Solve machine activation problems with KMS

Q. I am unable to activate machines against my KMS server. How can I check why?

A. On the KMS server there are a number of actions to perform. Run the following command:

cscript slmgr.vbs /dlv

This will show the current count of machines using the KMS server, total requests, failed requests and a number of other items. The next step is to examine the Applications and Services Logs - Key Management Service log. In this log will be entries for each activation request. In the request will be a return code, the machine name and various other items. Within the log search for the machine name you are having problems with. A successful activation should have a 0x0 return code. Other values point to a problem, for example:

0xC004F06C,25,NODEA,xxxxxx

In this case the error code is C004F06C. Search for this error which will tell you the reason for the problem. In this case it is a time discrepancy more than 4 hours. A complete list of error codes can be found at https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn502528.aspx.

Each week, John Savill answers all of your toughest tech questions about the worlds of Windows Server, Azure, and beyond. Read his past IT advice here, and email your questions to [email protected].