Contents

Volume activation of Office

Overview
Configure a KMS host computer
Configure DNS for KMS
Activate by using KMS
Activate by using MAK
Activate by using Active Directory
Rearm Office in an image
Tools to manage volume activation
Troubleshoot volume activation
 minutes to read • Edit Online

Applies to: Volume licensed versions of Office 2019 and Office 2016, including Project and Visio
Activation is the process of validating software with the manufacturer after it has been installed on a specific
computer. Activation confirms that the product is genuine—not a fraudulent copy—and that the product key or
serial number is valid and has not been compromised or revoked. Activation also establishes a link or relationship
between the product key and the particular installation.

NOTE
If you're a user trying to activate a personal copy of Office, see Activate Office instead of reading this article.

Volume activation is the process that Microsoft volume licensing customers use to automate and manage the
activation of Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office, and other Microsoft products across large
organizations.
There are three different methods that you can activate volume licensed versions of Office, including Project and
Visio:
Key Management Service (KMS ): Office is activated by contacting a KMS host computer on your
network.
Multiple Activation Key (MAK): Office is activated online by Microsoft-hosted activation servers or by
telephone.
Active Directory-based: Office on a domain-joined computer is activated through Active Directory.
Which activation method you choose depends on the size, network infrastructure, connectivity, and security
requirements of your environment. You can choose to use different activation methods for different versions of
Office and for different computers, for example desktops and laptops. Because these three activation methods are
also used to activate volume licensed versions of Windows, you might be able to use the same method to activate
both Windows and Office. For more information, see Volume Activation for Windows 10 and Volume Activation
Overview.
All volume licensed versions of Office, including Project and Visio, have a preinstalled product key, called a
Generic Volume License Key (GVLK), that can be used for KMS and Active Directory-based activation. You don't
have to enter a product key for each Office installation if you're activating Office by using KMS or Active Directory.
If you're activating Office by using MAK, you must enter a product key for each Office installation, but there are
ways to automate that.

Key Management Service (KMS) activation of Office

KMS activation is a client-server model in which each client requests activation from a KMS host computer. The
keys needed to activate Office are installed on the KMS host computer. The client uses DNS to locate a KMS host
computer to request activation.
For more information, see the following:
Configure a KMS host computer to activate volume licensed versions of Office
Configure DNS for activating volume licensed versions of Office by using KMS
 Activate volume licensed versions of Office by using KMS

Multiple Activation Key (MAK) activation of Office

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.
For more information, see Activate volume licensed versions of Office by using MAK.

Active Directory-based activation of Office

Active Directory-based activation can activate Office installed on domain-joined computers. The product key
information, which is the same that is used by KMS, is stored in Active Directory and replicated throughout the
forest. If Office can't contact Active Directory for activation, Office tries to activate by using KMS.
For more information, see Activate volume licensed versions of Office by using Active Directory.

Related topics
Microsoft Office Licensing
 minutes to read • Edit Online

Applies to: Volume licensed versions of Office 2019 and Office 2016, including Project and Visio
To activate volume licensed versions of Office, including Project and Visio, you must have a KMS host computer.
You can configure a Windows Server computer to be a KMS host computer by installing the Volume Activation
Services role and then running the Volume Activation Tools wizard.
To enable the KMS host computer to activate Office, you must install the Office Volume License Pack and enter
your KMS key on the KMS host computer. Then, you need to activate the KMS key over the internet or by
telephone.
If you have a KMS host computer configured to activate Windows, you can configure that same KMS host
computer to active Office. You can also configure a KMS host computer to activate multiple versions of Office,
such as Office 2019 and Office 2016. In these cases, the KMS host computer must be running an operating
system that supports KMS for each of the versions of Office that you want to activate. You'll also need to install
the Office Volume License Pack for each version of Office on the KMS host computer and activate a KMS host key
for each version of Office.
Office supports KMS host computers running on the following operating systems, depending on which version of
Office is being activated by KMS:
Office 2019: At least Windows Server 2012 or at least Windows 8.1 (volume editions)
Office 2016: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or at least Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (volume editions)
You can download the appropriate Office Volume License Pack from the Microsoft Download Center: Office 2019,
Office 2016. To get the KMS key, sign in to the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC ) and download the KMS
key for each product and version of Office that you want KMS to activate.

NOTE
If you are setting up KMS on Windows 7 volume license edition or Windows Server 2008 R2, you must first install a patch as
described in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 2757817. This patch allows the KMS host computer to activate Office clients
that run on Windows 8.

Configure the KMS host computer

To configure the KMS host computer to activate Office, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the
KMS host computer.
If your KMS host computer has internet access, do the following:
1. Sign in to the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC ) and download the KMS key for each product and
version of Office that you want KMS to activate.
2. On the KMS host computer, download the appropriate Office Volume License Pack from the Microsoft
Download Center: Office 2019, Office 2016.
3. Run the Office Volume License Pack executable file. This will install the Office Volume License Pack on the
KMS host computer and then opens the Volume Activation Tools wizard.
4. Follow the steps in the Volume Activation Tools wizard. Enter your KMS key when prompted.
5. If you have a firewall, make sure port 1688 is open to allow the KMS host service through the firewall.
 Go to Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Firewall.
Click the Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall link.
Click the Change Settings button.
Select the check box for Key Management Service and then choose OK.
If your KMS host computer doesn't have internet access, you can activate it by telephone.
1. From an elevated command prompt, go to the Windows\system32 folder, and then run the following
command:

cscript slmgr.vbs /dti ACTIVATIONID

Replace ACTIVATIONID with the Activation ID for your version of Office. The Activation ID for Office 2019 is
70512334-47B4-44DB -A233-BE5EA33B914C, and the 2016 Activation ID for Office 2016 is 98EBFE73-2084-
4C97-932C -C0CD1643BEA7.
The result of this command is a 36-digit installation ID. Paste the installation ID number into Notepad, and then
break it up into six groups of six numbers.
2. At the command line, run the following command:

slui.exe 4

This launches the Windows phone activation wizard and it will display a telephone number.
After you have obtained the telephone number, cancel the wizard. You can ignore the activation ID displayed by
the wizard. It is for Windows.
3. Call the telephone number. At each prompt, enter a group of six numbers. This is the installation ID that you
obtained in step 1.
4. When you hear the response, write down the numbers. This is your confirmation ID.
5. At the command line, run the following command:

cscript slmgr.vbs /atp CONFIRMATIONID ACTIVATIONID

Replace CONFIRMATIONID with the 48 digit confirmation ID that you received over the telephone.
Replace ACTIVATIONID with the Activation ID for your version of Office. The Activation ID for Office 2019 is
70512334-47B4-44DB -A233-BE5EA33B914C, and the 2016 Activation ID for Office 2016 is 98EBFE73-2084-
4C97-932C -C0CD1643BEA7.
6. You should see a message that the confirmation ID was successfully deposited.

Verify activations by the KMS host computer

After you set up the KMS host computer, KMS clients send requests for activation and increment the current count
of activations. The current count must be 5 or more before KMS clients are activated. The maximum current count
is double the activation threshold, or 10. You can also check the KMS log in the Applications and Services Logs
folder for event ID 12290, the ID for KMS -related activity. The KMS log records activation requests from KMS
clients. Each event displays the name of the computer and the time stamp of each activation request.

Verify the KMS key is successfully installed and activated

From an elevated command prompt on the KMS host computer, run the following command:

cscript slmgr.vbs /dlv all

To view information only for Office 2019, specify the Activation ID after the /dlv parameter. For example:

cscript slmgr.vbs /dlv 70512334-47B4-44DB-A233-BE5EA33B914C

The following is an example of the output. The line that says: "License Status: Licensed" indicates that your KMS
host computer is successfully activated.

Name: Office 16, OfficeKMSHostVL_KMS_Host edition

Description: Office 16, VOLUME_KMS channel
Activation ID: 98EBFE73-2084-4C97-932C-C0CD1643BEA7
Application ID: 0ff1ce16-a989-479d-af46-f275c6370663
Extended PID: 05426-00206-234-001162-03-1033-9200.0000-0992013
Installation ID: 020650770493837252929082195773527024195725809211989214
Use License URL: https://activation.sls.microsoft.com/SLActivateProduct/SLActiva
teProduct.asmx?configextension=o16
Validation URL: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=187557
Partial Product Key: KDQ2G
License Status: Licensed
Remaining Windows rearm count: 1000
Trusted time: 10/26/2016 9:58:33 AM
Key Management Service is enabled on this machine
Current count: 0
Listening on Port: 1688
DNS publishing enabled
KMS priority: Normal
Key Management Service cumulative requests received from clients
Total requests received: 0
Failed requests received: 0
Requests with License Status Unlicensed: 0
Requests with License Status Licensed: 0
Requests with License Status Initial grace period: 0
Requests with License Status License expired or Hardware out of tolerance: 0
Requests with License Status Non-genuine grace period: 0
Requests with License Status Notification: 0

Related topics
Overview of volume activation of Office
Activate volume licensed versions of Office by using Active Directory
 minutes to read • Edit Online

Applies to: Volume licensed versions of Office 2019 and Office 2016, including Project and Visio
To activate volume licensed versions of Office, including Project and Visio, by using Key Management Service
(KMS ), the KMS host computer for Office must be discoverable. The KMS host computer automatically publishes
its existence by creating service (SRV ) resource records (RRs) on the DNS server. But, only the first KMS host
computer can create an SRV RR. If there is more than one computer running KMS, subsequent KMS host
computers cannot change or update SRV RRs unless the permissions on the DNS server are configured to allow
this.
Changing the permissions on the DNS server requires administrative rights in the domain. You will need to set up
DNS as follows:
Ensure that all computers running KMS are members of the same Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS )
domain.
Create a global security group in AD DS for the computers running KMS.
Add each computer running KMS to the new security group.
Set the permissions on the DNS server to enable updates by members of the newly created security group.
For more information, see Configuring DNS.

How DNS is used to find a KMS host computer

The first time that a KMS client queries DNS for KMS information, it randomly selects a KMS host computer from
the list of SRV RRs that DNS returns. The address of a DNS server that contains the SRV RRs can be listed as a
suffixed entry on KMS clients. This enables advertisement of SRV RRs for KMS in one DNS server and KMS
clients that have other primary DNS servers to find it.
You can add priority and weight parameters to the DnsDomainPublishList registry value for KMS host
computers. Doing so enables you to establish priority groupings and weighting within each group, which specifies
the order in which to use KMS host computers and balances traffic among multiple KMS host computers. If you
are using priority and weight parameters, we recommend that you disable KMS caching on the client. For more
information, see Configure KMS host caching.
If the KMS host computer that a client selects does not respond, the KMS client removes that KMS host computer
from its list of SRV RRs and randomly selects another KMS host computer from the list. If the priority and weight
parameters are set, the KMS client will use them while finding another KMS host computer. Otherwise, KMS host
computers are selected randomly. After a KMS host computer responds, the KMS client caches the name of the
KMS host computer and, if caching is enabled, uses it for successive activation and renewal attempts. If the cached
KMS host computer does not respond on a later renewal, the KMS client discovers a new KMS host computer by
querying DNS for KMS SRV RRs.

Related topics
Configure a KMS host computer to activate volume licensed versions of Office
Activate volume licensed versions of Office by using KMS
 minutes to read • Edit Online

Applies to: Volume licensed versions of Office 2019 and Office 2016, including Project and Visio
All volume licensed versions of Office, including Project and Visio, have a Generic Volume License Key (GVLK)
preinstalled. GVLKs support both Key Management Service (KMS ) and Active Directory-based activation. On the
KMS host computer configured to support volume activation of Office, you install and enable only one KMS host
key to activate all volume licensed versions of Office.
If the KMS host computer is available and properly configured, activation of Office occurs transparently to the
user. Office is activated the first time it runs, provided that there have been at least four previous activation
requests to the KMS host computer. This is because the KMS host computer requires at least five requests before
it begins activating clients.
You don't have to do anything else to enable activation of Office by KMS. KMS clients can locate a KMS host
computer automatically by querying DNS for service (SRV ) resource records (RRs) that publish the KMS service.
For more information, see How DNS is used to find a KMS host computer.
If the network environment does not use SRV RRs, you can manually assign a KMS client to use a specific KMS
host computer by configuring the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\OfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform registry key on the KMS client.
The KMS host computer name is specified by KeyManagementServiceName (REG_SZ ), and the port is specified
by KeyManagementServicePort (REG_SZ ). The default port is 1688. These registry keys can also be set through
by using ospp.vbs script. For more information about the ospp.vbs script, see Tools to manage volume activation
of Office.

Configure KMS host caching

You can configure whether or not the last used KMS host computer is saved to the cache on the KMS client. If the
KMS host computer is not cached, the KMS client will query DNS every time that activation is attempted. This
means that the priority and weight parameters set for KMS host computers will be honored. If the KMS host
computer is cached, the KMS client won't query DNS and instead will attempt to contact the cached KMS host
computer that last resulted in successful activation.
To configure KMS host caching, you can use the opss.vbs script. For more information about the ospp.vbs script,
see Tools to manage volume activation of Office.
To configure KMS host caching, open an elevated command prompt on the KMS client computer and go to the
Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16 folder. If you installed the 32-bit version of Office on a 64-bit operating
system, go to the Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16 folder.
To disable KMS host caching, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

cscript ospp.vbs /cachst:FALSE

To enable KMS host caching, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

cscript ospp.vbs /cachst:TRUE

Check the license status of Office
The following table describes the license state of the Office with respect to activation.

LICENSE STATE DESCRIPTION

Licensed By default, the KMS client requests activation with the KMS
host computer one time every seven days. (The number of
days is configurable.) This design allows the maximum possible
time for the client to be in the licensed state.

After the client is successfully activated, it remains in the

licensed state for 180 days. When in the licensed state, users
do not see any notification dialog boxes prompting them to
activate the client. After 180 days, the activation attempt
process resumes. If activation is continually successful, the
whole activation experience is transparent to the user.

Out-of-tolerance If activation does not occur during the 180-day period, Office
goes into the out-of-tolerance state for 30 days. Users then
see notifications that request activation.

Unlicensed notification If activation does not occur during the out-of-tolerance state,
Office goes into the unlicensed notification state. Users then
see notifications that request activation and a red title bar.

You use the ospp.vbs script with the /dstatusall option to check the license state for all Office clients. Use the
/dstatus option to check the status of the local client. For more information about using the ospp.vbs script, see
Tools to manage volume activation of Office.

Related topics
Overview of volume activation of Office
Configure a KMS host computer to activate volume licensed versions of Office
Configure DNS for activating volume licensed versions of Office by using KMS
Tools to manage volume activation of Office
GVLKs for KMS and Active Directory-based activation of Office 2019 and Office 2016
Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) Technical Reference
 minutes to read • Edit Online

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. 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:
1. In the OCT, go to the Licensing and user interface page.
2. Select Enter another product key, and then in the Product key field, enter the multiple activation key
(five sets of five numbers or characters).
3. 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:
1. Add the following line to the Config.xml file:

<PIDKEY Value="AAAAABBBBBCCCCCDDDDDEEEEE" />

Replace AAAAABBBBBCCCCCDDDDDEEEEE with your 25-character product key.

2. To apply the settings in Config.xml, at a command prompt, type the following command, and then press
ENTER:

Setup.exe /config <path of Config.xml file>

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:
1. Open an Office 2016 application, such as Word.
2. Go to File > Account.
3. 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:

<Setting Id="USEROPERATIONS" Value="1" />

Or, you can set the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform 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.)

Deploying multiple MAK keys

In some organizations, different groups have different MAK keys for their volume licensed versions of Office,
Project, or Visio. Unfortunately, you can't include multiple MAK keys in the same configuration.xml file (for 2019
versions) or in the Office Customization Tool or config.xml file (for 2016 versions).
If you don't want to create separate XML files for each group, you could use one of these other methods:
Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT)
ospp.vbs script
Enable a non-admin user to activate using MAK

Related topics
Overview of volume activation of Office
Tools to manage volume activation of Office
 minutes to read • Edit Online

Applies to: Volume licensed versions of Office 2019 and Office 2016, including Project and Visio
Active Directory-based activation enables an organization to activate volume licensed versions of Office, including
Project and Visio, on computers that are joined to an Active Directory domain. Active Directory-based activation is
implemented as a role service on Windows Server and relies on Active Directory Domain Services to store an
activation object. For more information, see Activate using Active Directory-based activation.

Requirements for using Active Directory-based activation

To use Active Directory-based activation, the volume licensed version of Office, Project, or Visio must have a
Generic Volume License Key (GVLK) and must be installed on one of the following operating systems:
Windows 10
Windows 8.1
Windows Server 2016
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2012
Review the System requirements for Office to determine which operating systems are supported by the volume
licensed version of Office, Project, or Visio that you're deploying the users in your organization. For example,
Office Professional Plus 2019 is supported on Windows 10 but isn't supported on Windows 8.1.

Configure Active Directory-based activation

To configure Active Directory-based activation, you must have Domain Administrator and Enterprise
Administrator credentials.
1. Sign in to a domain controller in Active Directory and use Server Manager to install the Volume Activation
Services role.
2. Sign in to the Volume Licensing Service Center and get your KMS key for your version of Office.
3. Download the appropriate Office Volume License Pack from the Microsoft Download Center: Office 2019,
Office 2016.
4. Run the Office Volume License Pack executable file. This will install the Office Volume License Pack and
opens the Volume Activation Tools wizard.
5. Choose Next, and then on the Select Volume Activation Method page, choose Active Directory-
Based Activation.
6. On the Manage Activation Objects page, enter the KMS host key, which you got from the VLSC, and,
optionally, give it a name. Then choose Next.
7. On the Activate Product page, either activate the KMS host key online or by phone, and then follow the
rest of the wizard instructions.
8. When you're done, an Activation Succeeded page displays.

Additional information about Active-Directory based activation

Active-Directory based activation uses the same keys that are used by Key Management Service (KMS ). But
Active Directory-based activation doesn't require a dedicated host computer, because the activation object is
replicated across all the domain controllers in the Active Directory forest.
A successful Active Directory-based activation of Office lasts for up to 180 days. The Software Protection
service running on the computer periodically attempts to re-activate Office by querying Active Directory for
the activation object. If Active Directory can't be contacted, Office will try to activate by using a discoverable
KMS host computer.

Related topics
Overview of volume activation of Office
GVLKs for KMS and Active Directory-based activation of Office 2019 and Office 2016
 minutes to read • Edit Online

Applies to: Volume licensed versions of Office 2019 and Office 2016, including Project and Visio
There is a 25-day grace period from the time of installation of Key Management Service (KMS ) clients before
notifications to activate are displayed to the user. The 25-day grace period gives ample time for a KMS host
computer to be found and activation to succeed. If activation is successful, users don't see notifications to activate.
If you want to deploy a volume licensed version of Office, or Project or Visio, as part of an operating system image,
you must rearm your Office installation before you capture the image. If you do not rearm, users might see
notification dialog boxes at the time that the image is deployed, instead of 25 days after deployment.
Rearming does the following important tasks:
Resets the grace timer to 30 days.
Freezes the grace timer until either an Office application is run, or the ospp.vbs script is run.
Resets the client computer ID (CMID ). This is important because the KMS host computer uses the CMID to
determine the number of unique clients. You can use the ospp.vbs script to check the CMID.
For more information about the ospp.vbs script, see Tools to manage volume activation of Office.
You can rearm five times, unless you activate Office by using a KMS host computer. If you run out of rearms,
activating by using a KMS host computer lets you rearm once.

NOTE
Rearming is also recommended if you're activating a volume licensed version of Office, including Project and Visio, by using
Multiple Activation Key (MAK). If you're activating by using MAK and you don't remotely activate for end-users by using the
Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) or ospp.vbs, users see an activation dialog box the first time that an Office
application starts. The activation dialog box is slightly different 25 days after installation. Also, users might immediately see a
red title bar warning them of activation issues if Office wasn't rearmed before the image was captured.

Use the ospprearm command to rearm an Office installation

1. Verify that the user account that is performing this procedure is a member of the Administrators group on
the KMS host computer.
2. Close all Office applications.
3. Open an elevated command prompt and go to the Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16 folder. If you
installed the 32-bit version of Office on a 64-bit operating system, go to the Program Files (x86)\Microsoft
Office\Office16 folder.
4. Type ospprearm.exe and then press Enter. If the rearm succeeds, the following message displays:
"Microsoft Office rearm successful."
5. Capture the image.
 IMPORTANT
Do not open an Office application or run ospp.vbs, or do anything else related to Office while the image is being
captured. Otherwise, the grace timer starts.

Related topics
Overview of volume activation of Office
Tools to manage volume activation of Office
Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) Technical Reference
 minutes to read • Edit Online

Applies to: Volume licensed versions of Office 2019 and Office 2016, including Project and Visio
The Office Software Protection Platform script (ospp.vbs), the Software License Manager script (slmgr.vbs), and
the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) can help you configure and test volume licensed versions of
Office, including Project and Visio. Before you read this article, we recommend that you read Overview of volume
activation of Office, Activate volume licensed versions of Office by using MAK, and Activate volume licensed
versions of Office by using Active Directory.

The ospp.vbs script

The Office Software Protection Platform script (ospp.vbs) enables you to configure volume licensed versions of
Office products, including Project and Visio. The opss.vbs script is located in the Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Office16 folder. If you installed the 32-bit version of Office on a 64-bit operating system, go to the
Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16 folder.
Running ospp.vbs requires the cscript.exe script engine. To see the Help file, type the following command, and
then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /?
The general syntax is as follows:
cscript ospp.vbs [Option:Value] [ComputerName] [User] [Password]
Option Specifies the option and value to use to activate a product, install or uninstall a product key, install and
display license information, set KMS host name and port, and remove KMS host name and port. The options and
values are listed in the tables in this section.
ComputerName Name of the remote computer. If a computer name is not provided, the local computer is used.
User Account that has the required permission on the remote computer.
Password Password for the account. If a user account and password are not provided, the current credentials are
used.

IMPORTANT
Before you run the ospp.vbs, ensure that:
If you want to run the script on a remote computer, the Windows firewall allows Windows Management
Instrumentation (WMI) traffic on the remote computer.
The user account you will use is a member of the Administrators group on the computer on which you run the script.
You run ospp.vbs script from an elevated command prompt.

Global options for ospp.vbs

GLOBAL OPTION DESCRIPTION

/act Activates installed Office product keys.

 GLOBAL OPTION DESCRIPTION

/inpkey:value Installs a product key (replaces existing key) with a user-

provided product key. Value option is required.

/unpkey:value Uninstalls an installed product key with the last five digits of
the product key to uninstall (as displayed by the /dstatus
option). Value parameter is required.

/inslic:value Installs a license with user-provided path of the .xrm-ms

license. Value parameter is required.

/dstatus Displays license information for installed product keys.

/dstatusall Displays license information for all installed licenses.

/dhistoryacterr Displays the failure history for MAK/retail activation.

/dinstid Displays Installation ID for offline activation.

/actcid:value Activates product with user-provided Confirmation ID. Value

parameter is required.

/rearm Resets the licensing status for all installed Office product keys.

/rearm:value Resets the licensing status for an Office license with a user-
provided SKUID value. Value parameter is required.

Use this option with the SKUID value specified by using the
/dstatus option if you have run out of rearms and have
activated Office through KMS or Active Directory-based
activation to gain an additional rearm.

/ddescr:value Displays the description for a user-provided error code. Value

parameter is required.

The following table describes the ospp.vbs options for configuring the KMS client.
KMS client options for ospp.vbs

KMS CLIENT OPTION DESCRIPTION

/dhistorykms Displays KMS client activation history.

/dcmid Displays KMS client computer ID (CMID).

/sethst:value Sets a KMS host name with a user-provided host name. Value
parameter is required.

This sets
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\OfficeSoftwareProtectionPla
tform\KeyManagementServiceName (REG_SZ).
 KMS CLIENT OPTION DESCRIPTION

/setprt:value Sets a KMS port with a user-provided port number. The

default port number is 1688. Value parameter is required.

This sets
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\OfficeSoftwareProtectionPla
tform\KeyManagementServicePort (REG_SZ).

/remhst Removes KMS host name and sets port to default. The
default port is 1688.

/cachst:value Allows or denies KMS host caching. Value parameter is

required (TRUE or FALSE).

/actype:value (Windows 8 and later versions only) Sets volume activation

type. Value parameter is required.

Values: 1 (for Active Directory-based), 2 (for KMS), 0 (for

both).

/skms-domain:value (Windows 8 and later versions only) Sets the specific DNS
domain in which all KMS SRV records can be found. This
setting has no effect if the specific single KMS host name is
set by the /sethst option. Value parameter is the Fully
Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) and is required.

/ckms-domain (Windows 8 and later versions only) Clears the specific DNS
domain in which all KMS SRV records can be found. The
specific KMS host is used if it is set by the /sethst option.
Otherwise, auto-discovery of the KMS host is used.

Scenarios that use ospp.vbs

The following scenarios assume that you are running ospp.vbs in an elevated command prompt.

NOTE
Any changes that you make affect only the Office client products. You have to configure the Windows client separately by
using the slmgr.vbs script described in The slmgr.vbs script later in this article.

To change the product key to a MAK key on a remote computer

1. If the remote computer is named contoso1, run the following command to enter the product key. This
assumes that you have administrator credentials on the remote computer. If your credentials on the
remote computer differ from your logon name and password, you must type your logon name and
password at the command line, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /inpkey:xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx contoso1
2. To activate the remote computer, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /act contoso1
To diagnose KMS activation errors
1. If the computer has the KMS client key installed, check the licensing status. To do this, type the following
command, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /dstatusall
2. To check the KMS activation history, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /dhistorykms
3. To trigger activation, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /act
4. Check the error message for error code 0xC004F042. If in the notification dialog boxes you see an error
code that is shown to users, you can also use that code to check the error message. To do this, type the
following command, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /ddescr:0xC004F042
To turn on or off KMS host caching on the KMS client
1. On the KMS client computer, to turn caching on, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /cachst:TRUE
2. On the KMS client computer, to turn caching off, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /cachst:FALSE
To test KMS host name, and then set to auto -discovery
1. If you are testing a KMS host named kmstest.contoso.com, and you want to specify it in the KMS client,
type the following command, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /sethst:kmstest.contoso.com

NOTE
If you change the default port on the KMS host computer, you must run ospp.vbs with the /setprt option. > For
example: cscript ospp.vbs /setprt:1750

2. To trigger activation, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /act
3. To check the KMS activation history to see whether the host was successfully contacted, type the following
command, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /dhistorykms
4. Now you want this KMS client to use Domain Name System (DNS ) for auto-discovery of the production
KMS host. To remove the KMS host name, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
cscript ospp.vbs /remhst

The slmgr.vbs script

The Software License Manager (slmgr.vbs) script is used to configure and retrieve volume activation information
for the Office KMS host and the Windows host. For more information, see Configuring KMS Hosts for Windows.
You can run the script locally on the target computer or remotely from another computer. You have to be an
administrator to use the script. If a standard user runs slmgr.vbs, some license data might be missing or
incorrect, and many operations are prohibited.
The slmgr.vbs script can use the Windows-based script host, wscript.exe, or the command-based script host,
cscript.exe, and administrators can specify which script engine to use. If no script engine is specified, slmgr.vbs
runs by using the default script engine, wscript.exe. We recommend the cscript.exe script engine.
You must restart the Software Licensing Service for any changes to take effect. To restart the Software Licensing
Service, use the Microsoft Management Console (MMC ) Services snap-in or run the following command:
net stop sppsvc && net start sppsvc
The slmgr.vbs script requires at least one parameter. If you run the script without any parameters, it displays Help
information. The following table lists slmgr.vbs command-line options, and a description of each. Most of the
parameters in the table configure the KMS host computer. However, the parameters /sai and /sri are passed to
KMS clients after the KMS clients contact the KMS host computer. The general syntax of slmgr.vbs is as follows
(assuming you are using the cscript.exe as the script engine):
cscript slmgr.vbs /parameter
cscript slmgr.vbs [ComputerName] [User] [Password] [Option]
ComputerName Name of the remote computer. If you do not provide a computer name, the local computer is
used.
User Account with required permission on the remote computer.
Password Password for the account. If you do not provide a user account and password, current credentials are
used.
Option Options are shown in the following table.
Slmgr.vbs command options — standard

OPTION DESCRIPTION

/ ipk [ProductKey] Installs the product key for Windows (default) or other
application identified by the product key.

/ ato [ActivationID] Activates the KMS host for Windows (default), or the
application that is identified when its Activation ID is
provided. The Office 2019 Activation ID is 70512334-47B4-
44DB-A233-BE5EA33B914C, and the Office 2016 Activation
ID is 98EBFE73-2084-4C97-932C-C0CD1643BEA7.

/ dti [ActivationID] Displays the Installation ID that is used for telephone

activation of the KMS host computer for Windows (default) or
the application that is identified when its Activation ID is
provided. The Office 2019 Activation ID is 70512334-47B4-
44DB-A233-BE5EA33B914C, and the Office 2016 Activation
ID is 98EBFE73-2084-4C97-932C-C0CD1643BEA7. You
enter the Installation ID into the telephone to receive the
Confirmation ID, which is used for activating the KMS host
computer by using the /atp parameter.

/ atp [ConfirmationID][ActivationID] After the Confirmation ID is received, activates the KMS host
for Windows (default) or the application that is identified
when its Activation ID is provided. The Office 2019 Activation
ID is 70512334-47B4-44DB-A233-BE5EA33B914C, and the
Office 2016 Activation ID is 98EBFE73-2084-4C97-932C-
C0CD1643BEA7.
 OPTION DESCRIPTION

/ dlv [ActivationID] Displays detailed license information for Windows (default), or

the application that is identified when its Activation ID is
provided. The Office 2019 Activation ID is 70512334-47B4-
44DB-A233-BE5EA33B914C, and the Office 2016 Activation
ID is 98EBFE73-2084-4C97-932C-C0CD1643BEA7.

For example, run the following command at the elevated

command prompt, in the C:\windows\system32 folder to get
the status of the Office KMS host:

cscript slmgr.vbs /dlv 70512334-47B4-44DB-A233-

BE5EA33B914C

/ dli [ActivationID] Displays license information for Windows (default), or the

application that is identified when its Activation ID is
provided. The Office 2019 Activation ID is 70512334-47B4-
44DB-A233-BE5EA33B914C, and the Office 2016 Activation
ID is 98EBFE73-2084-4C97-932C-C0CD1643BEA7.

/ upk [ActivationID] Uninstalls the product key for Windows (default) or the
application that is identified when its Activation ID is
provided. The Office 2019 Activation ID is 70512334-47B4-
44DB-A233-BE5EA33B914C, and the Office 2016 Activation
ID is 98EBFE73-2084-4C97-932C-C0CD1643BEA7.

CAUTION: If you intend to uninstall the product key for

Office, for example, and forget to enter the Activation ID, all
installed product keys are uninstalled. This includes the
product key for Windows.

/ xpr [ActivationID] Displays the expiration date for the current license state.

/ sprt [PortNumber] Sets the TCP communications port on a KMS host computer.
It replaces PortNumber with the TCP port number to use.
The default setting is 1688.

/ cdns Disables automatic DNS publishing by a KMS host computer.

/ sdns Enables automatic DNS publishing by the KMS host

computer.

/ cpri Lowers the priority of KMS host computer processes.

/ sai [ActivationInterval] Changes how often a KMS client attempts to activate itself
when it cannot find a KMS host computer. It replaces
ActivationInterval with a value expressed in minutes. The
default setting is 120 minutes.

/ sri [RenewalInterval] Changes how often a KMS client attempts to renew its
activation by contacting a KMS host computer. It replaces
RenewalInterval with a value expressed in minutes. The
default setting is 10080 minutes (7 days). This setting
overrides the local KMS client settings.

The following table shows the command options for activating an AD DS forest by using Active Directory-based
activation.
Slmgr.vbs command options — Active Directory-based activation

OPTION DESCRIPTION

/ ad-activation-online [ProductKey] Activates an AD DS forest through the user-provided product

key.

/ ad-activation-apply-get-iid [ProductKey] Displays installation ID for AD DS forest.

/ ad-activation-apply-cid [ProductKey][ConfirmationID] Activates an AD DS forest through the user-provided product

key and the Confirmation ID.

Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT)

Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) provides a graphical user interface to manage volume activation.
For more information about VAMT, see Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) Technical Reference.

NOTE
Office 2019 requires at least VAMT 3.1.

Related topics
Overview of volume activation of Office
Activate volume licensed versions of Office by using MAK
Activate volume licensed versions of Office by using Active Directory
 minutes to read • Edit Online

Applies to: Volume licensed versions of Office 2019 and Office 2016, including Project and Visio
Setting up volume activation of Office, including Project and Visio, by using Key Management Service (KMS ) or
Multiple Activation Key (MAK) can be challenging. Use these steps to troubleshoot the most common issues.

NOTE
If you're an Office user troubleshooting a personal copy of Office, see Unlicensed Product and activation errors in Office
instead of reading this article.

Many of the solutions include running the ospp.vbs, which you need to run from an elevated command prompt on
the computer on which Office is installed. The opss.vbs script is located in the Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Office16 folder. If you installed the 32-bit version of Office on a 64-bit operating system, go to the Program
Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16 folder. You can also use the slmgr.vbs script to configure and manage volume
activation. For detailed information about these scripts, see Tools to manage volume activation of Office.

Tips for configuring KMS clients and host computers

Generally, you do not have to configure Office Key Management Service (KMS ) clients if the KMS host computer
used to activate Office was correctly set up and configured. The KMS client automatically searches for the KMS
host computer by using DNS and then attempts activation. The KMS service uses service (SRV ) resource records
(RRs) in DNS to store and communicate the locations of KMS host computers.
By default, KMS host computers automatically publish the information that KMS clients use to find and connect to
them by using DNS dynamic update protocol. By default, KMS clients query the DNS server for KMS service
information.
You can manually configure KMS host computers and clients, depending on the network configuration and your
security requirements. For example, if the network environment does not use SRV records, you can manually
configure a KMS client to use a specific KMS host computer. For more information about using DNS with volume
activation, see Configure DNS for activating volume licensed versions of Office by using KMS. For more
information about how to configure the KMS client, see ospp.vbs script and Activate volume licensed versions of
Office by using KMS. For more information about how to configure the KMS host computer, see Configure a KMS
host computer to activate volume licensed versions of Office.

KMS activation issues

KMS activation issues can be due to a misconfiguration on one or more of the following items:
Office client
Network/DNS
KMS host computer
To quickly identify your KMS trouble spots, use either the Office Client KMS activation diagnostic or Office KMS
Host Activation diagnostic tool to analyze your environment for known issues. These diagnostic tools automate
almost all of the troubleshooting steps available for KMS issues and provide a detailed report with
recommendations on how to fix the detected issues.
You should always analyze the client first by using the Office Client KMS activation diagnostic tool, even if you feel
you have a KMS Host configuration problem. It'll determine if your changes need to occur on the client, your
network, or your KMS host.
If the Office Client KMS activation diagnostic tool indicates you have KMS host issues, you should then run the
Office KMS Host Activation diagnostic tool.
To use the Office Client KMS activation diagnostic tool
1. As a local administrator, log into any Office client that is unable to activate using KMS activation.
2. Go to Office Client KMS activation diagnostic tool and sign in to the Microsoft Support Diagnostics Self-
Help portal with your Microsoft Account credentials.
3. On the New Session page, choose Office Client KMS activation diagnostic.
4. Enter a name in Session Name text box and then choose Create.
5. To start the analysis, choose Download.
6. When you are prompted, choose Run or Save File. If you choose Save File, you can later run the file from
the folder where you saved it.
7. When prompted to select the computer on which to run the diagnostic, choose This Computer, and then
choose Next. On the next page choose Start.
8. When the diagnostic displays an alert indicating a report has been saved, choose Open Report.
9. Review the details listed in the report Summary section, and then review the problems listed in the Issues
Detected section and follow the recommendations provided under Recommended steps and related
resources.
To use the Office KMS Host Activation diagnostic tool
1. As a local administrator, log into your Office KMS host computer.
2. Go to Office KMS Host Activation diagnostic tool and sign in to the Microsoft Support Diagnostics Self-
Help portal with your Microsoft Account credentials.
3. On the New Session page, choose Office Client KMS Host Activation diagnostic.
4. Enter a name in Session Name text box and then choose Create.
5. To start the analysis, choose Download.
6. When you are prompted, choose Run or Save File. If you choose Save File, you can later run the file from
the folder where you saved it.
7. When prompted to select the computer on which to run the diagnostic, choose This Computer, and then
choose Next. On the next page choose Start.
8. A report is automatically generated and opened in your browser.
9. Review the information listed in the Summary section and then review the problems listed in the Details
section. Follow the recommendations provided under Action needed or comment for the items flagged
with 'Attention Required' in the Result column.

MAK activation issues

Office does not activate when it is connected to the network through an authenticated proxy
You have to be connected to the internet to use MAK activation. But, if your internet connection requires
authentication, MAK activation won't work and you'll have to activate over the telephone. For more information
about this issue, see Knowledge Base article 921471.

How to get the text for activation error codes

Error codes help you troubleshoot activation issues. If you see a dialog box that contains an activation notification,
an error code is usually displayed at the lower corner. You can then run ospp.vbs /ddescr together with the error
code to see the text of the error message. The text will help you better understand the issue and what to do to fix it.
Another way to obtain an error code is to run ospp.vbs /act on the client computer to manually activate Office. If
activation fails, an error code will be shown.

Other activation issues

Licensing information is not updated on the client
To display licensing information for Office applications, open an Office application, such as Word, and go to File >
Account.
If you see a notification that product activation is required even though you know that Office is in the licensed state,
restart the application.
The client applications can be in this state because Office was activated by using ospp.vbs /act or the Volume
Activation Management Tool (VAMT). In these cases, you must restart any Office applications to complete the
activation.
Generic Volume License Keys (GVLKs) for Office
All volume licensed versions of Office, including Project and Visio, have a Generic Volume License Key (GVLK)
preinstalled that's used to activate Office by using a KMS host computer. If you entered a MAK key for a product
and you want to change the activation method back to KMS, use the appropriate KMS client GVLK. For more
information, see GVLKs for KMS and Active Directory-based activation of Office 2019 and Office 2016. The
recommended way to enter the key is by using Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT). You can also use
ospp.vbs /inpkey to enter the key.
For Office suites, only one key is required for all the products in the suite. For example, if you use Office
Professional Plus, you must enter only the Office Professional Plus key for the complete suite. For a complete
listing of the keys, see GVLKs for KMS and Active Directory-based activation of Office 2019 and Office 2016.