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Ok, so what you are saying is there is no way to track what IP address (or any other identity information) each license was activated from ?
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Ok, so what you are saying is there is no way to track what IP address (or any other identity information) each license was activated from ?

<div>
Not from your end.<br />
<br />
Contact Microsoft will be your best bet.
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Not from your end.

Contact Microsoft will be your best bet.

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Ok, thanks. &nbsp;Will leave the question open for another day or two to see if anyone else has any responses.
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Ok, thanks.  Will leave the question open for another day or two to see if anyone else has any responses.

<div>
Alienvoice is right.<br />
Additionally, you should think how those MAK keys could get into the wrong hands. License keys cannot be read out without admin rights, so there you have another reason for not giving admin rights to users :|
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Alienvoice is right.
Additionally, you should think how those MAK keys could get into the wrong hands. License keys cannot be read out without admin rights, so there you have another reason for not giving admin rights to users :|

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<div class="content wysiwyg-content">
Hi, <br />
<br />
I have recently taken over a windows domain and they use MAK licensing for their clients and office.<br />
<br />
The previous admin said that he suspects that the MAK key has been used by other people (outside of the company) to install Windows (win7 and win8).<br />
<br />
I don't have much MS license experience - but I was wondering how we can determine which activations are legal (ie ours) vs illegal (people using the MAK key at home - or their friends).<br />
<br />
Thanks
</div>
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Hi, 

I have recently taken over a windows domain and they use MAK licensing for their clients and office.

The previous admin said that he suspects that the MAK key has been used by other people (outside of the company) to install Windows (win7 and win8).

I don't have much MS license experience - but I was wondering how we can determine which activations are legal (ie ours) vs illegal (people using the MAK key at home - or their friends).

Thanks

New to Windows MAK licensing

Windows 8 is a personal computer operating system developed by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems, with an emphasis on improving its user experience on tablets. In particular, these changes included a touch-optimized Windows shell based on Microsoft's "Metro" design language, the Start screen, a new platform for developing apps with an emphasis on touchscreen input, integration with online services, support for USB 3.0, Advanced Format hard drives, near field communications, and cloud computing. Additional security features were introduced, such as built-in antivirus software, integration with Microsoft SmartScreen phishing filtering service and support for UEFI Secure Boot on supported devices with UEFI firmware.

Windows 8

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, based on the Microsoft Vista codebase, is the last 32-bit server operating system released by Microsoft. It has a number of versions, including including Foundation, Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, Web, HPC Server, Itanium and Storage; new features included server core installation and Hyper-V.

Windows Server 2008

Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 is the most feature-rich version of Microsoft 365 and consists of Office 365, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS). It provides the collaboration, productivity, automation, and security features an enterprise customer may need to support its digital business transformation initiatives in a single stock keeping unit (SKU),
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