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Hello,
We have a Server 2022 Datacenter key via CSP, and want to mass activate our VMs.
As the key is not a MAK key, we cannot use volume activation tools, so I am trying to script this process with Powershell.
Trying to run invoke-command with slmgr.vbs does not seem to work as expected, so I wonder if anyone could offer me any guidance on how I might be able to complete the key install and activation remotely and en masse with powershell?
Many thanks
James
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Much simpler may be to use AVMA activation.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/automatic-vm-activation
https://4sysops.com/archives/change-a-product-key-remotely-with-powershell/
--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--
Hello,
This looks to require Hyper-V as the hypervisor?
I should have specified, we are using vSphere.
Many thanks
James
Sounds good, then the PowerShell I linked may work for you or also check PSExec
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/psexec
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Ah sorry, I didn't see the second link.
Yes this is effectively what I came up with myself:
$Servers = Get-ADComputer -SearchBase "OU=Servers,OU=Computers,OU=Managed,DC=aspall,DC=local" -Filter {(Name -ne "ASP-BU-P01") -and (Name -ne "Aspall-ERP01") -and (Name -ne "ASP-ESXi-WKJXNE")}
Foreach ($Server in $Servers) {
$ServerName = $Server.Name
$ServerName
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $ServerName -ScriptBlock {slmgr.vbs /ipk [KEY]}
}
However, I've found it doesn't really seem to work reliably, if at all. We ran on all server VMs, and still a lot of them show as not activated:
I checked a couple, and some had not installed the key, whilst some had but did not activate.
Of those that did not activate, some failed to activate if I manually ran:
slmgr.vbs /ato
Some activated after a restart, some didn't.
Some activated after a second attempt with the /ato switch.
Some activated if I ran with the /dlv switch.
That article also suggests I would expect to see a notification when it has completed the product key install but, even though I may be running in VSCode, I do not get such a notification.
Some other idea here.
https://superuser.com/questions/1400607/power-shell-remotely-activate-windows
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/66135250/change-a-windows-product-key-remotely-with-powershell
--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--
Just checking if there's any progress or updates?
--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--
I've taken it right back to basics to try and understand why it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.
Running this remotely:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName "ASP-EXCH-V01" {
slmgr.vbs /ipk [KEY]
}
If I log onto the server interactively, then do:
slmgr.vbs /dlv
I find the new key has not been installed.
This has worked on the odd occasion against other VMs, so still cannot wrap my head around why sometimes it simply does nothing?
Not getting any output from the vbs script remotely means it looks impossible to tell if the command was actually successful in installing the key!
Many thanks
James
Anyone able to offer any additional suggestions on how I might be able to complete this?
Cheers
James
Might give this one a go.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/psexec
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Sadly even further off than Invoke-Command, as trying to run the below:
.\PsExec64.exe \\ASP-RDRA-V01 slmgr "/ipk [KEY]"
Just gives me:
PsExec could not start slmgr on ASP-RDRA-V01:
The system cannot find the file specified.
What I'm trying now, is to just use slmgr.vbs remotely using the below command:
slmgr.vbs $ComputerName /ipk [KEY]
However, I get this error message on some machines:
If I run the exact same command without a computer name, it works without issue.
Looks like you commented on a thread about 9 days ago for someone having the same issue:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1007927/windows-server-datacenter-2022-csp-version-error-m.html
They too were encountering an activation limit.
I will pass on their "solution" to our CSP, which was:
Hello all,
finally the success. For all those who also have the problem that Windows Server Datacenter 2022 licenses ordered via CSP no longer work after 3 activations:
I have contacted the "Partner Frontline Advocate (CSP)" support. They confirmed that only 3 activations are possible. We had to open a ticket through our partner from which the license was actually sold. They were able to talk to the "Partner Frontline Advocate (CSP)" based on my ticket and they raised the license limit. Now I was able to activate the license on the VMware server on all virtual machines normally via "slmgr".
Will advise the outcome.
Sounds good, completely different issue. Please don't forget to close up the thread by 
Just checking if there's any progress or updates?
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