Microsoft Product Activation is a DRM technology used by Microsoft Corporation in several of its computer software programs, most notably its Windows operating system and its Office productivity suite. The procedure enforces compliance with the program's end-user license agreement by transmitting information about both the product key used to install the program and the user's computer hardware to Microsoft, inhibiting or completely preventing the use of the program until the validity of its license is confirmed.[1]
Re-Loader Activator License Key
This technology is also used in Microsoft Office products during activation. To activate volume-licensed versions of Office, including Project and Visio, one must have a Key Management Service (KMS) host computer. One can configure a Windows Server computer to be a KMS host computer[4] by installing the Volume Activation Services role and then running the Volume Activation Tools wizard.
Certain versions of Windows and Office are available under a volume license, where a single product key is used for multiple installations. Programs purchased under this license must still be activated, with the exception of Windows XP and all versions of Office released prior to Office 2010.[6][7][8][9] Businesses using this licensing system have the option of using Microsoft's activation servers or creating and managing their own.[10]
*All Office 2016+ and Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) licenses are associated with an email account. A personal licence is re-activated on a new machine by logging in to office.com and selecting which of their machines to associate.[32]
Microsoft Product Activation has been cracked or circumvented on numerous occasions since it was introduced in 2001. In 2001, a UK security company called Bit Arts successfully managed to bypass product activation on Windows XP,[41] while in 2003, volume license keys for Windows XP were leaked to the public, allowing users who had not purchased a volume license to the operating system to bypass activation.[42] In 2009, several security flaws in Windows 7 were used by hackers to circumvent activation.[3][43]
If you're using MAK to activate volume licensed versions of Office 2019, you specify the key in the configuration.xml file used by the Office Deployment Tool when you deploy Office 2019 to the users in your organization. For more information, see Deploy Office 2019 (for IT Pros).
An administrator can create a registry key that allows a standard user (that is, a user who isn't an administrator) to activate Office 2016 by using MAK. By default, volume licensed versions of Office 2016 disable this behavior.
In some organizations, different groups have different MAK keys for their volume licensed versions of Office, Project, or Visio. Unfortunately, you can't include multiple MAK keys in the same configuration.xml file (for Office LTSC 2021 or Office 2019) or in the Office Customization Tool or config.xml file (for Office 2016).
During setup for Windows 11 Home, you'll be asked to enter a product key. Because you already have a digital license for Windows 11 Home, you can skip this step and continue with the installation. Windows will automatically activate using your digital license when the installation is completed.
A Windows 11 digital license is associated with your device. If you make significant changes, such as replacing your motherboard, Windows will no longer find a license that matches your device. For help resolving this issue, see Reactivating Windows after a hardware change.
During setup for Windows 10 Home, you'll be asked to enter a product key. Because you already have a digital license for Windows 10 Home, you can skip this step and continue with the installation. Windows will automatically activate using your digital license when the installation is completed.
A Windows 10 digital license is associated with your device. If you make significant changes, such as replacing your motherboard, Windows will no longer find a license that matches your device. For help resolving this issue, see Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change.
Microsoft products such as Windows 10, Win 8, Win 7, Office 2019, 2016, 2013 are not free. However, a license key is delivered with every purchase of a Microsoft product, whether for Windows or Office.
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