KMS Host Evaluation key

Question

Hello, im using MAK (Multiple Activation Key) license key to activate windows clients & im wondering is there a way to decrease or reclaim the activation counter for that key? if a PC is crushed or replaced so the key can be used on a new machine?

Answer 1

Hello,

MAK activations cannot be reused. However you can request more activations

See the following Microsoft FAQ: reference MAKADD.

https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/faqs/6?msockid=2f9ef625d5426bd518dfe59ad4416a5b

Darrell

Answer 2

Dear ANASS,

Thank you for your question. I understand you are using a MAK (Multiple Activation Key) to activate Windows clients and want to know if the activation counter can be decreased or reclaimed when a PC is replaced or no longer in use. MAK activations are designed to count each activation against the total allocation, and once consumed, the counter does not automatically decrease.

If a device is retired or replaced, the activation used on that machine cannot be reclaimed directly. The recommended approach is to contact the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) or your licensing support representative to request additional activations if needed. In some cases, they can review your usage and provide guidance or increase the activation allowance.

For environments where hardware changes or replacements are frequent, I suggest considering KMS (Key Management Service) activation, which is more flexible and does not consume a fixed activation count per machine.

I hope this clarifies the situation and helps you plan your licensing strategy. Please click “Accept the answer” to support me. Thank you very much.

Kind regards,

QQ.

Answer 3

When using a Multiple Activation Key (MAK) for Windows activation, the activation counter cannot be decreased or reclaimed directly. If a PC is crushed or replaced, the activation associated with that PC will count against the total number of allowed activations for the MAK. However, you can refresh the activation count of the MAK to ensure that it can support the required number of activations. This is done by contacting Microsoft to retrieve the number of remaining activations for the MAK, which requires internet access.

If you have a situation where a PC is no longer in use, you can consider changing the product key to a new MAK for the new machine, but this does not reclaim the activation count from the destroyed or replaced PC.

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References:

• Activate clients running Windows
• Guidelines for troubleshooting DNS-related activation issues