Microsoft Office Volume Activation Using KMS Server

KMS Activation is designed to make it easier for enterprise customers to activate Microsoft products (FAQ: Understanding Microsoft KMS Volume Activation). This article explains how to deploy a KMS server in an enterprise environment to activate volume versions of Microsoft Office 2024 LTSC, 2021 LTSC, 2019, and 2016 (including Project and Visio).

A KMS server allows corporate clients to activate Microsoft Office on their networked computers without requiring an Internet connection to Microsoft’s activation servers.

Configure a KMS Host to Activate Microsoft Office 2024/2021/2019/2016

It is required to use a computer running Windows Server 2016+ (or Windows 10/11 Enterprise) as the KMS host. Install and configure the Volume Activation Services role on Windows as described in the post How to deploy KMS host on Windows Server.

To activate the KMS server, you must obtain your personal KMS host key (CSVLK) for your versions of Office from Microsoft. Previously, the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) provided KMS host keys. Currently, they are available in your account on the Microsoft 365 Admin Center portal at Billing -> Your products -> Volume licensing -> Download and keys. Locate the required version of Microsoft Office and copy the key (you will need it later to activate the KMS server).

The next step is to download and install the Microsoft Office Volume License Pack on the KMS server. This small extension package (about 400 KB) contains the files necessary for the KMS server to be able to receive and process activation requests from computers that have Microsoft Office installed. Depending on the version of Office that you plan to use, you must download and install the appropriate version of the Volume License Pack:

• Microsoft Office 2016 Volume License Pack (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49164) – office2016volumelicensepack_4324-1002_en-us_x86.exe;
• Microsoft Office 2019 Volume License Pack (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=57342) – office2019volumelicensepack_x64.exe;
• Microsoft Office LTSC 2021 Volume License Pack (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=103446) –Office2021VolumeLicensePack_x64.exe.
• Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 Volume License Pack (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=106246) –Office2024VolumeLicensePack_x64.exe

Download the volumelicensepack file from the Microsoft Download Center and run it as an administrator on the KMS Server host.

During the installation, the Volume Activation Tools window appears, asking you to select the enterprise volume activation type (KMS or ADBA).

• Activation on a dedicated KMS host (server);
• ADBA (Active Directory-Based Activation) – activation integrated with the Active Directory domain (Windows Server 2012+ domain schema)

If you are going to use the standard KMS activation, select Key Management Service, specify the FQDN name of your KMS server, and the KMS Host Key you got earlier.

Then select the activation method: online or by phone. In the first case, you need to temporarily give your KMS server direct Internet access.

The current KMS host configuration is displayed after your KMS server is activated on Microsoft. In the Product Key Management list, the entry Name: Office 21, VOLUME_KMS_channel should appear with the status Licensed.

Complete the wizard. This will restart the Software Protection Service.

Check the status of the installed MS Office KMS host key:

For Office LTSC 2024: cscript slmgr.vbs /dlv F3D89BBF-C0EC-47CE-A8FA-E5A5F97E447F

For Office LTSC 2021: cscript slmgr.vbs /dlv 47F3B983-7C53-4D45-ABC6-BCD91E2DD90A

For Office 2019: cscript slmgr.vbs /dlv 70512334-47B4-44DB-A233-BE5EA33B914C

For Office 2016: cscript slmgr.vbs /dlv 98ebfe73-2084-4c97-932c-c0cd1643bea7

If the KMS server configuration is successful (for Office 2019 in this example), you will see something like this:

Name: Office 19, OfficeKMSHostVL_KMS_Host edition
Description: Office 19, VOLUME_KMS channel
Activation ID: 70512334-47B4-44DB-A233-BE5EA33B914C
License Status: Licensed

Microsoft Office Active Directory-Based Activation (ADBA)

If you want to activate Office domain-joined computers automatically, select Active Directory-Based Activation as a volume activation method in Volume Activation Tools.

Then enter the KMS Host key (CSVLK) and its name (optional).

It remains to activate this KMS host key.

A warning appears about creating a new object in the AD forest. Therefore, to properly install the KMS server for ADBA activation, you must have Enterprise Admin privileges.

In this case, additional entries will appear in the domain configuration branch CN=Activation Objects,CN=Microsoft SPP,CN=Services,CN=Configuration.

Close the VAT window, and press ENTER in the console. Information about the installed KMS key can be obtained from the SKU ID (displayed at the final stage of KMS server activation):

slmgr.vbs /dlv 98ebfe73-2084-4c97-932c-c0cd1643bea7 – for Office 2016

slmgr.vbs /dlv 70512334-47B4-44DB-A233-BE5EA33B914C – for Office 2019

slmgr.vbs /dlv 47F3B983-7C53-4D45-ABC6-BCD91E2DD90A – for Office 2021

slmgr.vbs /dlv F3D89BBF-C0EC-47CE-A8FA-E5A5F97E447F – for Office 2024 LTSC

The KMS server is ready to activate clients running Office in the AD domain.

Manually Activate MS Office 2021/2019/2016 with KMS License Server

A special corporate (volume) version of Microsoft Office must be installed on user computers (download it from the personal area of the Microsoft VLSC Licensing website). A special KMS key (GVLK) is pre-installed in these versions. However, you can change the product key for a retail version of Office that is installed with the retail, MAK, or OEM key (see below).

If a valid SRV DNS record for the KMS server exists in the domain and the corporate (volume) edition of Microsoft Office is installed, Office should activate automatically after installation on a computer within the AD domain. You can find a KMS server in a domain with the command:  nslookup -type=srv _vlmcs._tcp.woshub.com

To manually activate Office on a client computer, use the following commands (in the elevate cmd.exe):

CD %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\Office16

Set the hostname (FQDN) or IP address of your KMS server manually:

cscript ospp.vbs /sethst:kms01.woshub.com

If the KMS server is listening on a non-default port (other than TCP/1688), change the port number on the client:

cscript ospp.vbs /setprt:1689

Activate the installed Microsoft Office copy on the KMS server:

cscript ospp.vbs /act

The presence of the following lines in the resulting message indicates that your copy of Office 2019 has been successfully activated.

License Name: Office 19, Office19ProPlusVL_KMS_client edition
License description: Office 19, VOLUME_KMSCLIENT channel
<Product activation successful>

To get information about the client activation history on the KMS server, use the following command (Event Viewer entries with the Event ID: 12288):

cscript ospp.vbs /dhistorykms

Office on the client computer is activated for 180 days with automatic renewal every 7 days when the KMS server is available.

To allow MS Office activation on KMS for the non-admin users, run the command:

cscript ospp.vbs /puserops

If you want to allow only administrator accounts to use KMS activation, run

cscript ospp.vbs /duserops

Use the following command to get more detailed error information when the Office activation error occurs:

cscript ospp.vbs /ddescr:0xC004F042

where 0xC004F042 is your activation error code.

To activate Microsoft Office installed on a remote computer, use this command syntax:

cscript OSPP.VBS <Options> remotePCname [username] [password]

Get the current activation status of MS Office:

cscript ospp.vbs /dstatusall

LICENSE STATUS:  ---OOB_GRACE---
ERROR CODE: 0x4004F00C
ERROR DESCRIPTION: The Software Licensing Service reported that the application is running within the valid grace period.

GVLK Keys for Microsoft Office 2024/2021/2019/2016

All volume versions of Microsoft Office 2024/2021/2019/2016 are installed with Generic Volume License Keys (GVLK). These keys are public and available to anyone on the Microsoft TechNet portal pages. Due to them, all Office products are automatically activated if there is a KMS server on the network. Therefore, in most cases, it is not necessary to specify the GVLK key for Office installation.

For a complete list of the official public GVLK keys for MS Office 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016 to activate your volume Office instances on a KMS server, click here https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/volume-license-activation/gvlks

If necessary, you can change the Office product key on the computer to the GVLK (KMS) key from the table as follows

cscript ospp.vbs /inpkey:xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

This command also allows you to convert an Office edition installed with a Retail/MAK key to a Volume License edition that can be activated on a KMS server.