Genuine Windows Blog

Update your RSS subscriptions and bookmarks!

2010-05-26T21:41:24Z

I hope you’re all enjoying the recent upgrade to The Windows Blog – I personally really like the new look and feel. I wanted to let you know about just one more change as we continue streamlining the way we are delivering content to you. Because the topics that we have been sharing with you as part of the Genuine Windows Blog (such as activation, validation, and licensing) are just part of the way that Windows works, we think it makes sense to just share these with you through other Windows blogs that you’re likely already visiting.

Not to worry, all our previous posts will stay put on the blog archive and will be searchable on this site. However, this means that those of you with bookmarks or RSS feed subscriptions to the Genuine Windows Blog will need to make an update to continue seeing the latest news:

For the latest Windows news and announcements, check out Blogging Windows (RSS feed here).
You can find future blog posts about how to buy genuine Windows or offers and downloads available only to genuine Windows users on the Windows Experience Blog (RSS feed here).
IT professionals will be able to find news about volume activation, deployment, webcasts, etc. on The Springboard Series Blog (RSS feed here).
Of course, if you want to know about everything happening in Windows and being blogged about here on The Windows Blog, you can subscribe to The Windows Blog’s main RSS feed here.

You’ll continue to hear from me on the Windows Blog – so, until next time!

- Jodi

New TechNet webcast on VAMT 2.0!

2010-05-26T00:02:30Z

Are you deploying Microsoft Office 2010 and Windows 7? Come learn from the experts in Engineering and Support how the new release of the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) helps manage product activation for Windows client and server operating systems and Office 2010 applications. This free download is an important tool that helps customers automate and centrally manage a range of activation activities. Have you ever wanted to remotely set up your Key Management Service (KMS) host and then KMS activate the Office 2010 applications you just deployed across your organization, all from a central console? Or do you want to use Multiple Activation Key (MAK) to centrally activate machines in your test lab and locally reactivate them without using up any more activations? Attend our webcast to find out how, plus much more.

Reporting activation information using VAMT 2.0

2010-05-24T21:25:09Z

We often hear from customers asking about tools they can use to track and report activation data for Windows operating systems activated using Key Management Service (KMS) or Multiple Activation Key (MAK). Microsoft’s free Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) 2.0 helps you monitor KMS, MAK and even retail activation information. VAMT can provide important information on license status, and whether installed software is genuine, which can help with license compliance.

VAMT isn’t meant to replace a tool you already may be using for software asset management or license management. However, it will help you to centrally manage and monitor activation for the following products: Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008, plus Office 2010 client suites and applications, Visio 2010 and Project 2010 clients.

Learn more about VAMT’s reporting capabilities, or download Reporting Activation Information Using VAMT 2.0.

Product Activation using VAMT 2.0

2010-05-17T21:36:00Z

Last week we blogged about how the newly released Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) 2.0 helps manage product keys. This week, we cover how VAMT can help you centrally manage Windows 7 activations. VAMT 2.0 also manages activations for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Office 2010 client suites and applications, Visio 2010 and Project 2010.

You can perform KMS, MAK and retail activations on remotely managed systems, all from a single VAMT console. The process is simple; VAMT first discovers the computers and installed products. Then, the product key is installed for the target systems to be activated.

VAMT uses two primary activation methods: 1) online activation, where each computer connects to and activates with the Microsoft activation service, and 2) proxy activation, where the VAMT console connects to Microsoft on behalf of remotely managed systems.

These processes are detailed in Product Activation Using VAMT 2.0, or you can download the document.

Managing product keys using VAMT 2.0

2010-05-12T16:45:39Z

As an IT administrator, you probably are responsible for managing product keys, often for multiple products that are acquired from multiple sources. Sometimes it can be challenging to keep track of these keys and prevent their distribution to unauthorized personnel. Now you can use the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) 2.0 to manage and protect many of your product keys.

VAMT 2.0 lets you manage the following product key types, for Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Office 2010 client suites and applications, Visio 2010, and Project 2010:

Key Management Service (KMS) host keys
KMS client setup keys
Multiple Activation Key keys (MAK)
Retail keys

VAMT 2.0 supports these keys regardless of how your organization obtained them. VAMT handles keys acquired through Microsoft volume license agreements, subscription programs such as MSDN, TechNet or Microsoft Partner Network, or the retail channel. VAMT protects your keys by retaining them only in the VAMT console, vs. including a key in an image or distributing it in plain text. You can read more about managing keys using VAMT 2.0, or download Manage Product Keys Using VAMT 2.0.

Volume Activation Management Tool 2.0 released

2010-04-30T16:49:41Z

We are pleased to announce the release of the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) 2.0. This free download is an important tool that helps customers automate and centrally manage a range of activities related to Windows and Office activation. The release of VAMT v2.0 is a significant milestone as it packs the following features/benefits:

Helps IT administrators centrally manage and automate a range of activities related to Windows activation using Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in for a consistent administration experience
Enables management of product keys – whether obtained from the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) or from other sources such as retail, MSDN, MSPP — and product activations using those keys
Provides disconnected activation and reactivation of systems without each system having to connect with Microsoft activation services individually
Facilitates remote management of systems relating to activation/genuine using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) interface
Assists with license compliance, letting IT administrators monitor system license state, including whether systems are licensed and running genuine Windows

Read more about how you can benefit from using VAMT 2.0 in our Manage Activation Using VAMT 2.0 whitepaper. We are also in the process of releasing multiple videos highlighting the features of VAMT, which will be available on the Windows Volume Activation site soon.

TechNet webcast now available on-demand

2010-04-29T18:10:27Z

Missed our TechNet webcast on April 14^th? Not to worry, we’ve made the recording available on-demand through LiveMeeting.

View “Product Activation in Development Environments” now.

TechNet activation webcast rescheduled

2010-04-12T17:20:15Z

Due to technical difficulties, the TechNet webcast Product Activation in Development Environments, originally on April 1, has been rescheduled. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. If you were registered for the original webcast, there is no need to re-register. If you have not yet registered, please click here.

Overview: Development environments are typically complex and dynamic. Systems are built and torn down, software is installed and uninstalled, and systems may be isolated from other organizational IT services and resources. In this webcast we provide insights and recommendations to infrastructure architects and decision makers that should help minimize the impact of Windows operating system activation in a development environment. Join us as we walk through a high-level view of relevant Windows activation policies, including the relationship between Windows activation and Windows licensing; introduce five principles that should guide Windows activation planning, including a discussion of activation methods; and share recommendations for activating Windows operating systems in common development environment scenarios.

Date: Wednesday, April 14

Time: 10:00am Pacific Time

Location: Online webcast

Duration: 60 minutes

Presenters: Ramprabhu Rathnam, Director, Genuine Windows, Microsoft Corporation and Marc Wolfson, Senior Dev Solution Specialist, Microsoft Corporation

Thanks, and hope you can make it!

- Jodi

Windows Activation in Development Environments

2010-03-25T21:28:00Z

Our product management team members have some new guidance to share with those of you with questions about activation in your development or test environments:

First, we have a newly revised whitepaper, Windows Activation in Development and Test Environments. You can download the whitepaper or read it on TechNet. This paper is intended as a guide for infrastructure architects and decision makers. In it, we provide insights and recommendations to help minimize the impact that Windows activation has on development or test environments. The whitepaper begins by providing a high level view of Windows Activation Technologies policies and tools, including the relationship between Windows activation and Windows licensing. We introduce five key principles that should guide your Windows activation planning. Finally we conclude with recommendations for activating Windows operating systems under several common development environment scenarios.

Secondly, we wanted to address some of the questions we get on product activation when transitioning from test to production. Many customer deployment scenarios begin with testing on an operating system acquired through an MSDN subscription. (We will not cover subscriptions acquired through the MSDN Academic Alliance, as there are different license rights covering use cases beyond test/development.) Once the test is successfully executed, the decision may be made to simply move these systems from the development/test environment into production. Some of you may be wondering whether or not that is possible from a licensing standpoint, or what that means for product activation. MSDN licenses are not intended for use outside of development and testing. It is okay to move systems to production, provided you have a license to cover the production use. But what about activation? Below we list some of the more common transition scenarios and how to handle them.

Because there are many different options for product editions, product key types and activation methods, we focus here on Windows client and server licenses sold through volume licensing (that use volume activation). This includes the following operating systems: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2. Occasionally you may have OEM or retail systems in your development/test environment, and do not want to switch them to volume activation in your production environment. These scenarios also are included.

The volume activation options for a production environment are KMS or MAK. When transitioning systems, important variables to consider are whether you have proper licenses and whether the bits (i.e. the build type) used in dev/test are capable of being activated using volume activation.

The table below describes the various source environment characteristics, the corresponding activation options in a production environment, and any action required to activate the systems. Following the table is a diagram that displays the various options.

* By default, volume builds of Windows are designed for KMS activation, and come with a KMS client setup key installed.

** Manually install the KMS client setup key, or use the free Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT), the recommended choice. The keys are part of the tool and it is easy to discover the target systems and change the key automatically. If you are manually installing the key, they can be found in the Volume Activation Technical Reference Guide for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, and in the Volume Activation Deployment Guide for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

*** See Converting Retail Editions to Volume Licensing Activation

More Information

For more information about volume activation and implementing KMS and MAK, visit the Windows Volume Activation TechCenter. For guidance on activation in a development environment, refer to the whitepaper mentioned in the first part of this blog, Windows Activation in Development and Test Environments.

New TechNet activation webcast!

2010-03-24T23:02:46Z

IT professionals – there’s another TechNet activation methods webcast planned soon:

Title: TechNet Webcast: Product Activation in Development Environments (Level 200)

Date/Time: Thursday, April 01, 2010 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Location: Online webcast

Duration: 60 minutes

Presenters: Ramprabhu Rathnam, Director, Genuine Windows, Microsoft Corporation and Marc Wolfson, Senior Dev Solution Specialist, Microsoft Corporation

Hope you can make it!

- Jodi

Simplify with the Volume Activation Management Tool

2010-02-26T22:06:14Z

There’s a new Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) available from Microsoft to help administrators manage Multiple Activation Key (MAK) activation for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. The way MAK activation works is that the key must be installed on the end system (there are a number of ways to do this - see our latest TechNet Webcast for more details and demos) and then that system is activated with the Microsoft-hosted activation and validation services either online or over the phone. If you are activating one system with MAK, the effort required is minimal. However, if you want to MAK activate multiple systems or transition between activation methods (i.e. MAK to KMS, KMS to MAK, etc.) it gets a bit more complicated. VAMT can help with that.

VAMT uses Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to communicate with end-systems and provides the following features to help manage activation:

Track and administer multiple MAK keys and remaining activations
Discover systems via IP address, computer name, Workgroup or Active Directory membership
View current activation status for Windows Vista (and later) and Windows Server 2008 (and later) operating systems – includes data such as license state, Windows edition, and the last 5 of the product key installed on the end system
Transition systems between MAK and KMS activation (and vice versa)
Perform activation/reactivation using cached data (i.e. local reactivation)

The current version of VAMT (1.2) is part of the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7. Unlike previous editions, VAMT 1.2 is only available in the Windows AIK and is not published as a standalone download.

The primary difference between VAMT 1.1 and 1.2 is the added support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. If you are using an earlier version of VAMT, you’ll need to install VAMT 1.2 to manage MAK keys and activations for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. You will first need to uninstall the older version of VAMT and then install VAMT 1.2 as part of the Windows AIK. Your current inventory/key data can be saved in a Computer Information List (CIL) file (XML) and opened in the new version. No need to re-enter any keys or rebuild your computer list.

An updated version of VAMT (VAMT 2.0) is currently in beta and expected to release in the first quarter of this year. VAMT 2.0 is a managed MMC plug-in and will offer a number of new features:

Support for the upcoming Office 2010 release
Support for additional product key types, such as KMS keys
Additional computer search capabilities (LDAP query)
Command Line Interface that can be scripted to run VAMT tasks without the interactive UI

Download the beta today and give it a try.

No matter the version you are using, VAMT can help with several management and tracking activities related to product activation in your environment.

Until next time!

- Jodi

Joe Williams – interview on This Week in Law

2010-02-25T22:52:57Z

Also this Friday, Genuine Windows’ Joe Williams will be appearing live on This Week in Law, a weekly online interview show hosted by Denise Howell. Joe will be discussing the recent Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7.

Date/Time: Friday, February 26, 2010 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Location: Online webcast or IRC channel

Hope you can tune in!

- Jodi

New TechNet activation webcast tomorrow!

2010-02-25T22:14:53Z

IT professionals – there’s another TechNet activation issues planned for this Friday:

Title: TechNet Webcast: Troubleshooting Activation Issues with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Overview: Product activation is a critical part of Windows operating system deployment. Do you know how to ensure that your Key Management Service (KMS) is working before deploying? What about troubleshooting issues with activation? In this webcast, we focus on resolving some of the most common issues with Windows product activation in enterprise environments. Join us to learn the steps for troubleshooting the most common product activation and validation issues. We provide proactive guidance and the latest updates on Volume Activation for the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems.

Date/Time: Friday, February 26, 2010 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Location: Online webcast

Duration: 60 Minutes

Presenters: Chris Jolley, Group Marketing Manager, Microsoft Corporation and Ty Balascio, Senior Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation

Hope you can make it!

- Jodi

Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7

2010-02-11T16:58:05Z

In the coming days, we’ll be deploying a new update for Windows Activation Technologies, the set of built-in activation and validation components built into Windows 7. Called Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7, this update will detect more than 70 known and potentially dangerous activation exploits. Activation exploits are sometimes called “hacks”, and attempt to bypass or compromise Windows’ activation technologies. This new update is further evidence of Microsoft’s commitment to keeping customers and partners secure. The update will determine whether Windows 7 installed on a PC is genuine and will better protect customers’ PCs by making sure that the integrity of key licensing components remains intact.

So, what are the risks of activation exploits? Searching for, downloading, or installing activation exploits or counterfeit software on the Internet is risky, because sites that advertise these pirated products often contain malware, viruses, and Trojans, which are found bundled with or directly built into the activation exploit or counterfeit software. A study by research firm IDC, The Risks of Obtaining and Using Pirated Software, shows that one in four Web sites offering counterfeit software attempted to install unwanted or malicious code upon downloading. And this rate is rising. Media Surveillance, an anti-piracy solutions company based in Germany, recently downloaded more than five hundred pirated copies of Windows 7 (and Windows activation exploits) and found that 32% contained malicious code. These are very disturbing figures – especially when considering that resellers may be using these downloads to claim that the PCs they sell include genuine Windows. Buyers of new PCs should always check for the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) to verify that the PC they are purchasing contains only genuine Windows. A quick visit to our How to Tell website tells buyers what a genuine COA should look like.

The Update is designed to run on all editions of Windows 7, although we will distribute first to the Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise editions. It will be available online at www.microsoft.com/genuine beginning February 16 and on the Microsoft Download Center beginning February 17. Later this month, the update will also be offered through Windows Update as an ‘Important’ update.

Although the Update will not be directly offered through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), which is used by enterprise customers to manage the distribution of software updates in their IT environment, a WSUS administrator can import this update into WSUS through the Microsoft Update catalog. I’d like to stress that the Update is voluntary, which means that you can choose not to install it when you see it appear on Windows Update. I also want to stress that installing this update will not jeopardize your privacy; although the update contacts Microsoft’s servers to check for new threats as I outline below, the information we receive from PCs during these checks does not include any personally identifiable information or any other information that Microsoft can use to identify or contact you. This update follows the same stringent and secure set of privacy principles and policies as other downloads. The update can also be uninstalled at any time.

How does it work? Once installed, the Update protects customers by identifying known activation exploits that may affect their PC experience. If any activation exploits are found, Windows will alert the customer and offer options for resolving the issue – in many cases, with just a few clicks. Machines running genuine Windows 7 software with no activation exploits will see nothing – the update runs quietly in the background protecting your system. If Windows 7 is non-genuine, the notifications built into Windows 7 will inform the customer that Windows is not genuine by displaying informational dialog boxes with options for the customer to either get more information, or acquire genuine Windows. The desktop wallpaper will be switched to a plain desktop (all of the customer’s desktop icons, gadgets, or pinned applications stay in place). Periodic reminders and a persistent desktop watermark act as further alerts to the customer.

It is important to know that the customer will see no reduced functionality in their copy of Windows – a customer’s applications work as expected, and access to personal information is unchanged. The Update will run periodic validations (initially every 90 days). During validation, Windows will download the latest ‘signatures’ that are used to identify new activation exploits – much like an anti-virus service. When tampering, disabling, or missing licensing files are discovered, the WAT Update runs a check and repair weekly to ensure that the licensing files are properly repaired.

Joe Williams
General Manager, Genuine Windows

January TechNet webcast now available

2010-02-08T19:06:10Z

Missed our TechNet webcast on January 22^nd? Not to worry, we’ve made the recording available through LiveMeeting.

View “Deploying Windows with Volume Activation” now.

Thanks!

- Jodi