KMS and MAK Activation using a single image file?

joshbilsky@gmail.com

I've been testing WinVista Enterprise over the past few months and
been reading up on the license schemes. It seems to me that for a
medium-large corporate environment, a combination of KMS activation
(for machines that regularly connect to corporate LAN) and MAK
activation (for field site machines/laptops that could be off the
network for a while) would be the most logical approach.

With that being said, is there a way, post-image (I've seen mention of
a vb script), to force the machine to use one or the other? We have an
enterprise agreement with MS so our Vista Enterprise DVD does not
prompt for a key code during installation. I wasn't sure if the
activation is something that needs to be set prior to image capture.
The ideal situation would be to maintain a single "production" image
that could be used with either activation scheme depending on the
purpose of the machine.

Thanks in advance!

Tim Mintner \(MS\)

If you are using KMS don't specify a product key. If you plan on using a
MAK for certain machines you could create a conditional task in the task
sequence to run the slmgr.vbs script to add the MAK key and activate it.

"Seth" <> wrote in message
news:ArIFi.1320$...
> <> wrote in message
> news:1189532982.067970.188180@o80g2000hse.googlegr oups.com...
>> I've been testing WinVista Enterprise over the past few months and
>> been reading up on the license schemes. It seems to me that for a
>> medium-large corporate environment, a combination of KMS activation
>> (for machines that regularly connect to corporate LAN) and MAK
>> activation (for field site machines/laptops that could be off the
>> network for a while) would be the most logical approach.
>>
>> With that being said, is there a way, post-image (I've seen mention of
>> a vb script), to force the machine to use one or the other? We have an
>> enterprise agreement with MS so our Vista Enterprise DVD does not
>> prompt for a key code during installation. I wasn't sure if the
>> activation is something that needs to be set prior to image capture.
>> The ideal situation would be to maintain a single "production" image
>> that could be used with either activation scheme depending on the
>> purpose of the machine.
>
>
> Create your image using the product key that is embedded in the Enterprise
> installation DVD. They key is the KMS key.
>
> When activating via KMS...
>
> cscript.exe c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -ato (this assumes your KMS
> server is properly registered with DNS)
>
> will activate using the embedded product key against your KMS server
>
>
> Activating with MAK
>
> cscript.exe c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -ipk <your MAK product key here>
>
> followed by
>
> cscript.exe c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -ato
>
> to perform the activation

Seth

<> wrote in message
news:1189532982.067970.188180@o80g2000hse.googlegr oups.com...
> I've been testing WinVista Enterprise over the past few months and
> been reading up on the license schemes. It seems to me that for a
> medium-large corporate environment, a combination of KMS activation
> (for machines that regularly connect to corporate LAN) and MAK
> activation (for field site machines/laptops that could be off the
> network for a while) would be the most logical approach.
>
> With that being said, is there a way, post-image (I've seen mention of
> a vb script), to force the machine to use one or the other? We have an
> enterprise agreement with MS so our Vista Enterprise DVD does not
> prompt for a key code during installation. I wasn't sure if the
> activation is something that needs to be set prior to image capture.
> The ideal situation would be to maintain a single "production" image
> that could be used with either activation scheme depending on the
> purpose of the machine.


Create your image using the product key that is embedded in the Enterprise
installation DVD. They key is the KMS key.

When activating via KMS...

cscript.exe c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -ato (this assumes your KMS server
is properly registered with DNS)

will activate using the embedded product key against your KMS server


Activating with MAK

cscript.exe c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -ipk <your MAK product key here>

followed by

cscript.exe c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -ato

to perform the activation

Adam Leinss

wrote in
news:1189532982.067970.188180@o80g2000hse.googlegr oups.com:

> I've been testing WinVista Enterprise over the past few months and
> been reading up on the license schemes. It seems to me that for a
> medium-large corporate environment, a combination of KMS
> activation (for machines that regularly connect to corporate LAN)
> and MAK activation (for field site machines/laptops that could be
> off the network for a while) would be the most logical approach.
>
> With that being said, is there a way, post-image (I've seen
> mention of a vb script), to force the machine to use one or the
> other? We have an enterprise agreement with MS so our Vista
> Enterprise DVD does not prompt for a key code during installation.
> I wasn't sure if the activation is something that needs to be set
> prior to image capture. The ideal situation would be to maintain a
> single "production" image that could be used with either
> activation scheme depending on the purpose of the machine.

Yes, there is a VBScript file included with Vista called slmgr.vbs.
You can change the product key here and force activation. Basically,
if you change it to the default product key, it will assume you are
using KMS and look for a KMS server. Otherwise, you can supply a MAK
and it will activate against Microsoft's servers.

Adam
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