Key Management Services (KMS) client activation and product keys for Windows Server and Windows (2024)

FAQs

How do I activate Windows Server with KMS key? ›

Configure KMS in Windows 10

To activate, use the slmgr.vbs command. Open an elevated command prompt and run one of the following commands: To install the KMS key, run the command slmgr.vbs /ipk <KmsKey> . To activate online, run the command slmgr.vbs /ato .

Computers that activate with a KMS host need to have a specific product key. This key is sometimes referred to as the KMS client key, but it's formally known as a Microsoft Generic Volume License Key (GVLK).

Minimum number of computers required for KMS

KMS will not begin activating computers until you have reached a minimum threshold of systems on your network. You must establish 25 Windows Vista or Windows 7 workstations or 5 Windows 2008 R1 or R2 servers on your network before KMS begins activating systems.

After you have configured Key Management Service (KMS) or Active Directory-based activation on your network, activating a client running Windows 10 is easy. The Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) provides several useful features, including the ability to track and monitor several types of product keys.

To get the KMS key, sign in to the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) and download the KMS key for each product and version of Office that you want KMS to activate.

Activation servers (KMS) through an organization or educational institution is legal, and should be used for those intents and purposes.

Genuine Windows activation methods, such as KMS activation for large-scale organizations and digital keys for individual users, are the recommended and safe approach to activating your Windows operating system.

According to the Microsoft article: Understanding KMS, in the KMS Activation Renewal section, it states that "KMS activations are valid for 180 days—the activation validity interval. To remain activated, KMS client computers must renew their activation by connecting to the KMS host at least once every 180 days.".

How many Windows can run with one product key? ›

For normal retail Windows activation keys, you can use the same product key on two different PCs, as long as you don't use both machines at the same time. In other words, when you activate Windows on a PC with a specific product key, you can't use the same key to activate another at the same time.

Each KMS key can be installed on up to six KMS hosts. These hosts can be physical computers or virtual machines. After activating a KMS host, the same host can be reactivated up to nine times with the same key.

AWS Key Management Service (KMS) gives you centralized control over the cryptographic keys used to protect your data. The service is integrated with other AWS services making it easier to encrypt data you store in these services and control access to the keys that decrypt it.

A KMS Key is used to activate the KMS host computer with a Microsoft activation server and can activate up to six KMS hosts with 10 activations per host. Each KMS host can activate an unlimited number of computers.

The KMS requires a minimum number of computers (physical computers or virtual machines) in a network environment. The organization must have at least five computers to activate Windows Server 2012 R2 and at least 25 computers to activate client computers that are running Windows 10.

Log onto https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/servicecenter/ and fetch your key: “Win Srv 2008 R2 Data Ctr/Itan KMS C” – Note your key may be similar, but either way it must end in either KMS B, or KMS C. Type slmgr /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx where the last section is the Key from your volume licensing website.

To see verbose output from the Software Licensing service, open an elevated Command Prompt window and enter slmgr. vbs /dlv at the command prompt. The following screenshot shows the results of this command on one of our KMS hosts within Microsoft.