This section describes how to add client computers into the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT). After the computers are added, you can manage the products that are installed on your network.
## In this Section
|Topic |Description |
|------|------------|
|[Add and Remove Computers](add-remove-computers-vamt.md) |Describes how to add client computers to VAMT. |
|[Update Product Status](update-product-status-vamt.md) |Describes how to update the status of product license. |
|[Remove Products](remove-products-vamt.md) |Describes how to remove a product from the product list. |
---
title: Add and Manage Products (Windows 10)
description: Add and manage computers with the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT).
ms.assetid: a48fbc23-917d-40f7-985c-e49702c05e51
ms.reviewer:
manager: laurawi
ms.author: greglin
ms.prod: w10
ms.mktglfcycl: deploy
ms.sitesec: library
ms.pagetype: activation
audience: itpro
author: greg-lindsay
ms.date: 04/25/2017
ms.topic: article
---
# Add and Manage Products
This section describes how to add client computers into the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT). After the computers are added, you can manage the products that are installed on your network.
## In this Section
|Topic |Description |
|------|------------|
|[Add and Remove Computers](add-remove-computers-vamt.md) |Describes how to add client computers to VAMT. |
|[Update Product Status](update-product-status-vamt.md) |Describes how to update the status of product license. |
|[Remove Products](remove-products-vamt.md) |Describes how to remove a product from the product list. |
If you reinstall Windows® or Microsoft® Office 2010 on a computer that was initially activated using proxy activation (MAK, retail, or CSLVK (KMS host)), and have not made significant changes to the hardware, use this local reactivation procedure to reactivate the program on that computer.
Local reactivation relies upon data that was created during the initial proxy activation and stored in the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) database. The database contains the installation ID (IID) and confirmation ID (Pending CID). Local reactivation uses this data to reapply the CID and reactivate those products. Reapplying the same CID conserves the remaining activations on the key.
**Note**
During the initial proxy activation, the CID is bound to a digital “fingerprint”, which is calculated from values assigned to several different hardware components in the computer. If the computer has had significant hardware changes, this fingerprint will no longer match the CID. In this case, you must obtain a new CID for the computer from Microsoft.
## To Perform a Local Reactivation
**To perform a local reactivation**
1. Open VAMT. Make sure that you are connected to the desired database.
2. In the left-side pane, click the product you want to reactivate to display the products list.
3. In the product list view in the center pane, select the desired products to be reactivated. You can sort the list by computer name by clicking on the **Computer Name** heading. You can also use the **Filter** function to narrow your search for computers by clicking **Filter** in the right-side pane to open the **Filter Products** dialog box.
4. In the **Filter Products** dialog box, you can filter the list by computer name, product name, product key type, license status, or by any combination of these options.
- To filter the list by computer name, enter a name in the **Computer Name** box.
- To filter the list by Product Name, Product Key Type, or License Status, click the list you want to use for the filter and select an option. If necessary, click **clear all filters** to create a new filter.
5. Click **Filter**. VAMT displays the filtered list in the center pane.
6. In the right-side pane, click **Activate**, and then click **Apply Confirmation ID**.
7. Click a credential option. Choose **Alternate credentials** only if you are reactivating products that require administrator credentials different from the ones you are currently using.
8. If you are supplying alternate credentials, in the **Windows Security** dialog box type the appropriate user name and password and click **OK**.
VAMT displays the **Apply Confirmation ID** dialog box.
10. If you are using a different product key than the product key used for initial activation, you must complete a new activation to obtain a new CID.
11. If you are activating a product that requires administrator credentials different from the ones you are currently using, select the **Use Alternate Credentials** check box.
12. Click **OK**.
## Related topics
---
title: Perform Local Reactivation (Windows 10)
description: An initially activated a computer using scenarios like MAK, retail, or CSLVK (KMS host), can be reactivated with Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT).
ms.assetid: aacd5ded-da11-4d27-a866-3f57332f5dec
ms.reviewer:
manager: laurawi
ms.author: greglin
ms.prod: w10
ms.mktglfcycl: deploy
ms.sitesec: library
ms.pagetype: activation
audience: itpro
author: greg-lindsay
ms.date: 04/25/2017
ms.topic: article
---
# Perform Local Reactivation
If you reinstall Windows® or Microsoft® Office 2010 on a computer that was initially activated using proxy activation (MAK, retail, or CSLVK (KMS host)), and have not made significant changes to the hardware, use this local reactivation procedure to reactivate the program on that computer.
Local reactivation relies upon data that was created during the initial proxy activation and stored in the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) database. The database contains the installation ID (IID) and confirmation ID (Pending CID). Local reactivation uses this data to reapply the CID and reactivate those products. Reapplying the same CID conserves the remaining activations on the key.
**Note**
During the initial proxy activation, the CID is bound to a digital “fingerprint”, which is calculated from values assigned to several different hardware components in the computer. If the computer has had significant hardware changes, this fingerprint will no longer match the CID. In this case, you must obtain a new CID for the computer from Microsoft.
## To Perform a Local Reactivation
**To perform a local reactivation**
1. Open VAMT. Make sure that you are connected to the desired database.
2. In the left-side pane, click the product you want to reactivate to display the products list.
3. In the product list view in the center pane, select the desired products to be reactivated. You can sort the list by computer name by clicking on the **Computer Name** heading. You can also use the **Filter** function to narrow your search for computers by clicking **Filter** in the right-side pane to open the **Filter Products** dialog box.
4. In the **Filter Products** dialog box, you can filter the list by computer name, product name, product key type, license status, or by any combination of these options.
- To filter the list by computer name, enter a name in the **Computer Name** box.
- To filter the list by Product Name, Product Key Type, or License Status, click the list you want to use for the filter and select an option. If necessary, click **clear all filters** to create a new filter.
5. Click **Filter**. VAMT displays the filtered list in the center pane.
6. In the right-side pane, click **Activate**, and then click **Apply Confirmation ID**.
7. Click a credential option. Choose **Alternate credentials** only if you are reactivating products that require administrator credentials different from the ones you are currently using.
8. If you are supplying alternate credentials, in the **Windows Security** dialog box type the appropriate user name and password and click **OK**.
VAMT displays the **Apply Confirmation ID** dialog box.
10. If you are using a different product key than the product key used for initial activation, you must complete a new activation to obtain a new CID.
11. If you are activating a product that requires administrator credentials different from the ones you are currently using, select the **Use Alternate Credentials** check box.
You can use the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) to perform activation for client computers that do not have Internet access. The client products can be installed with any type of product key that is eligible for proxy activation: Multiple activation Key (MAK), KMS Host key (CSVLK), or retail key.
In a typical proxy-activation scenario, the VAMT host computer distributes a MAK to one or more client computers and collects the installation ID (IID) from each computer. The VAMT host computer sends the IIDs to Microsoft on behalf of the client computers and obtains the corresponding Confirmation IDs (CIDs). The VAMT host computer then installs the CIDs on the client computer to complete the activation. Using this activation method, only the VAMT host computer needs Internet access.
**Note**
For workgroups that are completely isolated from any larger network, you can still perform MAK, KMS Host key (CSVLK), or retail proxy activation. This requires installing a second instance of VAMT on a computer within the isolated group and using removable media to transfer activation data between that computer and another VAMT host computer that has Internet access. For more information about this scenario, see [Scenario 2: Proxy Activation](scenario-proxy-activation-vamt.md). Similarly, you can proxy activate a KMS Host key (CSVLK) located in an isolated network. You can also proxy activate a KMS Host key (CSVLK) in the core network if you do not want the KMS host computer to connect to Microsoft over the Internet.
## Requirements
Before performing proxy activation, ensure that your network and the VAMT installation meet the following requirements:
- There is an instance of VAMT that is installed on a computer that has Internet access. If you are performing proxy activation for an isolated workgroup, you also need to have VAMT installed on one of the computers in the workgroup.
- The products to be activated have been added to VAMT and are installed with a retail product key, a KMS Host key (CSVLK) or a MAK. If the products have not been installed with a proper product key, refer to the steps in the [Add and Remove a Product Key](add-remove-product-key-vamt.md) section for instructions on how to install a product key.
- VAMT has administrative permissions on all products to be activated and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is accessible through the Windows firewall.
- For workgroup computers, a registry key must be created to enable remote administrative actions under User Account Control (UAC). For more information, see [Configure Client Computers](configure-client-computers-vamt.md).
The product keys that are installed on the client products must have a sufficient number of remaining activations. If you are activating a MAK key, you can retrieve the remaining number of activations for that key by selecting the MAK in the product key list in the center pane and then clicking **Refresh product key data online** in the right-side pane. This retrieves the number of remaining activations for the MAK from Microsoft. Note that this step requires Internet access and that the remaining activation count can only be retrieved for MAKs.
## To Perform Proxy Activation
**To perform proxy activation**
1. Open VAMT.
2. If necessary, install product keys. For more information see:
- [Install a Product Key](install-product-key-vamt.md) to install retail, MAK, or KMS Host key (CSVLK).
- [Install a KMS Client Key](install-kms-client-key-vamt.md) to install GVLK (KMS client) keys.
3. In the **Products** list in the center pane, select the individual products to be activated. You can use the **Filter** function to narrow your search for products by clicking **Filter** in the right-side pane to open the **Filter Products** dialog box.
4. In the **Filter Products** dialog box, you can filter the list by computer name, product name, product key type, license status, or by any combination of these options.
- To filter the list by computer name, enter a name in the **Computer Name** box.
- To filter the list by Product Name, Product Key Type, or License Status, click the list you want to use for the filter and select an option. If necessary, click **clear all filters** to create a new filter.
5. Click **Filter**. VAMT displays the filtered list in the center pane.
6. In the right-side pane, click **Activate** and then click **Proxy activate** to open the **Proxy Activate** dialog box.
7. In the **Proxy Activate** dialog box click **Apply Confirmation ID, apply to selected machine(s) and activate**.
8. If you are activating products that require administrator credentials different from the ones you are currently using, select the **Use Alternate Credentials** checkbox.
9. Click **OK**.
10. VAMT displays the **Activating products** dialog box until it completes the requested action. If you selected the **Alternate Credentials** option, you will be prompted to enter the credentials.
**Note**
You can use proxy activation to select products that have different key types and activate the products at the same time.
---
title: Perform Proxy Activation (Windows 10)
description: Perform proxy activation by using the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) to activate client computers that do not have Internet access.
ms.assetid: 35a919ed-f1cc-4d10-9c88-9bd634549dc3
ms.reviewer:
manager: laurawi
ms.author: greglin
ms.prod: w10
ms.mktglfcycl: deploy
ms.sitesec: library
ms.pagetype: activation
audience: itpro
author: greg-lindsay
ms.date: 04/25/2017
ms.topic: article
---
# Perform Proxy Activation
You can use the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) to perform activation for client computers that do not have Internet access. The client products can be installed with any type of product key that is eligible for proxy activation: Multiple activation Key (MAK), KMS Host key (CSVLK), or retail key.
In a typical proxy-activation scenario, the VAMT host computer distributes a MAK to one or more client computers and collects the installation ID (IID) from each computer. The VAMT host computer sends the IIDs to Microsoft on behalf of the client computers and obtains the corresponding Confirmation IDs (CIDs). The VAMT host computer then installs the CIDs on the client computer to complete the activation. Using this activation method, only the VAMT host computer needs Internet access.
**Note**
For workgroups that are completely isolated from any larger network, you can still perform MAK, KMS Host key (CSVLK), or retail proxy activation. This requires installing a second instance of VAMT on a computer within the isolated group and using removable media to transfer activation data between that computer and another VAMT host computer that has Internet access. For more information about this scenario, see [Scenario 2: Proxy Activation](scenario-proxy-activation-vamt.md). Similarly, you can proxy activate a KMS Host key (CSVLK) located in an isolated network. You can also proxy activate a KMS Host key (CSVLK) in the core network if you do not want the KMS host computer to connect to Microsoft over the Internet.
## Requirements
Before performing proxy activation, ensure that your network and the VAMT installation meet the following requirements:
- There is an instance of VAMT that is installed on a computer that has Internet access. If you are performing proxy activation for an isolated workgroup, you also need to have VAMT installed on one of the computers in the workgroup.
- The products to be activated have been added to VAMT and are installed with a retail product key, a KMS Host key (CSVLK) or a MAK. If the products have not been installed with a proper product key, refer to the steps in the [Add and Remove a Product Key](add-remove-product-key-vamt.md) section for instructions on how to install a product key.
- VAMT has administrative permissions on all products to be activated and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is accessible through the Windows firewall.
- For workgroup computers, a registry key must be created to enable remote administrative actions under User Account Control (UAC). For more information, see [Configure Client Computers](configure-client-computers-vamt.md).
The product keys that are installed on the client products must have a sufficient number of remaining activations. If you are activating a MAK key, you can retrieve the remaining number of activations for that key by selecting the MAK in the product key list in the center pane and then clicking **Refresh product key data online** in the right-side pane. This retrieves the number of remaining activations for the MAK from Microsoft. Note that this step requires Internet access and that the remaining activation count can only be retrieved for MAKs.
## To Perform Proxy Activation
**To perform proxy activation**
1. Open VAMT.
2. If necessary, install product keys. For more information see:
- [Install a Product Key](install-product-key-vamt.md) to install retail, MAK, or KMS Host key (CSVLK).
- [Install a KMS Client Key](install-kms-client-key-vamt.md) to install GVLK (KMS client) keys.
3. In the **Products** list in the center pane, select the individual products to be activated. You can use the **Filter** function to narrow your search for products by clicking **Filter** in the right-side pane to open the **Filter Products** dialog box.
4. In the **Filter Products** dialog box, you can filter the list by computer name, product name, product key type, license status, or by any combination of these options.
- To filter the list by computer name, enter a name in the **Computer Name** box.
- To filter the list by Product Name, Product Key Type, or License Status, click the list you want to use for the filter and select an option. If necessary, click **clear all filters** to create a new filter.
5. Click **Filter**. VAMT displays the filtered list in the center pane.
6. In the right-side pane, click **Activate** and then click **Proxy activate** to open the **Proxy Activate** dialog box.
7. In the **Proxy Activate** dialog box click **Apply Confirmation ID, apply to selected machine(s) and activate**.
8. If you are activating products that require administrator credentials different from the ones you are currently using, select the **Use Alternate Credentials** checkbox.
9. Click **OK**.
10. VAMT displays the **Activating products** dialog box until it completes the requested action. If you selected the **Alternate Credentials** option, you will be prompted to enter the credentials.
**Note**
You can use proxy activation to select products that have different key types and activate the products at the same time.
In this scenario, the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) is deployed in the Core Network environment. VAMT is installed on a central computer that has network access to all of the client computers. Both the VAMT host and the client computers have Internet access. The following illustration shows a diagram of an online activation scenario for Multiple Activation Keys (MAKs). You can use this scenario for online activation of the following key types:
- Multiple Activation Key (MAK)
- Windows Key Management Service (KMS) keys:
- KMS Host key (CSVLK)
- Generic Volume License Key (GVLK), or KMS client key
- Retail
The Secure Zone represents higher-security Core Network computers that have additional firewall protection.
## In This Topic
- [Install and start VAMT on a networked host computer](#bkmk-partone)
- [Configure the Windows Management Instrumentation firewall exception on target computers](#bkmk-parttwo)
- [Connect to VAMT database](#bkmk-partthree)
- [Discover products](#bkmk-partfour)
- [Sort and filter the list of computers](#bkmk-partfive)
- [Collect status information from the computers in the list](#bkmk-partsix)
- [Add product keys and determine the remaining activation count](#bkmk-partseven)
- [Install the product keys](#bkmk-parteight)
- [Activate the client products](#bkmk-partnine)
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partone"></a>Step 1: Install and start VAMT on a networked host computer
1. Install VAMT on the host computer.
2. Click the VAMT icon in the **Start** menu to open VAMT.
## <a href="" id="bkmk-parttwo"></a>Step 2: Configure the Windows Management Instrumentation firewall exception on target computers
- Ensure that the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) firewall exception has been enabled for all target computers. For more information, see [Configure Client Computers](configure-client-computers-vamt.md).
**Note**
To retrieve product license status, VAMT must have administrative permissions on the remote computers and WMI must be available through the Windows Firewall. In addition, for workgroup computers, a registry key must be created to enable remote administrative actions under User Account Control (UAC). For more information, see [Configure Client Computers](configure-client-computers-vamt.md).
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partthree"></a>Step 3: Connect to a VAMT database
1. If you are not already connected to a database, the **Database Connection Settings** dialog box appears when you open VAMT. Select the server and database where the keys that must be activated are located.
2. Click **Connect**.
3. If you are already connected to a database, VAMT displays an inventory of the products and product keys in the center pane, and a license overview of the computers in the database. If you need to connect to a different database, click **Successfully connected to Server** to open **the Database Connection Settings** dialog box. For more information about how to create VAMT databases and adding VAMT data, see [Manage VAMT Data](manage-vamt-data.md)
1. In the left-side pane, in the **Products** node Products, click the product that you want to activate.
2. To open the **Discover Products** dialog box, click **Discover products** in the **Actions** menu in the right-side pane.
3. In the **Discover Products** dialog box, click **Search for computers in the Active Directory** to display the search options, and then click the search options that you want to use. You can search for computers in an Active Directory domain, by individual computer name or IP address, in a workgroup, or by a general Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query:
- To search for computers in an Active Directory domain, click **Search for computers in the Active Directory**. Then under **Domain Filter Criteria**, in the list of domain names click the name of the domain that you want to search. You can narrow the search further by typing a name in the **Filter by computer name** field to search for specific computers in the domain. This filter supports the asterisk (\*) wildcard. For example, typing "a\*" will display only those computer names that start with the letter "a".
- To search by individual computer name or IP address, click **Manually enter name or IP address**. Then enter the full name or IP address in the **One or more computer names or IP addresses separated by commas** text box. Separate multiple entries with a comma. Note that VAMT supports both IPv4 and IPV6 addressing.
- To search for computers in a workgroup, click **Search for computers in the workgroup**. Then under **Workgroup Filter Criteria**, in the list of workgroup names, click the name of the workgroup that you want to search. You can narrow the search further by typing a name in the **Filter by computer name** field to search for a specific computer in the workgroup. This filter supports the asterisk (\*) wildcard. For example, typing "a\*" will display only computer names that start with the letter "a".
- To search for computers by using a general LDAP query, click **Search with LDAP query** and enter your query in the text box that appears. VAMT will validate the LDAP query syntax, but will otherwise run the query without additional checks.
4. Click **Search**.
When the search is complete, the products that VAMT discovers appear in the product list view in the center pane.
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partfive"></a>Step 5: Sort and filter the list of computers
You can sort the list of products so that it is easier to find the computers that require product keys to be activated:
1. On the menu bar at the top of the center pane, click **Group by**, and then click **Product**, **Product Key Type**, or **License Status**.
2. To sort the list further, you can click one of the column headings to sort by that column.
3. You can also use the **Filter** function to narrow your search for computers by clicking **Filter** in the right-side pane to open the **Filter Products** dialog box.
4. In the **Filter Products** dialog box, you can filter the list by computer name, product name, product key type, license status, or by any combination of these options.
- To filter the list by computer name, enter a name in the **Computer Name** box.
- To filter the list by product name, product key type, or license status, click the list you want to use for the filter and select an option. If necessary, click **clear all filters** to create a new filter.
5. Click **Filter**. VAMT displays the filtered list in the product list view in the center pane.
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partsix"></a>Step 6: Collect status information from the computers in the list
To collect the status from select computers in the database, you can select computers in the product list view by using one of the following methods:
- To select a block of consecutively listed computers, click the first computer that you want to select, and then click the last computer while pressing the **Shift** key.
- To select computers which are not listed consecutively, hold down the **Ctrl** key and select each computer for which you want to collect the status information.
**To collect status information from the selected computers**
- In the right-side **Actions** pane, click **Update license status** in the **Selected Items** menu and then click a credential option. Choose **Alternate Credentials** only if you are updating products that require administrator credentials that are different from the ones that you used to log on to the computer. Otherwise, click **Current Credentials** and continue to step 2.If you are supplying alternate credentials, in the **Windows Security** dialog box, type the appropriate user name and password and then click **OK**.
- VAMT displays the **Collecting product information** dialog box while it collects the license status of all supported products on the selected computers. When the process is finished, the updated license status of each product will appear in the product list view in the center pane.
**Note**
If a computer has more than one supported product installed, VAMT adds an entry for each product. The entry appears under the appropriate product heading.
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partseven"></a>Step 7: Add product keys and determine the remaining activation count
1. Click the **Product Keys** node in the left-side pane, and then click **Add Product Keys** in the right-side pane to open the **Add Product Keys** dialog box.
2. In the **Add Product Key** dialog box, you can select from one of the following methods to add product keys:
- To add product keys manually, click **Enter product key(s) separated by line breaks**, enter one or more product keys, and then click **Add Key(s)**.
- To import a Comma Separated Values File (CSV) that contains a list of product keys, click **Select a product key file to import**, browse to the file location, click **Open** to import the file, and then click **Add Key(s)**.
The keys that you have added appear in the **Product Keys** list view in the center pane.
**Important**
If you are activating many products with a MAK, refresh the activation count of the MAK to ensure that the MAK can support the required number of activations. In the product key list in the center pane, select the MAK and then click **Refresh product key data online** in the right-side pane to contact Microsoft and retrieve the number of remaining activations for the MAK. This step requires Internet access. You can only retrieve the remaining activation count for MAKs.
## <a href="" id="bkmk-parteight"></a>Step 8: Install the product keys
1. In the left-side pane, click the product that you want to install keys on to.
2. If necessary, sort and filter the list of products so that it is easier to find the computers that must have a product key installed. See [Step 5: Sort and filter the list of computers](#bkmk-partfive).
3. In the **Products** list view pane, select the individual products which must have keys installed. You can use the **CTRL** key or the **SHIFT** key to select more than one product.
4. Click **Install product key** in the **Selected Items** menu in the right-side pane to display the **Install Product Key** dialog box.
5. The **Select Product Key** dialog box displays the keys that are available to be installed. Under **Recommended MAKs**, VAMT might display one or more recommended MAKs based on the selected products. If you are installing a MAK you can select a recommended product key or any other MAK from the **All Product Keys List**. If you are not installing a MAK, select a product key from the **All Product Keys** list. Use the scroll bar if you want to view the **Description** for each key. When you have selected the product key that you want to install, click **Install Key**. Note that only one key can be installed at a time.
6. VAMT displays the **Installing product key** dialog box while it attempts to install the product key for the selected products. When the process is finished, the status appears in the **Action Status** column of the dialog box. Click **Close** to close the dialog box. You can also click the **Automatically close when done** check box when the dialog box appears.
The same status appears under the **Status of Last Action** column in the product list view in the center pane.
**Note**
Product key installation will fail if VAMT finds mismatched key types or editions. VAMT will display the failure status and will continue the installation for the next product in the list. For more information on choosing the correct product key, see [How to Choose the Right Volume License Key for Windows.](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?linkid=238382)
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partnine"></a>Step 9: Activate the client products
1. Select the individual products that you want to activate in the list-view pane.
2. On the menu bar, click **Action**, point to **Activate** and point to **Online activate**. You can also right-click the selected computers(s) to display the **Action** menu, point to **Activate** and point to **Online activate**. You can also click **Activate** in the **Selected Items** menu in the right-hand pane to access the **Activate** option.
3. If you are activating product keys using your current credential, click **Current credential** and continue to step 5. If you are activating products that require an administrator credential that is different from the one you are currently using, click the **Alternate credential** option.
4. Enter your alternate user name and password and click **OK**.
5. The **Activate** option contacts the Microsoft product-activation server over the Internet and requests activation for the selected products. VAMT displays the **Activating products** dialog box until the requested actions are completed.
**Note**
Installing a MAK and overwriting the GVLK on client products must be done with care. If the RTM version of WindowsVista has been installed on the computer for more than 30days, then its initial grace period has expired. As a result, it will enter Reduced Functionality Mode (RFM) if online activation is not completed successfully before the next logon attempt. However, you can use online activation to recover properly configured computers from RFM, as long as the computers are available on the network.
RFM only applies to the RTM version of WindowsVista or the retail editions of Microsoft Office2010. WindowsVista with SP1 or later, Windows7, Windows8, Windows10, Windows Server2008, Windows Server2008R2, Windows Server2012, and volume editions of Office2010 will not enter RFM.
description: Achieve network access by deploying the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) in a Core Network environment.
ms.assetid: 94dba40e-383a-41e4-b74b-9e884facdfd3
ms.reviewer:
manager: laurawi
ms.author: greglin
ms.prod: w10
ms.mktglfcycl: deploy
ms.sitesec: library
ms.pagetype: activation
audience: itpro
author: greg-lindsay
ms.date: 04/25/2017
ms.topic: article
---
# Scenario 1: Online Activation
In this scenario, the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) is deployed in the Core Network environment. VAMT is installed on a central computer that has network access to all of the client computers. Both the VAMT host and the client computers have Internet access. The following illustration shows a diagram of an online activation scenario for Multiple Activation Keys (MAKs). You can use this scenario for online activation of the following key types:
- Multiple Activation Key (MAK)
- Windows Key Management Service (KMS) keys:
- KMS Host key (CSVLK)
- Generic Volume License Key (GVLK), or KMS client key
- Retail
The Secure Zone represents higher-security Core Network computers that have additional firewall protection.
## In This Topic
- [Install and start VAMT on a networked host computer](#bkmk-partone)
- [Configure the Windows Management Instrumentation firewall exception on target computers](#bkmk-parttwo)
- [Connect to VAMT database](#bkmk-partthree)
- [Discover products](#bkmk-partfour)
- [Sort and filter the list of computers](#bkmk-partfive)
- [Collect status information from the computers in the list](#bkmk-partsix)
- [Add product keys and determine the remaining activation count](#bkmk-partseven)
- [Install the product keys](#bkmk-parteight)
- [Activate the client products](#bkmk-partnine)
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partone"></a>Step 1: Install and start VAMT on a networked host computer
1. Install VAMT on the host computer.
2. Click the VAMT icon in the **Start** menu to open VAMT.
## <a href="" id="bkmk-parttwo"></a>Step 2: Configure the Windows Management Instrumentation firewall exception on target computers
- Ensure that the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) firewall exception has been enabled for all target computers. For more information, see [Configure Client Computers](configure-client-computers-vamt.md).
**Note**
To retrieve product license status, VAMT must have administrative permissions on the remote computers and WMI must be available through the Windows Firewall. In addition, for workgroup computers, a registry key must be created to enable remote administrative actions under User Account Control (UAC). For more information, see [Configure Client Computers](configure-client-computers-vamt.md).
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partthree"></a>Step 3: Connect to a VAMT database
1. If you are not already connected to a database, the **Database Connection Settings** dialog box appears when you open VAMT. Select the server and database where the keys that must be activated are located.
2. Click **Connect**.
3. If you are already connected to a database, VAMT displays an inventory of the products and product keys in the center pane, and a license overview of the computers in the database. If you need to connect to a different database, click **Successfully connected to Server** to open **the Database Connection Settings** dialog box. For more information about how to create VAMT databases and adding VAMT data, see [Manage VAMT Data](manage-vamt-data.md)
1. In the left-side pane, in the **Products** node Products, click the product that you want to activate.
2. To open the **Discover Products** dialog box, click **Discover products** in the **Actions** menu in the right-side pane.
3. In the **Discover Products** dialog box, click **Search for computers in the Active Directory** to display the search options, and then click the search options that you want to use. You can search for computers in an Active Directory domain, by individual computer name or IP address, in a workgroup, or by a general Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query:
- To search for computers in an Active Directory domain, click **Search for computers in the Active Directory**. Then under **Domain Filter Criteria**, in the list of domain names click the name of the domain that you want to search. You can narrow the search further by typing a name in the **Filter by computer name** field to search for specific computers in the domain. This filter supports the asterisk (\*) wildcard. For example, typing "a\*" will display only those computer names that start with the letter "a".
- To search by individual computer name or IP address, click **Manually enter name or IP address**. Then enter the full name or IP address in the **One or more computer names or IP addresses separated by commas** text box. Separate multiple entries with a comma. Note that VAMT supports both IPv4 and IPV6 addressing.
- To search for computers in a workgroup, click **Search for computers in the workgroup**. Then under **Workgroup Filter Criteria**, in the list of workgroup names, click the name of the workgroup that you want to search. You can narrow the search further by typing a name in the **Filter by computer name** field to search for a specific computer in the workgroup. This filter supports the asterisk (\*) wildcard. For example, typing "a\*" will display only computer names that start with the letter "a".
- To search for computers by using a general LDAP query, click **Search with LDAP query** and enter your query in the text box that appears. VAMT will validate the LDAP query syntax, but will otherwise run the query without additional checks.
4. Click **Search**.
When the search is complete, the products that VAMT discovers appear in the product list view in the center pane.
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partfive"></a>Step 5: Sort and filter the list of computers
You can sort the list of products so that it is easier to find the computers that require product keys to be activated:
1. On the menu bar at the top of the center pane, click **Group by**, and then click **Product**, **Product Key Type**, or **License Status**.
2. To sort the list further, you can click one of the column headings to sort by that column.
3. You can also use the **Filter** function to narrow your search for computers by clicking **Filter** in the right-side pane to open the **Filter Products** dialog box.
4. In the **Filter Products** dialog box, you can filter the list by computer name, product name, product key type, license status, or by any combination of these options.
- To filter the list by computer name, enter a name in the **Computer Name** box.
- To filter the list by product name, product key type, or license status, click the list you want to use for the filter and select an option. If necessary, click **clear all filters** to create a new filter.
5. Click **Filter**. VAMT displays the filtered list in the product list view in the center pane.
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partsix"></a>Step 6: Collect status information from the computers in the list
To collect the status from select computers in the database, you can select computers in the product list view by using one of the following methods:
- To select a block of consecutively listed computers, click the first computer that you want to select, and then click the last computer while pressing the **Shift** key.
- To select computers which are not listed consecutively, hold down the **Ctrl** key and select each computer for which you want to collect the status information.
**To collect status information from the selected computers**
- In the right-side **Actions** pane, click **Update license status** in the **Selected Items** menu and then click a credential option. Choose **Alternate Credentials** only if you are updating products that require administrator credentials that are different from the ones that you used to log on to the computer. Otherwise, click **Current Credentials** and continue to step 2.If you are supplying alternate credentials, in the **Windows Security** dialog box, type the appropriate user name and password and then click **OK**.
- VAMT displays the **Collecting product information** dialog box while it collects the license status of all supported products on the selected computers. When the process is finished, the updated license status of each product will appear in the product list view in the center pane.
**Note**
If a computer has more than one supported product installed, VAMT adds an entry for each product. The entry appears under the appropriate product heading.
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partseven"></a>Step 7: Add product keys and determine the remaining activation count
1. Click the **Product Keys** node in the left-side pane, and then click **Add Product Keys** in the right-side pane to open the **Add Product Keys** dialog box.
2. In the **Add Product Key** dialog box, you can select from one of the following methods to add product keys:
- To add product keys manually, click **Enter product key(s) separated by line breaks**, enter one or more product keys, and then click **Add Key(s)**.
- To import a Comma Separated Values File (CSV) that contains a list of product keys, click **Select a product key file to import**, browse to the file location, click **Open** to import the file, and then click **Add Key(s)**.
The keys that you have added appear in the **Product Keys** list view in the center pane.
**Important**
If you are activating many products with a MAK, refresh the activation count of the MAK to ensure that the MAK can support the required number of activations. In the product key list in the center pane, select the MAK and then click **Refresh product key data online** in the right-side pane to contact Microsoft and retrieve the number of remaining activations for the MAK. This step requires Internet access. You can only retrieve the remaining activation count for MAKs.
## <a href="" id="bkmk-parteight"></a>Step 8: Install the product keys
1. In the left-side pane, click the product that you want to install keys on to.
2. If necessary, sort and filter the list of products so that it is easier to find the computers that must have a product key installed. See [Step 5: Sort and filter the list of computers](#bkmk-partfive).
3. In the **Products** list view pane, select the individual products which must have keys installed. You can use the **CTRL** key or the **SHIFT** key to select more than one product.
4. Click **Install product key** in the **Selected Items** menu in the right-side pane to display the **Install Product Key** dialog box.
5. The **Select Product Key** dialog box displays the keys that are available to be installed. Under **Recommended MAKs**, VAMT might display one or more recommended MAKs based on the selected products. If you are installing a MAK you can select a recommended product key or any other MAK from the **All Product Keys List**. If you are not installing a MAK, select a product key from the **All Product Keys** list. Use the scroll bar if you want to view the **Description** for each key. When you have selected the product key that you want to install, click **Install Key**. Note that only one key can be installed at a time.
6. VAMT displays the **Installing product key** dialog box while it attempts to install the product key for the selected products. When the process is finished, the status appears in the **Action Status** column of the dialog box. Click **Close** to close the dialog box. You can also click the **Automatically close when done** check box when the dialog box appears.
The same status appears under the **Status of Last Action** column in the product list view in the center pane.
**Note**
Product key installation will fail if VAMT finds mismatched key types or editions. VAMT will display the failure status and will continue the installation for the next product in the list. For more information on choosing the correct product key, see [How to Choose the Right Volume License Key for Windows.](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?linkid=238382)
## <a href="" id="bkmk-partnine"></a>Step 9: Activate the client products
1. Select the individual products that you want to activate in the list-view pane.
2. On the menu bar, click **Action**, point to **Activate** and point to **Online activate**. You can also right-click the selected computers(s) to display the **Action** menu, point to **Activate** and point to **Online activate**. You can also click **Activate** in the **Selected Items** menu in the right-hand pane to access the **Activate** option.
3. If you are activating product keys using your current credential, click **Current credential** and continue to step 5. If you are activating products that require an administrator credential that is different from the one you are currently using, click the **Alternate credential** option.
4. Enter your alternate user name and password and click **OK**.
5. The **Activate** option contacts the Microsoft product-activation server over the Internet and requests activation for the selected products. VAMT displays the **Activating products** dialog box until the requested actions are completed.
**Note**
Installing a MAK and overwriting the GVLK on client products must be done with care. If the RTM version of WindowsVista has been installed on the computer for more than 30days, then its initial grace period has expired. As a result, it will enter Reduced Functionality Mode (RFM) if online activation is not completed successfully before the next logon attempt. However, you can use online activation to recover properly configured computers from RFM, as long as the computers are available on the network.
RFM only applies to the RTM version of WindowsVista or the retail editions of Microsoft Office2010. WindowsVista with SP1 or later, Windows7, Windows8, Windows10, Windows Server2008, Windows Server2008R2, Windows Server2012, and volume editions of Office2010 will not enter RFM.
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Jeff Reeds (Aquent LLC)