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FayetteMHMR

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Why won't Windows 10 Enterprise activate with KMS License Key?

We are using a virtual environment to test Windows 10 Enterprise.  We have activated numerous Windows 10 Enterprise x32bit virtual machines but now the current virtual machine will not auto activate. We are getting Error code 0xC004F074 when trying to manually activate.

Windows firewall is turned off.  The machine is connected to the domain.  We can ping the KMS server. When installing Office it auto activates on this machine from the same KMS server as used for activating Windows.  

We have used the slmgr commands to remove the license key and install the volume kms license key for Windows 10 Enterprise without success on this virtual machine.   (As a weird side note after manually installing the kms key the System info is now reading Windows 10 Pro instead of Windows Enterprise.)
The error code we are receiving after install of the KMS key is 0xC004C008 (see attached screenshot for full error message).
We even tried rearming the the key on the client machine using the slmgr command and restart and still it did not activate.  

Is there a way to rearm the kms key on the server that would fix the problem?

Our KMS server is running Microsoft Server 2012 R2.
activation-error.JPG
Activation-Error-0.JPG
Avatar of Peter Hutchison
Peter Hutchison
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You need at least 25 machines connected to the network and on the Domain running Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise (the KMS key has to work for the correct editions of Windows). If you don't have 25 or more, you will have to use MAK keys until you do get 25 machines.
First, you shouldn't be applying the KMS key. Apply the GLVK. That tells windows to look at a KMS server. You only apply the KMS key to the KMS server.

The fact that you are seeing pro tells me you have a KMS server with a pro key issuing licenses. Enterprise is a software assurance and does use different media, and a different key. A pro key will not activate enterprise clients.
Here is GLVK keys as per https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867(v=ws.11).aspx

Windows 10 Professional
W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX
Windows 10 Professional N
MH37W-N47XK-V7XM9-C7227-GCQG9
Windows 10 Enterprise
NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43
Windows 10 Enterprise N
DPH2V-TTNVB-4X9Q3-TJR4H-KHJW4
Windows 10 Education
NW6C2-QMPVW-D7KKK-3GKT6-VCFB2
Windows 10 Education N
2WH4N-8QGBV-H22JP-CT43Q-MDWWJ
Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB
WNMTR-4C88C-JK8YV-HQ7T2-76DF9
Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB N
2F77B-TNFGY-69QQF-B8YKP-D69TJ
Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB
DCPHK-NFMTC-H88MJ-PFHPY-QJ4BJ
Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB N
QFFDN-GRT3P-VKWWX-X7T3R-8B639
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FayetteMHMR

ASKER

Let me add more details in response to the answers provided. We currently have 33 machines activated so that is not the issue here.
Second, we do have software assurance and thus have access to all versions of Windows including Enterprise.  The KMS server has been successfully activating Windows 10 Enterprise without any issues until recently.  The activation key that I called the KMS key (which might also be call the GVLK) is the one found on our VLSC account (see screenshot attached).  Correct me if I'm wrong but is this not the GVLK key for our software assurance account?
product-key.JPG
The KMS key shown should be installed on one KMS license server with the KMS Licensing role installed. A

For the PCs to pick your license server you need to configure in your DNS server the _VLMCS._tcp.domain entry to point to your KMS server
Alternatively, configure the KMS server name using SLMGR.vbs /skms:servername command on each PC.
Okay, thanks for the clarification Peter Hutchison.  I have run the SLMGR.vbs /skms:servername command on the client machine successfully but the client is still not auto activating and am still receiving the Error Code: 0xC004F074 when I click the activate button in the system menu.
No, the KMS key and the GLVK key are *very* different. So the "may also be called the GLVK" statement is very wrong. If you've been putting the KMS key from VLSC onto every client, you probably have broken things and while that would successfully activate several clients (even under the 25 minimum) it'd eventually stop working altogether because Microsoft will see the key has been used too many times (KMS keys call hoke when first activated.)

So the "it used to work" is completely plausible if you mixed up how to use a KMS key and a GLVK key. Which is what sounds like happened here.
Cliff, it used to automatically activate the OS without entering any key...so no we didn't enter the KMS key in every machine.
And suggestions about what should be done next to troubleshoot the issue from here?
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Cliff Galiher
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Thanks Cliff.  We did use the KMS key on that one virtual machine but I've since blasted it and installed windows again on it using the standard VL media so that has ruled out any corruption.  Yes, it still has not auto activated.  

I'll try your other suggestions for troubleshooting next.
After trying multiple things I just reinstalled the KMS key on the host and that fixed the issue.  Thanks for all the help fellows!
Issues resolved by reinstalling the KMS key on the KMS server.