Microsoft Kms Vs Mak Keys
-->Applies to:Volume licensed versions of Office 2019 and Office 2016, including Project and Visio
If you are converting a computer from a KMS host, MAK, or retail edition of Windows to a KMS client, install the applicable setup key (GVLK) from the following tables. To install a client setup key, open an administrative command prompt on the client, type slmgr /ipk key and then press Enter. Mar 01, 2019 Activate volume licensed versions of Office by using MAK. 6/4/2019; 4 minutes to read; In this article. Applies to: Volume licensed versions of Office 2019 and Office 2016, including Project and Visio Multiple Activation Key (MAK) activation is used for one-time activation through Microsoft-hosted activation services, either via the internet or by telephone. Businesses operating KMS servers are required to properly shield the KMS server behind firewalls so that it cannot be reached from the Internet, and be used to authorize illegal use of KMS client keys by the general public. Public exposure of a KMS server can result in Microsoft revoking the server key, thereby disabling all attaching clients. Keys can be obtained from VLSC or by calling the Activation Call Center. The KMS key will enable you to activate all Office 2016 client products (Office Professional Plus, Visio, and Project). There are MAK keys for suites and standalones. Visio and Project are not part of any suites, so they have separate MAK keys. KMS keys are no longer pre-assigned to Open agreements as use of MAK (Multiple Activation Key) keys is the preferred method for activation. If you are an Open Customer and need a KMS key, please request one by either calling VL Support. There are two locations where you can obtain Product Keys within the VLSC. Sep 16, 2010 KMS requires activation but lets users do this within the network. Meanwhile, MAK entails one-time activation only. To complete activation, MAK does not need an Internet connection. For KMS, one has to connect to Microsoft’s licensing servers. MAK’s activation does not have to be renewed. For KMS, it has to be reactivated every six months.
Multiple Activation Key (MAK) activation is used for one-time activation through Microsoft-hosted activation services, either via the internet or by telephone. MAK activation requires that a MAK is installed on a client computer and instructs that computer to activate itself against those services.
Each MAK has a predetermined number of allowed activations and is based on your volume licensing agreement. Each Office activation that uses MAK counts toward the activation limit. After Office is activated, no re-activation is required unless the hardware changes significantly.
There are two ways to activate computers by using MAK:
MAK independent activation requires that each computer independently connect and be activated with Microsoft, either over the Internet or by telephone. MAK independent activation is best for computers that have direct access to the internet.
MAK proxy activation by using VAMT enables one computer with internet access to process activation requests on behalf of multiple computers. MAK proxy activation is configured by using the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT). MAK proxy activation is appropriate for environments in which security concerns might restrict direct access to the internet or to development and test labs. For more information, see Perform Proxy Activation.
Activate Office 2019 by using MAK
If you're using MAK to activate volume licensed versions of Office 2019, you specify the key in the configuration.xml file used by the Office Deployment Tool when you deploy Office 2019 to the users in your organization. For more information, see Deploy Office 2019 (for IT Pros).
Activate Office 2016 by using MAK
If you're using MAK to activate volume licensed versions of Office 2016, you can enter the key by using one of the following supported methods:
Before you install Office 2016, you can use the Office Customization Tool (OCT) or the Config.xml file.
After you install Office 2016, you can use the product UI, the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT), the ospp.vbs script, or enable a non-admin user to activate using MAK.
Configure MAK activation in the Office Customization Tool (OCT)
To enter a MAK key by using the Office Customization Tool (OCT), follow these steps:
In the OCT, go to the Licensing and user interface page.
Select Enter another product key, and then in the Product key field, enter the multiple activation key (five sets of five numbers or characters).
After making any other necessary changes in the OCT, save the .msp file in the Updates folder.
Note
- For more information, see Office Customization Tool (OCT) 2016 Help: Overview and Office Customization Tool (OCT) 2016 Help: Licensing and user interface.
- You can activate Office 2016 automatically when you install by setting the AUTO_ACTIVATE property value to 1 in the Config.xml file. For more information, see Setting element. (Even though this article is for an earlier version of Office, the information also applies to Office 2016.)
Configure MAK activation in the Config.xml file
To enter a multiple activation key by using the Config.xml file, follow these steps:
- Add the following line to the Config.xml file:
Replace AAAAABBBBBCCCCCDDDDDEEEEE with your 25-character product key.
- To apply the settings in Config.xml, at a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
Note
- For more information about the Config.xml file, see Config.xml file reference. (Even though this article is for an earlier version of Office, the information also applies to Office 2016.)
- You can activate Office 2016 automatically when you install by setting the AUTO_ACTIVATE property value to 1 in the Config.xml file. For more information, see Setting element. (Even though this article is for an earlier version of Office, the information also applies to Office 2016.)
Change the key by using the product UI
To change the Office 2016 product key on only one computer:
- Open an Office 2016 application, such as Word.
- Go to File > Account.
- Choose Change Product Key and enter the product key.
If you need to change the Office 2016 product key on multiple computers after Office is installed, we recommend that you use Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) 3.1. For more information, see Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) Technical Reference.
Enable a non-admin user to activate an Office by using MAK
An administrator can create a registry key that allows a standard user (that is, a user who isn't an administrator) to activate Office 2016 by using MAK. By default, volume licensed versions of Office 2016 disable this behavior.
This can be used if you want a user to manually activate Office by using MAK, replace an existing key with a new key, or switch from KMS to MAK activation.
To enable this behavior, add the following line to the Config.xml file:
Or, you can set the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftOfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform registry key to enable or disable standard user activation
- To enable, set 'UserOperations'=dword:00000001
- To disable, set 'UserOperations'=dword:00000000
Note
For more information about the Config.xml file, see Config.xml file reference. (Even though this article is for an earlier version of Office, the information also applies to Office 2016.)
Related topics
Microsoft wants to make sure that every Windows 10 that is used is activated i.e. marked as genuine. When a copy of Windows is activated it goes through a check. The way a copy of Windows is activated differently from each other, and there are different types of keys for that. In this post, I am talking about two types of keys used in Volume Licensing of Windows. Its called KMS and MAK keys.
KMS & MAK Volume Licensing Keys
Microsoft developed different types of keys so it suits a different kind of requirements of companies using Windows.
MAK: Multiple Activation Keys
MAK keys are used to activate a specific number of devices. The count is pre-configured as a deal between Microsoft and Enterprise. Every time a device is activated using MAK this is what happens:
- The connection is established to Microsoft’s own activation service.
- The key is verified i.e. validated if any more copies can be activated using that key.
- If that’s a yes, 1 is subtracted from the number of activations still available.
However, there is a huge drawback with MAKs. If the computer goes through re-installation or the hard drive is wiped clean, the count is not returned or increased. This is specifically useful for clients where the reinstallation is rare, and the machine stays as is for a very long time.
Microsoft Kms Vs Mak Keys Free
However, there is an advantage compared to KMS keys. They can stay disconnected from the corporate network for a very long time. Since their validation was done through the Microsoft activation servers, this is pretty useful.
KMS: Key Management Services Keys
If a company wants to keep a tap on their Windows 10 computer and make sure these computers get back to the corporate network from time to time and do not need to connect to the internet, KMS is the way to go. Instead of going through Microsoft Activation Server, KMS keys go through corporate KMS servers.
Enterprise is given KMS key using which they need to configure an in-house server using Microsoft’s Software Licensing Service. So this can be the only device which stays connected with the internet. So in short, the KMS server grabs the license from the client computers and then verifies it with the Microsoft licensing service.
Microsoft Kms Vs Mak
The advantage you have with the KMS activations is in when Windows is installed on that computer again, the keys can be used to reactivate the same or another computer. This is why the computers activated using KMS keys need to connect every 180 days else they would expire.
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KMS keys are used on computers which usually do not leave from the corporate network, or at least not for a very long period.
Read next: How to tell if Windows 10 license is OEM, Retail or Volume.
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