windows 7 and 2008 machines on the domain.

 

I have looked over the internet for any existing support or documents regarding this, but most point at upgrading to the 6.2.9200 version of VAMT, which I am already running.

Any assistance you may be able to offer would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Barry.

[ChrisMiles]

For starter's I can tell you that the differences in keys is not a problem. The KMS key your windows 8 pro reports is NG4HW-VH26C-733KW-K6F98-J8CK4 which is the KMS client key. It does nothing except tell windows to activate against an available KMS server and is the same for all copies of windows 8 pro.

 

To be honest, I'm surprised at the possibility that a Windows 2008 R2 kms key would ever activate windows 8 clients, I would have thought a windows 2012 server running a 2012 kms key would be required.

[ChrisMiles]

Have you added the Windows 2012/Windows 8 KMS key to your KMS server? The KB2757817 artical here Update adds support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2 KMS hosts seems to suggest you still need to update the key.

[BarryBKS]

Thanks for your replies.

 

My comment regarding the difference in Windows 8 Pro keys was to ephisies the fact that the client was not getting the KMS key issued from the VAMT, but still held the original as it was shipped. Sorry I didn't make that clearer in my original post.

 

THe VAMT contains all the required KMS keys, including Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, Windows 7, Windows 8, Office 14 and Office 15.

The VAMT itself is licenced with the Windows Server 2008 R2 channel C KMS key.

 

Hope this makes sense.

 

Thanks,

 

Barry.

[Hedghog]

Don't forget that the 25 client threshold starts again for windows 8, it does not matter how many win7 clients you have already activated it starts all over.

[BarryBKS]

Hedghog,

 

Now that makes sence, although I had not found any comment regarding this point on any of the Microsoft documentation regarding upgrading to support Windows 8.

 

I was going on the understanding that I needed 25 Windows 7 to get the KMS server going. I didn't expect Microsoft to want another 25 of Windows 8 before you could start to test it, but this is Microsoft so I should have considered it.

 

I guess I will just have to use the MAK key for the testing environment and wait until we do a small roll out before we test the VAMT.

 

Thank you to both of you for your thoughts.

 

Barry.

[sted]

Important Every KMS host key is associated with a group of Windows editions. Additionally, a KMS host key that is associated with Windows client operating systems cannot be installed on Windows server operating systems, and vice-versa

i take it this means as my kms server is an 08r2 box i cant use a win8 ent code for kmsing?

[BarryBKS]

Sted,

 

You need to install VAMT version 3 (with SQL Server) to support Windows 8 and server 2012.

You set your KMS server up using the KMS key for your 2008 R2 server.

You the enter your Windows 8 Ent KMS key as an additional product key on VAMT, but note:

You will need to have at least 25 machines running Windows 8 on your network before you can use your KMS server to activate Windows 8 machines.

That is where I went wrong.

 

Good luck,

Barry.

[sted]

sql oh bleep no that anoying resource hog nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!