UIU Blog

Licensing desktop operating systems from Microsoft has always been, and is likely to always be, a bit of a challenge. For some reason Microsoft makes understanding licensing seem like a moving target, an elusive quarry that is difficult to see or understand — maybe like a cloaked Klingon Bird of Prey. (Bear with our Trekkie analogy.) That said, if we modulate the frequency of our inverse tachyon beam, we can brush away some of the confusion and, after actuating the universal translator, present a list of possibilities that are more actionable in English. Here goes...

 

What should you know about License Keys in advance?

A few key questions will get you on the right track:

What type of License Keys are you working with?

• OEM = OEM editions of the OS
• Volume License = Volume License Editions of the OS
• Available through various purchasing programs including Open, Select, or Enterprise

What volume of PCs are you planning on deploying/refreshing?

• Will you deploy en masse or in small sets over time?

Do you have time to visit every PC and activate it?

How much money do you have?

• Volume Licensing provides for reduced unit cost of licenses.

How do I decide which activation method to use?

If you have lots of free labor and did not purchase a Volume License agreement, you'll be choosing the brute-force method of activation.

 

If you have purchased Volume Licensing, have more than 25 client PCs, and don't mind installing a Microsoft Key Activation Service (KMS) in your network to facilitate activation with Microsoft for each client PC every 180 days, then you may choose the Key Management Service method. If you've purchased Volume Licensing and have less than 25 client PCs, you may be best off choosing to use the Multiple Activation Key (MAK) method. In addition, if you've purchased more than 25 client PCs and just don't want a KMS validating every PC in your environment every 180 days, then stick with MAK.

Types of Windows activation

Activation varies depending on whether you are working with an OEM License or a Volume License.

OEM Licenses — Client

Brute Force Method: Buy PCs with OEM License Key directly associated and upon deployment of the same version of the operating system, apply the OEM license key in each PC's Sysprep answer file, or enter the key when prompted on each individual PC. This method can be very time-consuming in terms of pre-deployment configuration, and it's difficult to ensure you've entered the correct license key on each deployed PC. Plus, you have to manage the OEM License Keys after the fact. New in Windows 8: You can have the PC manufacturer activate the OEM version OS via OA3 before shipping it to you. What happens when you need to re-apply the OS, assuming it's the same version? According to Microsoft, OEM License Media cannot legally be used to re-image. At that point, you use Volume License media and activate with the specific OEM License Key for that machine.