KMS, or Key Management Service, is a well-known networked environment tool many use to activate Microsoft Office products. With KMS, organizations can activate multiple Office installations without the need for individual product keys. If you're wondering how to activate Office with the KMS server, then keep reading. This article is a complete guide that will teach you how to activate two of Microsoft's most used products, Office and Windows, with KMS.
How To Activate Microsoft Office with KMS?
Most organizations often have to install multiple Microsoft Office products for their staff to complete tasks. Activating each Microsoft Office product would be tasking and cost a lot. So, to streamline the process, many organizations turn to KMS software to activate multiple Microsoft Office products using a centralized server.
The best part about using a KMS server to activate Office is that it works with different versions of Office. Whether it is the Office 2021, 2019, 2016, or other versions you have installed on your PC, the KMS tool works with them all. But the real question now is, what are the steps to take to activate Office with KMS online? Below, we broke down this process into tiny bits so it's easy for a complete beginner to activate Office using the KMS command line.
Step 1: Install Microsoft Office
To use the KMS server to activate Office, first install Microsoft Office on the computer in question. There are several places where you can download Microsoft Office from. But the best place to download Microsoft Office is from the Microsoft website. You can choose to download different versions of Office from the Microsoft website.
When you download Office from the Microsoft website, only the setup file is downloaded. As such, you need to remain connected to the internet while you run the setup file to download the extension file for the software. But if you use some third-party website, you can have the option to download the complete file in one click.
Step 2: Get a KMS Host Key
After navigating through the download process and having Office installed on the PC, the next step is to get a KMS Host Key. The KMS Key is what you will use to set up the KMS server, which you will use to activate the Office product. You can get the KMS Key from your Microsoft Volume Licensing representative or from the Microsoft website through its Volume License Service Center.
If you don't have an account with the VLSC, go ahead and create one, but if you do, simply sign in to proceed. When logged in, navigate to the Office product and select the version of Office you want to use KMS to activate. Proceed to download the Office volume license pack to activate Office on your PC.
Step 3: Set Up a KMS Host Server
After downloading the KMS key, the next step to take is to set up a host server. Setting up a host server can be quite technical, especially if you're a beginner. So, follow each step carefully to avoid making any mistakes.
Pick a Windows Server computer and use that to be your KMS host. For this purpose, the computer will be a dedicated server.
Run the executable KMS host key on the server using the command, replacing Your-KMS-Host-Key with the actual KMS host key:
Use the following command to activate the KMS host key.
Using the above command uses Microsoft servers to activate your KMS host.
Step 4: Configure the KMS Host
Now that you have activated the KMS host, the next step is to configure it for the Office activation. To configure the KMS Host to activate Office, use the command:
In the command above, replace the section “your-kms-server-name-or-ip with the IP address or hostname of your KMS host server.
Step 5: Activate Office Clients
Finally, to activate Office on the installed computer, use the following steps:
Open command prompt as administrator.
Force Office to activate using the KMS server with the following command line:
Ensure to replace the section “your-kms-server-name-or-ip” with the IP address or hostname of your KMS host server.
To execute the activation, run the following code:
Note that the path to the “ospp.vbs” script on your computer may vary based on the Office version you have installed.
Step 6: Verify Activation
To be sure that Office has been activated successfully, you can run a check on the individual computers using the following command:
If you follow these steps carefully, then the Office should activated. Remember to keep the KMS host server activated in case you ever need to activate an Office client at a future time.
How To Activate Windows KMS?
The Key Management Server is also a go-to solution for many who want to activate the Windows operating system. It is a convenient solution you can use to activate all versions of Windows in one click. All you need is a volume-licensed version of Windows, then execute two commands in Powershell or command prompt with administrator privileges.
While the process of using KMS to activate Windows is simple, it is important to follow each step critically. So, in the following section, we will highlight some key things to expect and note so you don't run into any errors. Remember that while using KMS to activate Windows, the computer must remain connected to the internet.
In the command prompt or powershell opened as administrator, run the command.
This command sets the Key Management Server machine to win.kms.pub
Then run the code "slmgr /ato" and press enter, and you will get a prompt that your Windows has been activated after a few seconds.
In a case where you get an error, it could be because you do not have a volume-licensed version. To resolve this error, you can change the key to get the key of your corresponding version using the following command to check the system version:
Search for the VL key for the version of Windows you have and run the following command in Powershell or command prompt with administrator privileges.
Replace the xxxxx section with the VL key.
Finally, set the KMS server address as described in steps 1 and 2, and the Windows will be activated.
How To Use Word, Excel, and PPT Without Activation Key?
While it is possible to activate the MS Office with KMS for free, the process can be lengthy and complicated. There are many things to consider when you choose to activate the Office with KMS. For instance, the version of Office, the version of Windows, whether it is volume licensed or not, amongst other things. Moreover, there are several codes you have to use that are sensitive, and you could easily run into errors.
To avoid all these headaches, you can easily choose to use an alternative software that provides you with all the same software packages as Microsoft. The best alternative you can choose is the WPS Office.
WPS Office allows you to use Word, Excel, and PPT for free without worrying about paying for a product key like Microsoft. With WPS, you can open, create, and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. Essentially, WPS is a feature-packed office suite suitable for everyday personal or business use. Read on to learn more about the amazing features of WPS.
Price
WPS is a more affordable solution when it comes to office suites. It is free to download and gives you access to all the productivity tools you require. And if you choose to opt for the pro version, it is less pricey compared to Microsoft. WPS has several premium packages that allow you to tailor it to suit your needs. There's a WPS Pro plan that caters to the needs of the average professional or individual. And there's also the WPS Business plan for an organization. To get the WPS Pro package, it will cost you $9.99 for three months or $29.99 for a year.
Compatibility
Another interesting feature of the WPS software is that it is vastly compatible. It is a lightweight office suite; as such, you can install it on low-end devices. So, even if you have very limited resources on your device, be it a mobile device, tablet, or PC, the WPS Office suite will run smoothly. It consumes only a few megabytes of storage space on your device and uses very little CPU and memory.
And more importantly, when you launch the software, you can use it to open several types of file types such as Word documents (doc, docx, dot, wps, wpt), XML format (html, xml, mhtm), slideshow documents format (pptx, ppt, pos, ptt,), and spreadsheet document formats (xlsx, xlt, csv, ets) to mention a few.
Features
Another important factor that makes WPS the best alternative to Microsoft Office is its features. By comparison, WPS is one of the most productive office suites because of the features integrated into the software. While there are many similarities between WPS and Office, the presentation and ease of using these features make WPS stand out.
For example, WPS gives you access to a library of templates that saves you time when you want to create specialized documents. Also, WPS comes with a revolutionary AI tool, OCR and AirPlay, amongst others, which all work together to help you complete tasks quickly and easily.
User-friendly interface
When you run any WPS software, one of the first features you'll notice right off the box is its impressive user interface. Its interface is sleek and modern, which makes it easy for anyone to navigate through the several functions of the software. Furthermore, it opens documents in a tab-style format, which makes it easy for users to navigate between files.
And the best part about this feature is that you can open different file formats side by side. So, if you need to get information from a spreadsheet document and use it in a Word document, you don't need to navigate between two software; you can open the two documents in one software - WPS.
FAQs
How do you activate volume-licensed versions of Office by using KMS?
If you want to activate a volume-licensed version of Office with KMS, follow the steps described above in this guide. The steps involve getting a KMS host key, configuring it, and then activating the Office version. And it doesn't matter whether the last used KMS host computer is saved to the cache KMS client or not; you can configure it to activate Office. To enable or disable the KMS host caching, first go to the Office folder in the program file folder of your PC using the code:
From here, use the following commands to enable or disable KMS host caching:
To enable KMS host caching use:
To disable KMS host caching, use:
Is it safe to activate Windows and Office programs by the KMS activation process where the KMS host server is unknown to me?
Generally, it is not safe to activate Windows and Office with a KMS host server unknown to you. The host server puts your device on at risk of being compromised and malicious activities. However, if you use an official Volume License, then it is much safer because it is regulated. But if you want to be safer, then buy a product key from Microsoft to activate the Office or Windows.
Take away
KMS is a versatile tool you can use to activate Windows or Office. By following our simplified steps, you will find the process a lot easier. Remember, when using KMS to activate any Microsoft product, first, you need to get a host server. After setting up the server, configure it for the product you want to activate, then execute the activation code.
To ease the burden of dealing with the Office activation process, you're better off downloading the WPS software. This software is lightweight and free to download. It comes feature-packed and ideal for everyday use.
