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Tip-of-the-Day - Microsoft Windows 8 Enterprise Activation #ITPro #Windows8

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Did you download Windows 8 Enterprise using your MSDN or TechNet subscription for testing in your lab?  As the full-featured "business edition" of Windows 8, the Enterprise SKU defaults to using corporate Volume License activation on a business network.  On a business network, this process provides a simplified end-user activation experience, because Windows 8 Enterprise automatically determines which servers to activate against using DNS without you needing to manage individual activation keys for each PC.  To learn more about the Windows 8 Volume License activation process on a business network and the new Active Directory-based activation process, click here.

But, what if I'm testing Windows 8 Enterprise in an isolated lab environment?

This VL activation process works well in a business environment to simplify and automate the overall activation experience, but if you're testing Windows 8 Enterprise in an isolated environment, then you'll encounter an error during the activation process and activation will not successfully complete.  This is because your Windows 8 Enterprise PC cannot find the appropriate DNS records to determine how to automatically activate.  But, there's an alternative! In your TechNet and/or MSDN subscription portal, you have the ability to claim a "Multiple Activation Key" (MAK) for activating Windows 8 Enterprise by clicking the "Product Keys" button.  The MAK is an alternative Product Key that doesn't require the same corporate VL activation process on a business network.

Great! I've got my MAK - What do I do now?

To enter your MAK on Windows 8 Enterprise and successfully activate, you can complete one of the following steps:

  • Command Line option:

    Hit the Windows+R hotkeys to open the Run box and run the following command:

    slmgr -ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
     

  • GUI option:

    Hit the Windows+R hotkeys to open the Run box and run the following command:

    slui.exe 3

    This command will open the following Dialog Box in which you can manually enter your MAK:

Enter your MAK in the "Product Key" field shown above, click the "Activate" button and you should be good to go!

HTH,

Keith

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hi Net Master slmgr /rearm doesn't activate a Windows OS.  It simply resets the "Grace period" - separate activation is still required to permanently license the product. Hope this helps! Keith

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    HI JT, You can license Windows 8 Enterprise via a business volume licensing agreement or via a Windows Intune subscription.  You can check out Windows Intune at www.windowsintune.com. Alternatively, for evaluation and testing, you can subscribe to TechNet and receive a Windows 8 Enterprise MAK key license for evaluation purposes.  You can find more details on TechNet subscriptions at technet.microsoft.com/subscriptions Hope this helps! Keith

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    One additional update to the post above … If your Windows 8 Enterprise PC is completely isolated from Internet connectivity, you may also use the "slui.exe" command with a "4" parameter to manually perform telephone activation, such as: slui.exe 4 Hope this helps, Keith

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hi Nico, It sounds like you may be either entering a KMS key instead of a MAK key, or you don't have Internet connectivity from the machine that you're trying to activate (or a firewall is blocking activation attempts). Please verify that you are using a MAK key and that you also have working internet connectivity from the PC you are attempting to activate. Hope this helps! Keith

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    (Ugh, hope this isn't a repost - the site seems to have gobbled up my first attempt.) I am using an MSDN issued MAK key for Windows 8 Enterprise, as a Windows To Go installation - actually, a couple of different installations. Windows keeps wanting to reactivate when I use the WtG drive on different machines. So I seem to have used up the 20 activations without actually having 20 machines to show for it.. This seems like a really big problem with Windows To Go for MSDN members. I got around it because by dumb luck I just happened to renew MSDN last week, so I have a new MAK to use. I am pretty sure I would feel all hosed up if I hadn't just renewed. But now I am afraid to actually use my WtG drive in a true WtG fashion on different machines.

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hi Thogwiloc, Windows-to-Go requires volume activation with either a KMS or the new Active Directory-based activation.  You'll find more details here:technet.microsoft.com/.../jj592680.aspx Best regards, Keith

  • Anonymous
    August 24, 2012
    Perfect!  Worked like a charm.

  • Anonymous
    August 25, 2012
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    August 28, 2012
    Keith, do you know what the activation limit is for the MAK key?  We have one ready to go but I'd like to have an idea how many we get before we start using it.  Thanks. David

  • Anonymous
    September 03, 2012
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    October 03, 2012
    This helped me big time. Thanks a million. :)

  • Anonymous
    October 16, 2012
    Thank you, to the point :)

  • Anonymous
    October 26, 2012
    thanks!

  • Anonymous
    November 06, 2012
    Nice and short straight to the point thanks

  • Anonymous
    November 08, 2012
    Keith, thank you for this. Very fast and worked perfectly

  • Anonymous
    November 10, 2012
    Thanks! Saved a lot of time! :)

  • Anonymous
    November 15, 2012
    thnks

  • Anonymous
    November 18, 2012
    Thank you Keith.  Most excellent.

  • Anonymous
    November 23, 2012
    all iget is "RPC server unavailable". What does that mean?

  • Anonymous
    January 10, 2013
    THANK YOU!!!! Couldn't activate using the standard activate windows message. Went through your steps and activated in 2 minutes. You're awesome!

  • Anonymous
    January 14, 2013
    totally awesome!  thank you!

  • Anonymous
    January 27, 2013
    Thanks Keith, as always your post are always helpful .

  • Anonymous
    January 28, 2013
    good

  • Anonymous
    January 28, 2013
    this is very good

  • Anonymous
    January 28, 2013
    good

  • Anonymous
    February 11, 2013
    hey, how do I get the MAK key? because I'm not a business man

  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2013
    Nice Info...

  • Anonymous
    March 01, 2013
    Thanks a lot, worked liked a charm .

  • Anonymous
    March 03, 2013
    dr.....!! can you give a command prompt code like "slmgr -rearm"  to active wibdows 8

  • Anonymous
    March 21, 2013
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    May 02, 2013
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 13, 2013
    error 8007267c for windows 8 pro