Error 0xC004F074

Hey everyone!
I bought a Vaio about a year ago with pre-installed windows 8. Now an activation window keeps bothering me (its driving me insane!!). I do have a serial key (it's original, of course). But when I try to use it I just keep receiving the following error:
Error code: 0xC004F074
I tried everything (and I mean, EVERYTHING that I could find it on google) I also went through the other threads around this forum and this specific topic. They all ask to do the following steps:
-CMD (run as administrator) slmgr.vbs –ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX (where this is the 25 character key for Windows 8 Pro)
Next -
CMD (run as administrator) slmgr.vbs –ato
AND
Open the command window as an administrator -
CMD (run as administrator) SLUI 3
Response:
Enter a product key to activate Windows
(enter product key)
Your product key works! Continue when you’re ready
press [Activate]
Get same 0xC004F074 error code
CMD (run as admistrator) sfc /scannow
errors, reported and fixed. Restarted the computer but no changes.
I also ran all the updates possible from windows update but no result as well.
I really, REALLY, don't know what else can I try! Can anyone please help me????????
Thanks in advance

Hi,
This link can also helpful for activation issue:
Get Help Activating Microsoft Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950929/en-us
Yolanda Zhu
TechNet Community Support

Similar Messages

Windows 8 Pro (re)Activation Error: 0xC004F074 and 5 things that do not fix it

I pre-apologize if the answer is buried somewhere on this forum already; if it does exist, please point me towards that thread
OK, I bought a used laptop with dual boot Win7x64 / Win8Prox64 in Feb. 2013. Windows 8 booted up and ran just fine for the first six months. I don't know if it had anything to do with it, but I installed Office 2013 in the Windows 8 partition not long ago,
and it seems that after that Windows 8 kept issuing pleas to "activate windows" (but no complaints from Office 2013, which is a HUP installation from my work). On the bottom right side of the screen it now says Windows Pro 8 Build 9200, and on top
of that is the light gray plea to (re) activate Windows. There have been no hardware changes to the laptop.
I finally got annoyed enough this weekend to try to resolve it, without success. Here are the five methods I tried, and the results:
Attempt 1:
go to Control Panel > search Windows Activation > choose Windows Activation
Response:
Windows isn’t activated
Windows can’t be activated right now. Try activating Windows later. If this issue persists, contact your system administrator or technical support department for assistance.
[Activate button]
Activation details
Error Code:
0xC004F074
The Software Licensing Service reported that the product could not be activated. No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted. Please see the Application Event Log for additional information.
Pressing the [Activate] button gets you the same response over and over.
Attempt 2:
Open the command window as an administrator -
CMD (run as administrator) slmgr.vbs –ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX (where this is the 25 character key for Windows 8 Pro)
Response:
Installed product key XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX successfully.
Next -
CMD (run as administrator) slmgr.vbs –ato
Response:
Activating Windows(R), Professional edition
Error: 0xC004F074 The Software Licensing Service reported that the computer could not be activated. No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted. Please see the Application Event Log for additional information.
Attempt 3:
Open the command window as an administrator -
CMD (run as administrator) SLUI 3
Response:
Enter a product key to activate Windows
(enter product key)
Your product key works! Continue when you’re ready
press [Activate]
Get the same 0xC004F074 error code message as before
Attempt 4:
Open the command window as an administrator -
CMD (run as administrator) SLUI 4
Response:
Find available phone numbers for activation
Click the nearest location:
Afghanistan
[Afghanistan is grayed out and you cannot select any other country]
Click on Next, and get a non-toll free number in Afghanistan to call.
Attempt 5:
CMD (run as admistrator) sfc /scannow
Response:
No errors reported.
All I want to do is (re)activate Windows 8, but it seems to be fighting me all the way. When you try to find the United States toll free number for Windows 8 activation (a la SLUI 4) on the Microsoft Customer Service site, it simply says the software
will provide the phone number.
So here are my questions for the Forum members:
1) Why did Windows 8 unactivate itself?
2) What the heck is Key Management Service as it relates to Windows 8 Pro? My limited interpretation is that like Office 2013, Windows is trying to go to a remote server to verify the license (?).
3) Is the version on this laptop not a standalone version? Is it a bogus or hacked installation, and how can you tell for sure? Could a virus have done this?
4) What is the path of least resistance to fix the activation issue? I don't mind calling MS customer service as a last resort, if needed, but wanted to see if there was anything else I could fix on my end before doing that.
Thanks in advance for your input, ask for any other info that I have not covered.

Please run Slmgr.vbs /dlv and look if you see a KMS server configured.
Check this guide for KMS issues:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee939272.aspx
Yes you can buy a Win8 Pro license at the MS store and enter the key. This doesn't impact your tools.
"A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code"

Windows 8 - Activation Error: 0xC004F074 and 4 things that do not fix it

OK, bought a used laptop with dual boot Win7x64 / Win8Prox64 in Feb. 2013. Windows 8 booted up and ran just fine for the first six months. I don't
know if it had anything to do with it, but I installed Office 13 in the Windows 8 partition not long ago, and it seems that after that Windows 8 kept issuing pleas to "activate windows" (but no complaints from Office 13, which is a HUP installation
from my work). On the bottom right side of the screen it now says Windows Pro 8 Build 9200, and on top of that is the light gray plea to (re) activate Windows. There have been no hardware changes to the laptop.
Finally got annoyed enough this weekend to try to resolve it, without success. Here are the four methods I tried, and the results:
Attempt 1:
go to Control Panel > search Windows Activation > choose Windows Activation
Response:
Windows isn’t activated
Windows can’t be activated right now. Try activating Windows later. If this issue persists, contact your system administrator or technical support department for assistance.
[Activate button]
Activation details
Error Code:
0xC004F074
The Software Licensing Service reported that the product could not be activated. No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted. Please see the Application Event Log for additional information.
Pressing the [Activate] button gets you the same response over and over.
Attempt 2:
Open the command window as an administrator -
CMD (run as administrator) slmgr.vbs –ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX (where
this is the 25 character key for Windows 8 Pro)
Response:
Installed product key XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX successfully.
Next -
CMD (run as administrator) slmgr.vbs –ato
Response:
Activating Windows(R), Professional edition
Error: 0xC004F074 The Software Licensing Service reported that the computer could not be activated. No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted. Please see the Application Event Log for additional information.
Attempt 3:
Open the command window as an administrator -
CMD (run as administrator) SLUI 3
Response:
Enter a product key to activate Windows
(enter product key)
Your product key works! Continue when you’re ready
press [Activate]
Get same 0xC004F074 error code
Attempt 4:
Open the command window as an administrator -
CMD (run as administrator) SLUI 4
Response:
Find available phone numbers for activation
Click the nearest location:
Afghanistan
[Afghanistan is greyed out and you cannot select any other country]
Click on Next, and get a non-toll free number in Afghanistan to call.
Attempt 5:
CMD (run as admistrator) sfc /scannow
No errors reported.
PLEASE Tell Me WHAT CAN I DO KNOW.
IT always shutdown automatically sometimes after that.
PLEASE REPLY ASAP
thanks,

Hi,
It sounds like your computer is trying to access a KMS server for some reason. Are you sure you installed a MAK-key on your computer?
For further troubleshooting regarding eventual KMS-issues, please give us (masked of course) the output from the command 'SLMGR.vbs /dlv'
MCT | MCSE: Private Cloud/Server, Desktop Infrastructure

KMS error 0xC004F074

I had KMS working on a windows 7 machine and had activated 100 clients. the hard disk failed in the Windows 7 machine so I had to start a new KMS server. I deceded to use one of our 2008 servers. KMS wouldnt work so I installed KB968912 on server 2008 and restarted
slmgr -ato
slmgr.vbs /dlv
output says:
License Status: Licensed
Key Management Service is enabled on this machine
DNS says VLMCS Services location [0][0][1688] <srv name>
on win 7 client add slmgr -ipk <client kms key>
on the client slmgr -ato I get error 0xC004F074 The key management service is unavailable.
Ive come to a dead end now and cant find the next step can anyone help.

Event viewer on the server shows many kms requests with no errors but there are no activations.
Log Name:      Key Management Service
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Security-Licensing-SLC
Date:          26/02/2010 10:34:43
Event ID:      12290
Task Category: None
Level:         Information
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      srv005.ngs.local
Description:
An activation request has been processed.
Info:
0xC004F042,25,AC5630ICT215.ngs.local,83540fd5-c68d-40cc-85ca-02c67ea90d4f,2010/2/26 10:34,0,1,223440,b92e9980-b9d5-4821-9c94-140f632f6312
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
    <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-Licensing-SLC" Guid="{1FD7C1D2-D037-4620-8D29-B2C7E5FCC13A}" EventSourceName="KmsRequests" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="16384">12290</EventID>
    <Version>0</Version>
    <Level>4</Level>
    <Task>0</Task>
    <Opcode>0</Opcode>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2010-02-26T10:34:43.000Z" />
    <EventRecordID>6</EventRecordID>
    <Correlation />
    <Execution ProcessID="0" ThreadID="0" />
    <Channel>Key Management Service</Channel>
    <Computer>srv005.ngs.local</Computer>
    <Security />
</System>
<EventData>
    <Data>0xC004F042,25,AC5630ICT215.ngs.local,83540fd5-c68d-40cc-85ca-02c67ea90d4f,2010/2/26 10:34,0,1,223440,b92e9980-b9d5-4821-9c94-140f632f6312</Data>
    <Data>0xC004F042</Data>
    <Data>25</Data>
    <Data>AC5630ICT215.ngs.local</Data>
    <Data>83540fd5-c68d-40cc-85ca-02c67ea90d4f</Data>
    <Data>2010/2/26 10:34</Data>
    <Data>0</Data>
    <Data>1</Data>
    <Data>223440</Data>
    <Data>b92e9980-b9d5-4821-9c94-140f632f6312</Data>
    <Binary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inary>
</EventData>
</Event>

Windows 8.1 activation error 0xC004F074

i just bought a new Lenovo ideapad with windows 8.1 pre installed and i m unable to activate windows.
I don`t have the product key so i installed the magical jelly bean keyfinder, got the 25 product key installed and tried the three methods on the most of the blogs (slmgr.vbs
–ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx, and Slui 3, and sfc
/scannow) with no success. Any Clue.
thanks in advance

Hi,
In addition, since this is the forum for Windows server, I recommend you to ask in the Windows 8.1 forum below for professional assistance:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home?forum=w8itproinstall
Best regards,
Susie

Windows 8.1 activation error 0xC004F074 for new laptop

i just bought a new Lenovo ideapad with windows 8.1 pre installed and i m unable to activate windows.
I don`t have the product key so i installed the magical jelly bean keyfinder, got the 25 product key installed and tried the three methods on the most of the blogs (slmgr.vbs
–ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx, and Slui
3, and sfc /scannow) with
no success. Any Clue.
i was told to ask in Windows 8.1 forum
thanks in advance

Hi,
As the pre installed system activation belongs to OEM manufacture, in my opinion, it would be better to contact Lenovo to check why their system doesn't activated. If this is your laptop itself problem, you could ask lenovo to help you rebuild your system
and activate it.
Thanks for your understanding.
Roger Lu
TechNet Community Support

0xC004F074 error when trying to activate windows 8

I have a pre-installed Windows 8 on my laptop and it's activated. But after a few months, it becomes deactivated. Don't know what to do....when I try to activate it, I get an error message:
Error code: 0xC004F074
Error description: The Software Licensing Service reported that the product could not be activated. No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted. Please see the Application Event Log for additional information.
Please help

Hi,
In addition to others, please also have a look at the following articles:
How to Fix Activation Error 0xC004F074 in Windows 8?
http://atechjourney.com/how-to-fix-activation-error-0xc004f074-in-windows-8.html/
Getting error 0xC004F074 when activating against KMS server
http://blogs.technet.com/b/craigf/archive/2011/03/03/getting-error-0xc004f074-when-activating-against-kms-server.aspx
If the issue persists, as Being mentioned, please ask for help from Windows 8 forums.
Regards.
Vivian Wang
TechNet Community Support

Windows 8.1 Pro Activation error Error code: 0xC004F074

Good Afternoon,
I am unable to activate windows 8.1 pro. I keep getting the error 0xC004F074. I'm doing testing in a corporate environment and am unable to activate using any of the keys I was given. Here is the read out. I need more than a link to KB article which
is what a lot of moderators seem to post.
<DiagReport>
<LicensingData>
<ToolVersion>6.3.9600.16384</ToolVersion>
<LicensingStatus>SL_LICENSING_STATUS_NOTIFICATION</LicensingStatus>
<LicensingStatusReason>0xC004F056</LicensingStatusReason>
<LocalGenuineState>SL_GEN_STATE_INVALID_LICENSE</LocalGenuineState>
<LocalGenuineResultP>0</LocalGenuineResultP>
<LastOnlineGenuineResult></LastOnlineGenuineResult>
<GraceTimeMinutes>0</GraceTimeMinutes>
<TotalGraceDays>0</TotalGraceDays>
<ValidityExpiration></ValidityExpiration>
<ActivePartialProductKey>9D6T9</ActivePartialProductKey>
<ActiveProductKeyPid2>00261-50000-00000-AA831</ActiveProductKeyPid2>
<OSVersion>6.3.9600.2.00010100.0.0.048</OSVersion>
<ProductName>Windows 8.1 Pro</ProductName>
<ProcessorArchitecture>x86</ProcessorArchitecture>
<EditionId>Professional</EditionId>
<BuildLab>9600.winblue_gdr.131030-1505</BuildLab>
<TimeZone>Pacific Standard Time(GMT-08:00)</TimeZone>
<ActiveSkuId>c06b6981-d7fd-4a35-b7b4-054742b7af67</ActiveSkuId>
<ActiveSkuDescription>Windows(R) Operating System, VOLUME_KMSCLIENT channel</ActiveSkuDescription>
<ProductUniquenessGroups>55c92734-d682-4d71-983e-d6ec3f16059f</ProductUniquenessGroups>
<ActiveProductKeyPKeyId>ace182fe-75fe-ee4b-31e7-9fb20a237002</ActiveProductKeyPKeyId>
<ActiveProductKeyPidEx>06401-02615-000-000000-03-1033-9600.0000-2722013</ActiveProductKeyPidEx>
<ActiveProductKeyChannel>Volume:GVLK</ActiveProductKeyChannel>
<ActiveVolumeCustomerPid></ActiveVolumeCustomerPid>
<OfflineInstallationId>279391091513000076402293552031905464617191194503465138320479443</OfflineInstallationId>
<DomainJoined>true</DomainJoined>
<ComputerSid>S-1-5-21-2574392231-535810584-3362820856</ComputerSid>
<ProductLCID>1033</ProductLCID>
<UserLCID>1033</UserLCID>
<SystemLCID>1033</SystemLCID>
<CodeSigning>SIGNED_INFO_PRS_SIGNED</CodeSigning>
<ServiceAvailable>true</ServiceAvailable>
<OemMarkerVersion>0x00020001</OemMarkerVersion>
<OemId>DELL </OemId>
<OemTableId>CBX3 </OemTableId>
<Manufacturer>Dell Inc.</Manufacturer>
<Model>OptiPlex 990</Model>
<InstallDate>20140303144620.000000-480</InstallDate>
</LicensingData>
<HealthCheck>
<Result>PASS</Result>
<TamperedItems></TamperedItems>
</HealthCheck>
<GenuineAuthz>
<ServerProps>0xc004f200</ServerProps>
</GenuineAuthz>
</DiagReport>

I've personally used this solution (slui 3) to reenter a key when activation wasn't working, but we use MAK, not KMS, so YMMV. I think it may depend on exactly where in the chain things are going wrong.
This is an interesting bit from the link britishdhez posted (these are possible causes of this error message):
DNS record not published at _VLMCS._tcp.client.domain. This must be an SRV record, which the KMS server will automatically register. If you have disabled this, you will need to use a GPO on the clients to point them to the correct KMS server to use
No network connectivity from the KMS client to the MS server on the KMS port (tcp/1688 by default). Install telnet on the client and run telnet KMS.Server.Name 1688 and make sure the screen goes blank
Not more than 4 hours time difference between KMS server and client. Check that your time zones are correct. If using server core, run timedate.cpl
No major hardware changes to the KMS server. If the KMS server is a VM and you have added a number of new devices, CPUs, memory etc, or P2Ved you will need to reactivate your KMS license
The KMS service must have the keys to issue for the KMS client requesting a license. For example, if the KMS server is Windows Server 2008 and you are trying to activate Windows 7, you will need an update installed on the KMS server AND the correct KMS
key for Windows 7."
Also, I know you said no KB articles, but for completeness sake (for folks reading this at a later date who may be troubleshooting):
When trying to activate you get 0xC004F074 with description "The Key Management Server (KMS) is unavailable" - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/974998/en-us

VAMT 3.0 error event

Hi,
we are using without problem a VAMT 2.0 on a KMS server for Office 2010 activation.
Now we would like to use a VAMT 3.0 on a second KMS server for Office 2013 activation.
But when I try to activate the first Office 2013 we receive this error:
Volume Activation Management Tool
VAMT Runtime
1000
Error operating on product:
Application Name: Office
. Exception System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0xC004F074)
   in System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHRInternal(Int32 errorCode, IntPtr errorInfo)
   in System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHR(Int32 errorCode)
   in System.Management.ManagementObject.InvokeMethod(String methodName, ManagementBaseObject inParameters, InvokeMethodOptions options)
   in Microsoft.Licensing.VolumeActivation.WmiConnection.ExecuteMethod(String queryString, String actionValue, Dictionary`2 wmiParameter)
   in Microsoft.Licensing.VolumeActivation.SoftwareLicensingProvider.ActivateProduct(Product product)
   in Microsoft.Licensing.VolumeActivation.SoftwareLicensingProvider.VolumeActivate(Product product)
   in Microsoft.Licensing.VolumeActivation.VolumeActivationWorker.OnDoWork(Product product)
   in Microsoft.Licensing.VolumeActivation.WmiProviderWorker.Work()
How can I solve this?
Regards,
D.

Hi,
Thanks for your time and patience and hope this may help:
When trying to activate you get 0xC004F074 with description "The Key Management Server (KMS) is unavailable"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/974998/en-us
Office 2010 Activation errors - 0xC004F074 "...No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted" and 0xc004f050 "The Software Licensing service reported that the product key is invalid"
http://blogs.technet.com/b/odsupport/archive/2010/08/17/office-2010-activation-errors-0xc004f074-quot-no-key-management-service-kms-could-be-contacted-quot-and-0xc004f050-quot-the-software-licensing-service-reported-that-the-product-key-is-invalid-quot.aspx
Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Windows Server 2008 R2 - Trial Version Activation Error

I downloaded a trial of Windows Server 2008 R2 a few months ago. I may have loaded the ISO onto another PC for testing, but the testing is no longer active. However, I am testing a new environment where I need to load Server 2008 R2 onto
2 different servers for testing, before I activate. I will be purchasing keys once my lab is fully functioning if needed. One Virtual Machine will be moved to a server which will be running Server 2012 R2 Datacenter in the future.
Back to the problem at hand. When I try to Activate my Server 2008 R2 copy to get 180 days trial started, it errors out with 0xC004F074. We don't use a KMS Server, and anything I can find seems to refer to this as an error. I just need
to activate a trial version.

Hi,
Thanks for posting here.
Regarding the current issue, please understand this error code appears only during the time of activation when the Software Licensing Service reports that it cannot activate the product key
since the Key Management Service cannot be contacted. Please follow the steps below to activate the machine again to see if it works.
1) Open cmd(command prompt) with administrator rights
2) Type slmgr.vbs –ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx (x should be replaced by your 25 digit product key)
3) Hit enter
4) Type slmgr.vbs –ato (This will change the product key)
5) Hit enter
For details, please refer to the following article.
Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 - Activation Error 0xC004F074
http://www.petenetlive.com/KB/Article/0000766.htm
How to Fix Activation Error 0xC004F074 in Windows 8 and 8.1?
http://atechjourney.com/how-to-fix-activation-error-0xc004f074-in-windows-8.html/
Hope it helps.
Best Regards,
Andy Qi
Andy Qi
TechNet Community Support

Windows Server 2008 R2 activation via KMS failure

Hello,
I'm trying to activate about 20 Windows Server 2008 R2 via KMS. Before that I have successfully activated Windows 7 clients and Microsoft Office 2010 products. But when I try to activate Windows Server 2008 R2 clients via kms I'm getting the following error
on the KMS host:
. Exception System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0xC004F074)
KMS host installed on the machine with Windows 7 Professional OS. From the VAMT GUI I can see the following Windows server license information :
Key Type : CSVLK
Edition : ServerStandard;ServerEnterprise;ServerWeb;ServerHPC
Description : Server 2008 R2 Std and Ent Volume.
If I try to activate product from the client I get the following error :
Error: 0xC004F074 The Software Licensing Service reported that the computer could not be activated. The Key Management Service(KMS) is unavailable.
I have searched a lot about this error. But still cannot solve the issue.
Thanks & Regards
Ulzii

Yes KMS host is Windows 7. I read all documents about KMS but haven't read this doc. So I have to change KMS host or add Win Server KMS host, that's right?
Yes that's right. Windows "Client" OS editions, when setup as KMShost, cannot issue activations for Windows "Server" OS editions.
To do so, you will need a KMShost product key for Windows Server - you will only have such a product key if you have purchased Windows Server licenses through Volume Licensing.
(The Windows 7 KMShost product key cannot be installed on Windows Server OS)
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/22510.volume-activation-kms-mak-adba-avma.aspx
Don
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This helps the community, keeps the forums tidy, and recognises useful contributions. Thanks!)

Windows 8.1 upgrade not possible because Win 8 isn't activated

A few months ago I bought a new Toshiba Satallite laptop with Windows 8 pre-installed
Now I want to upgrade Windows 8 to Windows 8.1. But I don't see the Windows 8.1 upgrade in de Windows store. I think this is because my current installed windows doesn't seems te be activated..
When I try to activate it, I get error: 0xC004F074.
I found a solution by using command: SLUI 3 and then enter the product key to activate it, but I don't have a product key!! There is no sticker with a product key on the laptop.
Could anyone help me with this issue, so I can activate my current Windows 8 install and upgrade to Windows 8.1?
Message was edited by: mbarten

Hi
I had some problems with an upgrade to Win 8.1 in the past...
Finally I managed to install the Windows 8.1 update after the notebook has been set back to factory settings.
Im not quite sure if this needs to be done in your case, but in case the Win 8.1 update would not be possible after installation of all windows updates, you should reset the PC back to factory settings. After that the upgrade should works.

Windows 2008 R2 KMS server not activating Windows 8.1

We have a 2008 R2 server running VAMT 3.1 and with KB2757817 installed. I added our Windows Server 2012 and Windows 2012 R2 KMS product keys to the KMS host as well as our Windows 8.1 KMS key, and restarted the system.
So that when I look at the list of Product Keys I see the following keys:
Windows Server 2012 RTM ServerDataCenter;ServerStandard;ServerMultiPointStandard;ServerMultiPointPremium Volume:CSVLK
Win 8.1 RTM Enterprise;EnterpriseN;Professional;ProfessionalN Volume:CSVLK
Windows Server 2012 R2 RTM ServerDataCenter;ServerStandard Volume:CSVLK
Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM Std and Ent Volume:CSVLK (KMS_B)
Windows 7 All Volume Editions Volume:CSVLK
I then go to one of our Windows 8.1 systems and run the following commands:
cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /skms <servername>
cscript C:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato
and I get the following error message:
"Error: 0xC004F074 The Software Licensing Service reported that the computer could not be activated. No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted. Please see the Application Event Log for additional information."
Meanwhile Windows 7 clients still activate without a problem.
On the KMS host I run slmgr /dlv and get the following:
Name: Windows Server(R), ServerStandard edition
Description: Windows Operating System - Windows Server(R), VOLUME_KMS_R2_B channel
Activation ID: xxxx
Application ID: xxx
Extended PID: xxx
Installation ID: xxx
Processor Certificate URL:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88342
Machine Certificate URL: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88343
Use License URL: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88345
Product Key Certificate URL:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88344
Partial Product Key: xxxx
License Status: Licensed
Remaining Windows rearm count: 3
Trusted time: 3/26/2014 9:56:25 AM
I've seen in other articles that the description should be
"VOLUME_KMS_2012-R2" channel instead of "VOLUME_KMS_R2_B channel"
My question is how do I get the 2008 R2 KMS host to activate Windows 8.1 clients?
Did I miss a step in adding the 2012 R2 KMS key, and if I did what step did I miss?

We have a 2008 R2 server running VAMT 3.1 and with KB2757817 installed. I added our Windows Server 2012 and Windows 2012 R2 KMS product keys to the KMS host as well as our Windows 8.1 KMS key, and restarted the system.
So that when I look at the list of Product Keys I see the following keys:
Windows Server 2012 RTM ServerDataCenter;ServerStandard;ServerMultiPointStandard;ServerMultiPointPremium Volume:CSVLK
Win 8.1 RTM Enterprise;EnterpriseN;Professional;ProfessionalN Volume:CSVLK
Windows Server 2012 R2 RTM ServerDataCenter;ServerStandard Volume:CSVLK
Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM Std and Ent Volume:CSVLK (KMS_B)
Windows 7 All Volume Editions Volume:CSVLK
I then go to one of our Windows 8.1 systems and run the following commands:
cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /skms <servername>
cscript C:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato
and I get the following error message:
"Error: 0xC004F074 The Software Licensing Service reported that the computer could not be activated. No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted. Please see the Application Event Log for additional information."
Meanwhile Windows 7 clients still activate without a problem.
On the KMS host I run slmgr /dlv and get the following:
Name: Windows Server(R), ServerStandard edition
Description: Windows Operating System - Windows Server(R), VOLUME_KMS_R2_B channel
Activation ID: xxxx
Application ID: xxx
Extended PID: xxx
Installation ID: xxx
Processor Certificate URL:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88342
Machine Certificate URL: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88343
Use License URL: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88345
Product Key Certificate URL:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88344
Partial Product Key: xxxx
License Status: Licensed
Remaining Windows rearm count: 3
Trusted time: 3/26/2014 9:56:25 AM
I've seen in other articles that the description should be
"VOLUME_KMS_2012-R2" channel instead of "VOLUME_KMS_R2_B channel"
My question is how do I get the 2008 R2 KMS host to activate Windows 8.1 clients?
Did I miss a step in adding the 2012 R2 KMS key, and if I did what step did I miss?
It's not possible to add Windows Vista/7/8.0/8.1 KMShost pkeys into a WindowServer OS - they will not install, because the KMShost pkey must activate the host OS as well as perform KMShost functions, and, a WindowsClientOS pkey will never be accepted on
a WindowsServerOS.
Similarly, you can't install multiple Windows pkeys - only the last (acceptable) pkey will be kept - all previous pkeys will be displaced/removed (last in wins).
Your slmgr output clearly shows that you have the WS2008R2 KMShost pkey, in place. You need to install the WS2012R2 KMshost pkey to get your 8.1 KMSclients to activate.
KMShost pkeys are "cumulative", i.e. WS2012R2 KMShost pkey will activate all lower versions of both WindowsServer and WindowsClient OS.
Don
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KMS issue – KMS not receiving Activation Requests from Servers

Hi,
I've got a very strange problem with KMS. I have recently inherited a SharePoint DMZ environment built using
Best Practices for Securing Active Directory and
CIS Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2. All the servers were built using MAK keys, which worked well enough until IT Security locked down firewall access. Now all the server are going non-genuine. My solution was to setup a KMS activation and
convert all the servers over. Seemed simple enough, even tested it in my Dev Lab no issues once the Windows Firewall was configured to allow KMS (TCP-in). So I set it up started converting servers to KMS, (slmgr /ipk). The client all Windows 2008 R2 Servers
started sending activation requests to the KMS machine, (Event ID: 12288). Here’s where the problems start, according to the firewall logs on the KMS Server it allows the request in but no Event ID: 12289’s are registered and the client display’s the
following: “Error: 0xC004F074 The Software Licensing Service reported that the computer could not be activated. The Key Management Service (KMS) in unavailable”.
Verified the KMS is active and listening on port 1688. Ran it again with Wire Shark installed and it showed the DCERPC protocol attempting to connect and getting “status: nca_s_fault_access_denied”. Began investigating RPC issues, found two RPC related GPO
entries in our Default Domain Policy and reference in the CIS benchmark referenced above.
Computer Configuration \ <policies> \ Administrative Templates \ System \ Remote Procedure Call
Restrictions for unauthenticated RPC clients
RPC endpoint mapper client authentication
Both are “Enabled” and the first is set with the following option:
"Authenticated without Exceptions".
So I proceeded to set these up in my Lab and… BOOM, killed my Lab environment. See
http://blogs.technet.com/b/askds/archive/2011/04/08/restrictions-for-unauthenticated-rpc-clients-the-group-policy-that-punches-your-domain-in-the-face.aspx
After I rebuilt my Lab, I determined the culprit was GPO entry #1 -
Restrictions for unauthenticated RPC clients -
Authenticated without Exceptions. My attempts at changing this option cause it to “hoop” my lab environment yet
again.
Question time:
Does anyone know how to change this option safely and to not cause the problems I’ve had?
Does anyone have any alternate methods or ideas for setting up KMS in an environment such as mine?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
James

So we determined last this past Friday that I was mistaken, the GPO's in question were not in our Default Domain Policy as a thought...My apologize. They were however in our DMZ Base Server GPO, I was able to drop our KMS Server into a new
sub-OU (called KMS Activations) and then provide a GPO override in that OU for the following line:
Computer Configuration \ <policies> \ Administrative Templates \ System \ Remote Procedure Call\Restrictions for unauthenticated RPC clients
and set it to: "Authenticated".
Once we did this plus STOP and Start SPP Service, we ran Slmgr / ato on 5 servers to hit the threshold, the rest of the server activated on their own over the weekend.
Confirmed this morning, once we flipped the remaining servers over from MAK to KMS they activated on their own. Modifying our build template to have the KMS key now not the MAK.
Still not sure what grants KMS the exception to the GPO, assuming the Firewall?
The original was "Authenticated without Exceptions" verses the Current "Authenticated" so the only real difference is that exceptions are aloud if authorized
by something.
I appreciate the responses.

Windows 8.1 Enterprise activation

Hi!
There is PC with OEM license. On the sticker written "windows 8 pro downgrade windows 7 pro". On this PC i have installed windows 8.1 Enterprise. And now i cannot activate windows through KMS server. Error 0xC004F074.
- kms is available on 1688 port
- no difference in time
- different PC with the same windows activating successful
I'm trying like this:
slmgr -ipk "MHF9N-XY6XB-WVXMC-BTDCT-MKKG7"
slmgr -skms kmsserver:1688
slmgr -ato
What is needed for successful activating?
Thank you.

Prajwal
Desai, thank you.
Can you discribe in detail, how can i resovle problem with OEM?

Error 0xC004F074

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