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Activate Windows with KMS server

Activate Windows with KMS Server

Step 1: KMS Client Setup Key

Before activating your Microsoft product (Windows or Office) on the KMS server, you must change the product activation key to the public KMS Client Setup Key. You can change the product key to KMS from the Windows GUI (use the command slui.exe 4), or you can use the slmgr command line tool. Slmgr.vbs is a VBS script located in the %SystemRootsystem32 folder and used to manage the Windows licensing on a local or remote computer.

To activate a KMS client, it must have a special KMS public key installed. This product key is called the GVLK key (Generic Volume License Key). For each Windows editions, this key is unique. To replace an existing product key, run the command prompt as an administrator on the computer you are want to activate and type:

slmgr.vbs /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

(XXXXX is GVLK key for your Windows edition from the table below)

In our case, we want to activate Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 on a KMS server. The KMS Client key installation command will look like this:

slmgr.vbs /ipk M7XTQ-FN8P6-TTKYV-9D4CC-J462D

Step 2. Checking VLMCS Record in DNS and Setting KMS Server Address

After you specify the GVLK key, the KMS client tries to connect to the previously configured KMS server or find a special SRV (_VLMCS) record in the DNS. This DNS record is created when you install a new KMS server in the domain and pointing to your KMS server. After KMS server discovery using the DNS server, the client performs the OS activation.

You can skip this step if your DNS has a valid SRV record that allows clients to find the KMS server.

Tip. You can check this DNS entry using the nslookup command:

nslookup -q=SRV _VLMCS._TCP.VMwareenterprise.com

If the client does not find the KMS server automatically, you can specify the address of the KMS server manually using the slmgr with the option /skms. You can also specify the TCP port on which the activation service listens (by default 1688):

slmgr.vbs /skms <KMS_server_name_or_IP>:1688

You can test network connectivity between your computer and the KMS server using the PowerShell command:

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName KMS_server_name_or_IP -Port 1688

Step 3: Activate Windows on KMS Server Using Slmgr.vbs Command

To activate Windows with the KMS server, run the command:

Slmgr.vbs /ato

And wait until message Product activated successfully appeared.

Step 4: Check the Status of Windows Activation

Optionally, you can display information about the Windows activation status:

slmgr.vbs /dli

As you can see, the utility returned the following useful info:

  • Name – the OS version;
  • Description – distribution channel VOLUME_KMSCLIEN channel;
  • License status – licensed;
  • Volume activation expirations – 180 days;
  • KMS server IP address and DNS name.

Windows Public GVLK Keys

Below are the collection of the public KMS Client license keys (GVLK) from Microsoft for all supported Windows versions. All these keys are taken from the official Microsoft site, where they are publicly available. They are pretty hard to find using the Microsoft website

Update (2019-05-04): Added GVLK keys for the Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 LTSC editions).

Operating system version KMS Client License Key
Windows Server 2019
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter WMDGN-G9PQG-XVVXX-R3X43-63DFG
Windows Server 2019 Standard N69G4-B89J2-4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C
Windows Server 2019 Essentials WVDHN-86M7X-466P6-VHXV7-YY726
Windows 10 LTSC 2019
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 M7XTQ-FN8P6-TTKYV-9D4CC-J462D
Windows 10 Enterprise N LTSC 2019 92NFX-8DJQP-P6BBQ-THF9C-7CG2H
Windows Server 2016
Windows Server 2016 Datacenter CB7KF-BWN84-R7R2Y-793K2-8XDDG
Windows Server 2016 Standard WC2BQ-8NRM3-FDDYY-2BFGV-KHKQY
Windows Server 2016 Essentials JCKRF-N37P4-C2D82-9YXRT-4M63B
Windows 10
Windows 10 Professional W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX
Windows 10 Professional N MH37W-N47XK-V7XM9-C7227-GCQG9
Windows 10 Enterprise NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43
Windows 10 Enterprise N DPH2V-TTNVB-4X9Q3-TJR4H-KHJW4
Windows 10 Education NW6C2-QMPVW-D7KKK-3GKT6-VCFB2
Windows 10 Education N 2WH4N-8QGBV-H22JP-CT43Q-MDWWJ
Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB WNMTR-4C88C-JK8YV-HQ7T2-76DF9
Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB N 2F77B-TNFGY-69QQF-B8YKP-D69TJ
Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB DCPHK-NFMTC-H88MJ-PFHPY-QJ4BJ
Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB N QFFDN-GRT3P-VKWWX-X7T3R-8B639
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard D2N9P-3P6X9-2R39C-7RTCD-MDVJX
Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter W3GGN-FT8W3-Y4M27-J84CP-Q3VJ9
Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials KNC87-3J2TX-XB4WP-VCPJV-M4FWM
Windows 8.1
Windows 8.1 Professional GCRJD-8NW9H-F2CDX-CCM8D-9D6T9
Windows 8.1 Professional N HMCNV-VVBFX-7HMBH-CTY9B-B4FXY
Windows 8.1 Enterprise MHF9N-XY6XB-WVXMC-BTDCT-MKKG7
Windows 8.1 Enterprise N TT4HM-HN7YT-62K67-RGRQJ-JFFXW
Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2012 Core BN3D2-R7TKB-3YPBD-8DRP2-27GG4
Windows Server 2012 Core N 8N2M2-HWPGY-7PGT9-HGDD8-GVGGY
Windows Server 2012 Core Single Language 2WN2H-YGCQR-KFX6K-CD6TF-84YXQ
Windows Server 2012 Core Country Specific 4K36P-JN4VD-GDC6V-KDT89-DYFKP
Windows Server 2012 Server Standard XC9B7-NBPP2-83J2H-RHMBY-92BT4
Windows Server 2012 Standard Core XC9B7-NBPP2-83J2H-RHMBY-92BT4
Windows Server 2012 MultiPoint Standard HM7DN-YVMH3-46JC3-XYTG7-CYQJJ
Windows Server 2012 MultiPoint Premium XNH6W-2V9GX-RGJ4K-Y8X6F-QGJ2G
Windows Server 2012 Datacenter 48HP8-DN98B-MYWDG-T2DCC-8W83P
Windows Server 2012 Datacenter Core 48HP8-DN98B-MYWDG-T2DCC-8W83P
Windows 8
Windows 8 Professional NG4HW-VH26C-733KW-K6F98-J8CK4
Windows 8 Professional N XCVCF-2NXM9-723PB-MHCB7-2RYQQ
Windows 8 Enterprise 32JNW-9KQ84-P47T8-D8GGY-CWCK7
Windows 8 Enterprise N JMNMF-RHW7P-DMY6X-RF3DR-X2BQT
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC Edition FKJQ8-TMCVP-FRMR7-4WR42-3JCD7
Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter 74YFP-3QFB3-KQT8W-PMXWJ-7M648
Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise 489J6-VHDMP-X63PK-3K798-CPX3Y
Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems GT63C-RJFQ3-4GMB6-BRFB9-CB83V
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard YC6KT-GKW9T-YTKYR-T4X34-R7VHC
Windows Web Server 2008 R2 6TPJF-RBVHG-WBW2R-86QPH-6RTM4
Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter 7M67G-PC374-GR742-YH8V4-TCBY3
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V 22XQ2-VRXRG-P8D42-K34TD-G3QQC
Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems 4DWFP-JF3DJ-B7DTH-78FJB-PDRHK
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise YQGMW-MPWTJ-34KDK-48M3W-X4Q6V
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V 39BXF-X8Q23-P2WWT-38T2F-G3FPG
Windows Server 2008 Standard TM24T-X9RMF-VWXK6-X8JC9-BFGM2
Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V W7VD6-7JFBR-RX26B-YKQ3Y-6FFFJ
Windows Web Server 2008 WYR28-R7TFJ-3X2YQ-YCY4H-M249D
Windows 7
Windows 7 Professional FJ82H-XT6CR-J8D7P-XQJJ2-GPDD4
Windows 7 Professional N MRPKT-YTG23-K7D7T-X2JMM-QY7MG
Windows 7 Enterprise 33PXH-7Y6KF-2VJC9-XBBR8-HVTHH
Windows 7 Enterprise N YDRBP-3D83W-TY26F-D46B2-XCKRJ
Windows 7 Enterprise E C29WB-22CC8-VJ326-GHFJW-H9DH4
Windows Vista
Windows Vista Business YFKBB-PQJJV-G996G-VWGXY-2V3X8
Windows Vista Business N HMBQG-8H2RH-C77VX-27R82-VMQBT
Windows Vista Enterprise VKK3X-68KWM-X2YGT-QR4M6-4BWMV
Windows Vista Enterprise N VTC42-BM838-43QHV-84HX6-XJXKV

After installing the GVLK key, the Windows tries to either directly connect to the specified KMS server, or find a DNS SRV record that points to the KMS server, and then performs the activation.

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