Volume activation for Windows

This guide is designed to help organizations that are planning to use volume activation to deploy and activate Windows.

Volume activation is the process that Microsoft volume licensing customers use to automate and manage the activation of Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office, and other Microsoft products across large organizations. Volume licensing is available to customers who purchase software under various volume programs (such as Open and Select) and to participants in programs such as the Microsoft Partner Program and Visual Studio Codespace.

Volume activation is a solution that automates and manages product activation on computers running Windows that are licensed under a volume licensing program. Volume activation is also used with other software from Microsoft (most notably the Office suites) that are sold under volume licensing agreements and that support volume activation.

This guide provides information and step-by-step guidance to help choose a volume activation method that suits an environment, and then to configure that solution successfully. This guide describes the volume activation features and the tools to manage volume activation.

The following items are needed to successfully plan and implement a volume activation strategy:

• Learn about and understand product activation.
• Review and evaluate the available activation types or models.
• Consider the connectivity of the clients to be activated.
• Choose the method or methods to be used with each type of client.
• Determine the types and number of product keys needed.
• Determine the monitoring and reporting needs in the organization.
• Install and configure the tools required to support the methods selected.

Keep in mind that the method of activation doesn't change an organization's responsibility to the licensing requirements. Ensure that all software used in an organization is properly licensed and activated in accordance with the terms of the licensing agreements in place.

• Plan for volume activation.
• Activate using Key Management Service.
• Activate using Active Directory-based activation.
• Activate clients running Windows.
• Monitor activation.
• Use the Volume Activation Management Tool.
• Appendix: Information sent to Microsoft during activation.