
Verify that the machine can connect to the SRV DNS record of the KMS host by running the following command: nslookup -type=srv _vlmcs._.Right-click on Command Prompt in the start menu to bring up the option.
Open the Command Prompt via " Run As Administrator". Click OK to exit both open settings menus. In the DNS tab, find the DNS suffix for this connection: box. In the General tab, click Advanced at the bottom. In the Networking tab, double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). Right click the active network (wireless, wired, or VPN) and click Properties. In the top right corner, click Change Adapter Settings. Click the Start Menu and search for Network and Sharing Center. If you receive an error, first verify the DNS suffix is set up correctly: Verify the DNS suffix is set up correctlyĪlmost all of the issues with KMS activation are caused by a missing DNS suffix. To avoid issues with KMS activation, make sure to take these steps before you start the activation process. Almost all KMS issues on computers outside the ADS domain (for example, Feinberg and Kellogg machines) are caused by the DNS suffix being absent. Business Units and Departments may need to add the ' ' and ' ' DNS suffix to a client host's network adaptor found under TCP/IP properties to resolve the DNS lookup and allow for the KMS activation. If you get an error that states "No OEM license found", it may require a BIOS update to support volume upgrade activations. The Machine's BIOS must be up to date (Check computer manufacturer website, or consult manufacturer technical support). The Machine’s system date, time and time zone must be accurate (to within 3 minutes of GMT). The Machine must have an IP address from a Northwestern University subnet, to include VPN connections (Firewall rules allow access to the KMS host to all Northwestern University IP ranges including VPN and Wireless.). To activate Microsoft Windows with the University’s KMS Service, the following conditions must be met: 4 Setting up a SRV DNS Record for the NU KMS Host.
2.2 Verify the machine can connect to KMS.2.1 Verify the DNS suffix is set up correctly.Office LTSC 2021) require a Multiple Activation Key (MAK). Microsoft 365 is activated using a valid O365 login. This process uses a Key Management Service (KMS) host that each computer will need to access via the Northwestern network periodically to validate. Once successfully activated through a connection to the KMS, periodic reauthorization should occur in the background and users should not have to manually process activation requests to the KMS host. To use Windows on a departmental computer, users must activate the software through a Volume Activation (VA) process. Northwestern provides access to a variety of Microsoft software, including Windows, through a volume licensing agreement with the vendor.