How to deploy images of activated windows Server 2022 and auto-activated?

Question

How to deploy images of activated windows Server 2022 and auto-activated?

Kang, Mike - Merrifield, VA - Contractor 0

Our company purchased 205 licenses of windows server 2022 standard for IDENTICAL hardware servers in near 200 sites nationwide. We want to:

install one windows server 2022 standard on a master server, activate and put all the applications together and burn a image using Microsoft tools (imagex or dism). Then burn the image with the installation scripts onto DVDs.
provide DVDs to 200 sites and asked the local engineers to install them. We do not want the local engineers to enter product key during the installation process.

After we purchased the licenses, no extra product key was provided. We were told to use the company's existing windows server 2022 product keys. We have both KMS and MAK (26/650) before this purchase. The "650" appears to remain the same after the purchase.

We tested the deployment by to server#1 (different from the master server). It shows that the server was activated when installed the first day. After a few days, the windows activation page could not be checked anymore, and bottom right of the screen showed "Activate Windows / Go to Settings to activate Windows." message. We have tried this with both KMS and MAS product keys and we can no longer opens the windows activation page.

Please note that the above procedure were all successful for a windows server 2008 license we purchased and deployed a number of years ago, i.e. automatically activated. We are hoping to repeat the same procedure. I wonder if we need a different kind of license.

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Hello

Thank you for posting in our Q&A forum.

First of all which activation key are you using when burning the image? KMS or MAK? If KMS, whether the client has a Microsoft Generic Volume License Key (GVLK) installed.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/kms-client-activation-keys

Second in the test environment is to use the command slmgr /rearm to reset the license status and activation status of the computer and use the command slmgr /ato to force activation.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/activation-slmgr-vbs-options

Regarding whether a different type of license is required, it is recommended to contact the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center to confirm:

https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/servicecenter/default.aspx

Best Regards,

Wesley Li

Answer 2

Wesley Li-MSFT 4,571 Microsoft External Staff

Hello

Do you have any other questions?

If the above reply is helpful to you, please mark it as answer.

Thanks

Kang, Mike - Merrifield, VA - Contractor 0 Reputation points

2023-03-14T19:37:02.6966667+00:00

Sorry for the delay. Testing different product keys until today.

In the case of KMS key: After GVLK key was installed, slmgr /rearm and slmgr /ipk were both successful. Rebooted twice. Tried slmgr /ato and got a message "Error: 0xC004C008 The activation server determined that the specified product key could not be used" both times. Activation page showed "The product key was already used on another device."

In the case of MAK key, slmgr /rearm was successful. Rebooted the first time and slmgr /ato was not successful. After rebooted the second time, slmgr /ato became successful. The activation page showed activated. Changed the system date manually to advance the date a few times for up to 10 days and rebooted each time. The activation page still showed activated.

As I stated in my question, the windows server showed being activated until a few days after the image deployment. I am building a new image embedded with these slmgr commands tonight for an alpha site test tomorrow. If it remains activated for a week, I'll mark your comment as an answer. Thank you very much! It does look promising!
Wesley Li-MSFT 4,571 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2023-03-16T02:50:13.97+00:00

good luck
Kang, Mike - Merrifield, VA - Contractor 0 Reputation points

2023-03-20T15:41:34.07+00:00

It doesn't work unfortunately. The message below appears on the bottom right of the screen again.

At this point, even if I open Setting > Activation Setting and enter KMS/MAK/ or the GVLK product key shown below, an error is shown.

I am really out of clue.
Wesley Li-MSFT 4,571 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2023-03-23T01:14:45.81+00:00

Log into the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) to verify your licensing information or contact the provider of your key to confirm
Kang, Mike - Merrifield, VA - Contractor 0 Reputation points

2023-07-19T21:15:44.3+00:00
Thanks. I was able to resolve the issue after contacting the provider who referred us to a Microsoft activation specialist.

Highlights:

Phone activation always work.

Our servers are all behind firewalls and only connect to the internet briefly.

Two scenarios were suggested to us to activate online via VAMT:

a. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/volume-activation/scenario-online-activation-vamt

b. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/volume-activation/scenario-proxy-activation-vamt
Wesley Li-MSFT 4,571 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2023-07-21T07:19:50.4433333+00:00

I'm so glad that I could provide some help here, it will be great to mark any useful answer so other can easily find it.

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How to deploy images of activated windows Server 2022 and auto-activated?

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