Introduction

By using a locally hosted service, Key Management System (KMS) enables enterprise clients to activate Windows operating systems without requiring individual workstations to connect to Microsoft activation servers over the Internet. The deployment of a KMS server and its utilization for Windows client machine activation are covered in this article.

Comprehending the Activation of KMS

Volume editions of Windows and Microsoft Office can be activated within the corporate network by using the kms activator windows server 2008. The client-server architecture is the foundation of KMS. The following illustrates the standard KMS activation scheme.

A Windows Server machine with the Volume Activation Services role installed serves as the foundation for the KMS volume activation architecture (1). The KMS Host is the name of this server.

The KMS Host Key is used to activate KMS Host. Microsoft kms server 2008 Activation Services is needed for a one-time activation of KMS Server.

How to activate Windows using Key Management Services.

To use KMS, a KMS host must be present on your local network. Computers that activate using a KMS host require a particular product key. The official term for this key is the Microsoft Generic Volume License Key (GVLK), which is also known as the KMS client key. It's also worth mentioning that the KMS service cannot activate retail, OEM, MSDN, or MSDNAA editions of Windows.

Computers running volume licensing editions of Windows Server and Windows Client are already set up as GVLK clients. As a result, they are automatically categorized as KMS customers.

• Step 1: Open "Administrative Command Prompt"
  The first step is to open the command prompt as an administrator. To do this, press Win + R on your keyboard. Enter "cmd" in the Run dialog box, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter. This will open Command Prompt as administrator.
• Step 2: Install the "KMS" key.
  To install the "KMS" key, type the following command in an administrative terminal:

  slmgr /ipk /ipk KMS_host_key.

  Replace "KMS_host_key>" with the KMS host key you obtained from Microsoft here. After you've installed the "KMS" key on your PC, use the following command to activate it and confirm you're connected to the internet:

  /to slmgr.vbs.

• Step 3: Verify the activation.
  Open the "Command Prompt" and use the "slmgr" command-line tool to verify the activation status by typing the following command:

  /DLV /SLMGR

  The preceding command will open a new window. Search for "License Status." If it says "Licensed," it signifies Windows 10 was successfully activated.
  Also, check the "Configured Activation Type" section to see if you're KMS-activated.

How to Activate Office with Key Management Service?

Activating Office Key Management Service (KMS) is a technique that allows enterprises to activate numerous Microsoft Office installations (such as Office 2016 and Office 2019) via a centralized server rather than individual product keys. To activate Office with KMS, perform these steps:

• Step 1: Obtain a KMS Host Key. The first step is to check that Microsoft Office is installed on the PCs you intend to activate via KMS. You'll also need a KMS host key from Microsoft. This key is used to configure your KMS server. You can obtain this key from the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) or your Microsoft Volume Licensing agent.
• Step 2: Set up a KMS host server. Choose a Windows Server PC as your KMS host. It should be a separate server for this purpose. Then, run the following command on the server, substituting "Your-KMS-Host-Key" with your actual KMS host key.

  Script C:\Windows\System32\mgr.vbs/1pk Your-KMS-Host-Key
  
  Then, activate the KMS host key on the server using the following command:
  Script: C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs /ato

• Step 3: Configure the KMS host. Once you've completed the activation process, you must setup the host server to listen for Office activation requests. Run the following command:

  cscript C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs /skms your-kms-server-name or IP
  * Please replace "your-kms-server-name-or-ip" with the hostname or IP address of your KMS host server. *

• Step 4: Activating Office Clients The next step is to activate the Office clients. On the PCs that have Microsoft Office installed, open a command prompt with administrative rights. To activate Office via the KMS server, run the following command:

  cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\ospp.vbs" /sethst:your-kms-server-name or IP
  * Please replace "your-kms-server-name-or-ip" with the hostname or IP address of your KMS host server. *

  Next, activate Office on each computer by running:

  /script "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\ospp.vbs" /act
  Remember that the path to the "ospp.vbs" script may differ based on your Office version and installation path.

• Step 5: Verify activation. To ensure that Office has been correctly activated via your KMS server, you can verify the activation status on specific PCs by running:

  CScript: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\ospp.vbs" /dstatus

  There you have it! Your Microsoft Office installations should now be activated with the Key Management Service. Ensure that your KMS host server is functioning and accessible for continuing Office client activation.