Volume Activation Management Tool invalid characters bug.

Question

I have a Multiple Activation Key from my Technet subscription for Windows 8 Enterprise, and wanted to
find out how many activations I am allowed, and how many I have left. I was advised by a colleague to
download and install the Volume Activation Management Tool 2.0 from Microsoft.
Whilst using this tool, I've found what appears to be a rather serious bug. It does not allow entry of the
product key I wish to manage. If I copy/paste the key under Add Product Keys, it deliberately ignores
one of the characters in the second section of the product key, specifically the letter N.
If I attempt to enter the key manually, it says Invalid character in the product key when I come to this
particular letter. On further investigation, VAMT 2.0 sees several other letters as invalid characters.
It wrongly says all of the following letters are invalid characters - A - E - I - L - N - O - U - S - Z .
This bug makes it impossible to add the product key, and almost impossible to add any other key.

Answer 1

Hello,
Which problem are you referring to?
The first issue was with VAMT not recognizing some the characters in the newer product keys, the solution for that is to use VAMT 3.0 or preferably VAMT 3.1 now.
the second issue is the prompt to create a database and all you need to do is enter a name on the database line and it will create one( leave the Server line alone.)
Thanks, Darrell Gorter [MSFT] This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Tried that ... it doesn't work. I type my machine name into the Database line and after a few seconds I get this . . .
Running SQL Server Express, the server name is listed as DJGMPC/SQLEXPRESS, so I put that in the Server line
and type the machine name DJGMPC in the Database line, and VAMT finally establishes a connection with
this SQL Server that shouldn't really be needed in the first place, when VAMT2 managed OK without it.