Activation and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows Server 2012

Product activation reduces software piracy and helps ensure that Microsoft customers are receiving genuine Microsoft software. Genuine Windows provides assurance that the software is reliable, and it helps protect against the security threats and increased cost-of-ownership that can be introduced by counterfeit software. Windows Activation Technologies help ensure customers that they are using genuine Windows products and helps to avoid the risks that are associated with the use of unlicensed software. Using genuine Windows products helps ensure that software is reliable as follows:

• Ensures that the software is supported by Microsoft and its partners.
  
  
• Assists with license compliance.
  
  
• Enhances protection from the risks that are associated with counterfeit software, such as spyware, malware, and viruses.
  
  
• Protects against the potential financial penalties and risks to an organization’s reputation due to using non-licensed software.
  
  

Activation of Windows operating systems is required unless you purchase new computers with the operating system preinstalled by the manufacturer and bound to the computer’s basic input/output system (BIOS). A person who purchases a Windows operating system to install on an individual computer can complete activation and verify that their software is genuine over the Internet or by phone.

If you acquire licenses through a volume license program, you can perform Windows volume activation and verify that the software is genuine by using the following features:

• Active Directory-Based Activation
  
  
• Key Management Service (KMS)
  
  
• Multiple Activation Key (MAK)
  
  

For more information about volume activation, see Activation options with volume licensing later in this section.

Note
Product activation means that a specific product key becomes associated with the computer hardware that it is installed on. Making significant changes to computer hardware or other significant configuration changes may require that the activation process be completed again.

For more information about product activation, see Microsoft Product Activation.

In an environment with many computers running Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, and earlier versions of Windows you will probably want to use an activation option that is designed for use with volume licensing. The following subsection describes these options.

Note
To avoid having to go online or place a telephone call to activate a new installation, you can purchase new computers with the operating system preinstalled by the manufacturer and bound to the computer’s basic input/output system (BIOS).

If you are not using one of the activation methods described previously, you can activate Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 over the Internet or by phone. The following list describes how Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 communicate with websites when they are activated directly over the Internet:

• Specific information sent or received: During the online activation process, the following information is sent to an activation server that is maintained by Microsoft:
  
  
  • Computer make and model
    
    
  • Version information for the operating system and software that is using Genuine Advantage
    
    
  • Region and language settings
    
    
  • A unique number that is assigned to your computer (a globally unique identifier or GUID)
    
    
  • Product key (hashed) and product ID
    
    
  • BIOS name, revision number, and revision date
    
    
  • Hard drive volume serial number (hashed)
    
    

  Important
  The tools do not collect a user’s name, address, email address, or any other information that Microsoft can use to identify or contact a person.

  In addition to the configuration information above, the following status information is also transferred:
  
  
  • Whether the installation was successful, if one was performed
    
    
  • The result of the validation check, including information about any activation exploits and any related malicious or unauthorized software that is found, disabled, or removed
    
    
  • The name and a hash of the contents of the computer's start-up instructions file (commonly called the boot file) to help Microsoft discover activation exploits that modified this file
    
    

  Note
  If your system is identified as non-genuine, additional information may be sent to Microsoft to better understand why your system failed validation. This information can include error codes and the names and paths of files that compromise the integrity of your system.

  For activation of an individual computer (where volume licensing is not being used), owners can allow the preceding information to be sent over the Internet to the activation system at Microsoft, or they can present the product key information and hardware hash (combined into one number) by phone.
  
  
• Default setting and ability to disable: Product activation cannot be disabled, but if you acquire licenses through a volume license program, you can perform Volume Activation through Active Directory-based Activation, the Key Management Service (KMS), or a Multiple Activation Key (MAK). For more information, see Activation options with volume licensing earlier in this section.
  
  

  Note
  Product activation is not necessary if you purchase new computers with the operating system preinstalled by the manufacturer and bound to the computer’s basic input/output system (BIOS).

• Trigger and notification: Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 must be activated immediately upon installation. Failure to activate the Windows operating systems will prevent users from completing customization.
  
  
• Logging: Entries that track the progress of activation (for example, return codes and error codes) are logged in Event Viewer. If activation fails, you can use these events to troubleshoot the issue. To locate the events, click Windows Logs, click Application, click Source, and then click Security-Licensing-SLC.
  
  
• Encryption and storage: The data is encrypted during transmission by using HTTPS (that is, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) with HTTP), and it is stored in Microsoft-controlled facilities. The data is accessible to a restricted number of support personnel who oversee and maintain the activation servers and the product activation program.
  
  
• Privacy: Customer privacy was a paramount design goal in building the product activation technology. Microsoft uses the information that is sent to confirm that you have a licensed copy of the software, and then it is aggregated for statistical analysis. Microsoft does not use the information to identify or contact a person.
  
  
• Transmission protocol and port: When Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 are activated over the Internet and a modem is not used, the first transmission uses HTTP through port 80. It communicates with go.microsoft.com to check the HTTP response code. A response code of less than 500 indicates that a product activation server is available. (With a modem, there is a check to see whether the modem can currently make a connection to the Internet.) If the product activation server can be reached (or if the modem can make a connection to the Internet), any activation data that is sent by Windows Product Activation uses HTTPS through port 443 to sls.microsoft.com.
  
  

For more information about volume licensing, activation, and Genuine Advantage, see the following pages on the Microsoft website:

• Microsoft Volume Licensing
  
  
• Plan for Volume Activation
  
  
• Genuine Windows