Plan MAK proxy activation of Office 2010
Applies to: Office 2010
Topic Last Modified: 2011-08-05
You are required to activate your deployment of Volume License editions of Microsoft Office 2010. This includes Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010, Microsoft Project 2010, and Microsoft Visio 2010. Activation reduces the possibility of deploying counterfeit software, which can include malware, viruses, and other security risks.
Important
This information applies to volume-licensed editions of Office 2010. It does not apply to Office Professional Plus for Office 365, which is licensed through subscription.
In this article:
Overview of MAK proxy activation
Plan and assess the Office 2010 environment and configuration
Obtain the product keys
MAK proxy activation steps
VAMT management steps
Overview of MAK proxy activation
Multiple Activation Key (MAK) activation occurs directly with Microsoft (different from Key Management Service [KMS], in which activation occurs through a local host server). If your organization has 6 to 49 computers that need to active Office 2010, we recommend that you use MAK proxy activations managed through Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=183042) for all computers that can connect to a MAK proxy server. For those computers that are isolated from the corporate network or the Internet, we recommend that you use MAK independent activation through the telephone.
The following is an example of a network that can use MAK proxy activation.
Example: Medium organization that has Internet-connected desktop computers and isolated portable computers
Contoso, Ltd. has 15 desktop computers and 10 portable computers in their single office. The desktop computers are connected to the Internet, and the portable computers are isolated from all networks. The solution is to use VAMT (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=183042) to manage the MAK proxy activation of the desktop computers through the Internet, while you independently activate the portable computers through the telephone.
Architecture – Contoso medium organization example
.jpg "MAK proxy activation via Internet")
Plan and assess the Office 2010 environment and configuration
The following articles will help you make sure that your deployment of Office 2010 is properly designed for MAK activation.
To assess the Office 2010 environment, see Assessing the compatibility of Office 2010.
To plan the desktop configuration for Office 2010 (if required), see Plan desktop configurations for Office 2010.
To assess the system requirements for Office 2010, see System requirements for Office 2010.
To configure each computer for MAK activation, see Customize Office 2010. Follow the relevant procedure to configure Office 2010 by using the Office Customization Tool (OCT), the Config.xml file, or the Microsoft Office Backstage view.
Obtain the product keys
To obtain the product keys for Office 2010, register on the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=184280) Web site. Your license agreement determines the number of MAK activations that you are issued.
MAK proxy activation steps
To activate Office 2010 by using MAK proxy through VAMT, follow these steps.
In VAMT, under Product Keys, enter the MAK key in the Product Key field, and then click Verify.
Right-click the computer on which you want to install the MAK key, select Install Product Key, select the MAK key, and then click OK.
To activate Office 2010, right-click the computer name, select Activate, and then select Proxy Activate.
Important
You must provide administrator permissions for the selected computer.
Note
If you have 6 to 49 computers in a department or group that are not connected to the corporate network, we recommend that you follow the MAK activation recommendations in this article.
If you have five or fewer computers in a department or group that are not connected to the corporate network, we recommend that you use MAK independent activation for each computer. For more information, see Plan MAK independent activation of Office 2010.
If you increase the number of computers to 50 or more, we recommend that you use KMS activation as the activation method for all computers that can connect to a KMS host server. For more information, see Plan KMS activation of Office 2010. Any other computers can activate with MAK by the methods previously described.
VAMT management steps
Download and install the VAMT 2.0 tool (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=183042) on the MAK proxy server. Follow the instructions on the download page. For more information about how to use VAMT, click Help on the VAMT 2.0 menu bar.
Note
For examples of scenarios that require KMS activation combined with MAK activation, see Scenario: Secure network - KMS or MAK activation of Office 2010, Scenario: Disconnected computers activating Office 2010, and Scenario: Test or development lab activating Office 2010.