If you’re in an enterprise environment, chances are that you have a KMS server running (usually either Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2). So now that Windows 8 and Server 2012 has hit VLSC for SA customers you’ll most likely want to begin testing and performing pilot deployments but we need to get our Key Management Server to accept these new clients. If you have tried to activate your KMS keys with existing KMS hosts you will receive the following error message:
Error: 0xC004F050 The Software Licensing Service reported that the product key is invalid.
Thankfully for us, Microsoft has released an update that will upgrade Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2 KMS Hosts to support Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, you can view the KB article by clicking here (KB2691586). You will need to request the hotfix from the KB. Once downloaded, open up an elevated command prompt and execute the update (which acts as a windows update package). When it finishes installing you will need to restart your server.
Now that our server is back up, we need to replace the KMS Host key with one for 2012 or Windows 8. Open an elevated command prompt and enter slmgr.vbs /upk which will show us Uninstalled product key successfully when complete. Now we install our new key with slmgr.vbs /ipk product-key-here
You should now be presented with a product activated successfully window. You can also run
slmgr.vbs /dlv and under description you should see VOLUME_KMS_2012. Now you can start to activate your new Windows 8 and Server 2012 clients.
Do you know if the Windows 8 /2012 key will also support Windows 7 and 2008 R2?
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John Reply:
August 21st, 2012 at 6:55 am
Hi Sandy. Yes the key should support Windows 7and Server 2012. Like previous versions of KMS, the Server keys will activate both clients and servers. So you would add your Server 2012 key to activate them all.
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Sandy Wood Reply:
August 21st, 2012 at 6:58 am
Thanks John. I’ll move ahead and add the key!
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Hello,
i have just a KMS Host key with one for Windows 8.
My KMS server is a Server 2008 R2 and when i install the new key , the key is refused.
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John Reply:
October 17th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Hi Antony. What is the error message you receive when you enter the key?
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Martel Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 3:28 pm
I would assume that Antony is having the same error message that I am having since I am in the same situation. (We have Windows Server 2008 R2 as our KMS host but don’t have a Server 2012 license. We also have a Windows 8 license and would like that activated through the same KMS host.)
The error code I get is: 0xC004F015
From what I found, it looks like we would need a Server 2012 KMS key for the Server 2008 R2 KMS host to activate both Server 2008 R2 and Windows 8. Hopefully I am wrong on this?
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John Reply:
November 6th, 2012 at 10:20 am
Hi Martel. You are correct. The Server KMS Host keys will activate both client and server operating systems. So a KMS Host key for Windows 8 will only activate Windows 8 and not Server 2012 and can’t be installed on a 2012 host. You can have a Windows 8 machine act as a KMS Host in this case.
Which type KMS host is required to activate KMS HOST to support windows8 and windows server 2012.
is it windows server 2012 KMS Type B key? or
is it windows server 2012 KMS Type C key? or
is it windows server 2012 KMS only?
becuase in our license only one type kms key listed and that is Windows Srv 2012 DataCtr/Std KMS.
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John Reply:
December 27th, 2012 at 9:04 am
The differences between Type B and C are what editions they will activate. Both will activate client and Server OS’s just depends on what edition you require.
This is a list for 2008 R2 Keys and levels: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff793422.aspx
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FYI – you need SP1 installed too !
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