Volume Licensing Service Center — Product Keys

Most Microsoft products obtained through TechSoup require a product activation key or setup code to complete the installation process. These keys and codes ensure that the software has been received through legitimate means and is not installed on more computers than permitted.

This page provides an overview of activation keys and setup codes and how to obtain them. For additional information, see Microsoft's Product Keys FAQ.

What Products Need Keys for Activation?

Not all products that are obtained from the VLSC need keys:

• Many server products have a setup code that is on a printed label or is provided when you download the product through the VLSC.
• Some products have their key in the installation media (CD-ROM or DVD-ROM), so the person installing the software does not need to enter one.
• Most license-only products, such as client access licenses, management licenses, and external connector licenses, do not require keys or codes for setup.

To look up your product and see if it requires an activation key or setup code, see Microsoft's Product Activation and Key Information page. (Products that do not appear in this page do not need keys or setup codes.)

Obtaining Product Keys from the VLSC

Before You Start

To find your product keys, you must either be the administrator or have permission to perform the Product Keys role. See Volume Licensing Service Center — Maintaining Your Account.

Viewing Product Keys

1. Sign into the VLSC.
2. Choose Product Keys. The Product Keys page appears, showing all the products for which keys are available to you.
3. You can copy individual keys from this list or click Download all product keys to download a list of keys in CSV format (which can be opened with Excel).

Understanding the Product Key List

The product key list contains one line for each possible product key. For products with both KMS keys and MAKs, two separate product key lines will appear on the page.

The instructions and definitions provided by Microsoft are generally aimed at Volume Licensing customers who purchase software through resellers. This section is intended to explain how the terminology applies to donations obtained through TechSoup.

Downloading Product Keys

The Product Keys page provides a link to download all your keys. Although you can copy individual product keys from this list, it is a good idea to download and save the full list.

Identifying and Using Product Keys

Some keys apply to several related products. For example, as of October 2010, the key for Office 2007 Applications applies to any individual application in the Office 2007 family.

Not all products have product keys. If you don't see your product in the list, it might have a setup code that comes with the media, or it might be a license-only product such as a client access license.

If you try a key and installation does not work, it is possible that you chose the key for a different product or licensing ID, even though the name is similar. Try one of the other keys shown.

The general rule is that the number of installations can be no more than the quantity in your TechSoup requests, but there are some variations, depending on the product use rights (PUR, also called terms of use) for the specific product. For details, see the Product Use Rights section of Volume Licensing Service Center — Differences from Retail Products.

Types of Keys

Standard Volume License Key (VLK)

Standard VLKs are provided for Microsoft Office suites and applications released prior to Office 2010 and for certain other Microsoft software. The activation process using standard VLKs is fairly simple: enter the VLK obtained through the Volume Licensing website when prompted by the software to activate it. You can use the same VLK on multiple installations of the same software if you requested multiple licenses. For example, if your donation includes 10 copies of Office 2007 Standard, you can use the Office VLK to install that product on 10 separate computers.

Multiple Activation Key (MAK)

MAKs can be used like standard VLKs: This method is called MAK independent activation, and requires that each computer independently connect with Microsoft and be activated, either over the Internet or by telephone.

MAKs also allow proxy activation. With this method, a computer acting as a MAK proxy gathers activation information from multiple computers on the network and then sends a centralized activation request on their behalf to Microsoft. MAK proxy activation is configured using the Volume Activation Management Tool.

Like standard VLKs, MAKs allow a predetermined number of activations, depending on the number of licenses an organization requests. For example, if your donation includes 10 copies of Windows 7, you can use the Windows 7 MAK to install that product on 10 separate computers.

Key Management Service (KMS) Key

In the KMS model, the KMS key is installed on only one computer in a network, known as the KMS host, and all other users on the network can activate their software from this host. This model allows users with network experience to complete activations on their local network and eliminates the need for all computers except the host to connect to Microsoft for product activation. KMS does not require a dedicated computer and can be co-hosted on a computer that provides other services.

KMS requires a minimum number of computers (physical or virtual machines) in a network environment. These minimums are referred to as activation thresholds. The threshold is different for each type of product.