Following the recent release of the Microsoft Office 2016 final RTM version, corporate customers can initiate their transition to new office platform. This article will discuss the features of MS Office 2016 KMS activation. This takes place after you have install and activate the KMS (Key Management Service) host on Windows Server 2012 R2.
Corporate clients are no longer required to link Microsoft activation server on the internet as using internal KMS-server enables organization network to easily activate Office products.
How to Activate MS Office 2016 Using KMS Server?
- This guide applies only for 2016 Office Enterprise clients excluding Office 365 ProPlus.
MS Office 2016 KMS does not activate the previous versions of MS Office (Office 2010 and 2013). To activate a previous version on your KMS server, you will have to set up the appropriate volume license pack and activate them.
Make sure that computer that is going to be used as a KMS server meets the requirements:
- Windows 7 with KB2757817 installed;
- Windows 8.1;
- Windows Server 2008 R2 with KB2757817 installed;
- Windows Server 2012/Windows Server 2012 R2;
- Windows 10 / Windows Server 2016.
Office 2016 KMS and Windows KMS can be running on the same server/PC.
There are two type of MS Office 2016 activation methods:
- Activation with KMS server
- The Active Directory-Based Activation (ADBA) that requires at least Windows Server 2012 as a DC.
First step: find and copy MS Office 2016 KMS host key in the personal zone on Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) website.
Second step: download KMS — Microsoft Office 2016 Volume License Pack here –
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49164
You need to run downloaded file (office2016volumelicensepack_4324-1002_en-us_x86.exe) as administrator on your KMS server. The activation files update script will be launched.
During the installation the Volume Activation Tool (the utility is installed on the system along with the Volume Activation Services role) will appear. You can choose one of the following activation method: using AD (ADBA activation) or with KMS host.
MS Office 2016 KMS activation method
- If you are going to use the KMS activation, choose the Key Management service, set your KMS server FQDN name and install KMS Host Key obtained earlier;
- Select the activation method by either using phone or online. During initial stage, provide direct Internet connection.
- After Office 2016 KMS activation, there would appear window with your current KMS configuration.
- There must appear Name:Office 16, VOLUME_KMS_channel in the list of products with Licensed status.
- Close the Volume Activation Tools. After this Software Protection Service will be restarted with new configuration.
By default, the Software Protection Service that performs the KMS activation listens on TCP port 1688. You can enable Windows Firewall rule that allow clients access KMS server using command:
Enable-NetFirewallRule -Name SPPSVC-In-TCP
In this case, a new SRV _VLMCS._TCP_domainname is created in the DNS, which allows clients to automatically detect the KMS server in the domain. You can find the KMS server in the current Active Directory domain using the command:
nslookup -type=srv _vlmcs._tcp
Press Enter key in the Volume License Pack Install console.
The Active Directory-Based Activation of MS Office 2016
If you want to use Active Directory-Based Activation method, you will need to choose it at Select Volume Activation Method in your Volume Activation Tools wizard (this method applies for clients that run on Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012/2012 R2/2016 and Windows 10).
Then you need to specify KMS host key (CSVLK) and enter display name for new activation object (optional).
Your remaining task is to activate the KMS host.
Close the VAT windows after updating utility console windows. Press Enter. In order to obtain information only about the KMS key for Office 2016 that we installed, we need to execute a script that indicates the specific SKU ID (the corresponding identifier could be seen earlier in the final stage of the Volume Activation Tools utility):
slmgr.vbs /dlv 98ebfe73-2084-4c97-932c-c0cd1643bea7
Now you are ready to start activating clients.
Procedure on How Clients Activate Office 2016
To activate new Office on client’s computer you can use ospp.vbs (Office 2016 Client Software License Management Tool) utility. Run these commands in Command Prompt as administrator:
- CD “c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16”
(If you are using 32-bit MS Office version installed on 64-bit Windows, you need use this command:
CD “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16” ) - Specify name of server: cscript ospp.vbs /sethst:kms01.yourdomain.com
- You can change KMS server port using command:
cscript ospp.vbs /setprt:1689 - Activate the Office on KMS server:
cscript ospp.vbs /act - You can get the current status of activation using this command:
cscript ospp.vbs /dstatusall
License name: Office 16, Office16ProPlusVL_KMS_Client edition
License Description: Office 116, VOLUME_KMSCLIENT channel
Product activation successfully
In order to activate clients with Office 2016 for the KMS server, there must be at least 5 clients requests within last 30 days (activation threshold).
The activation period is 180 days. The reactivation period is 7 days after which the activation period is being reset to zero (i.e. after successful activation the client makes an appeal to KMS in 7 days).
You can display the activation history:
cscript ospp.vbs /dhistorykms
To manage Office activation with current credentials on remote computers, you can use the following command:
cscript ospp.vbs /act remotepc2
If during client activation you are facing an error 0xC004F074 – this is a known problem that does not yet have a normal solution except for re-creating KMS on Windows Server 2012 R2 or creating a separate KMS for Office 2016 only.
GVLK Keys for Office 2016
After you installed KMS host or created ADBA object, the installed MS Office 2016 copies on the computer are activating automatically, as long as the computer has a Generic Volume License Key (GVLK) installed and join to the Active Directory domain. Therefore, usually GVLK key is not required (they are preinstalled in all Office 2016 volume product).
But just in case, below you can find a list of official public GVLK keys for products from MS Office package, which must be used during clients activation with KMS server.
| Product | GVLK keys (KMS keys for clients) |
| MS Office edition | XQNVK-8JYDB-WJ9W3-YJ8YR-WFG99 |
| MS Office Professional Plus 2016 | JNRGM-WHDWX-FJJG3-K47QV-DRTFM |
| Project Professional 2016 | YG9NW-3K39V-2T3HJ-93F3Q-G83KT |
| Project Standard 2016 | GNFHQ-F6YQM-KQDGJ-327XX-KQBVC |
| Visio Professional 2016 | PD3PC-RHNGV-FXJ29-8JK7D-RJRJK |
| Visio Standard 2016 | 7WHWN-4T7MP-G96JF-G33KR-W8GF4 |
| Access 2016 | GNH9Y-D2J4T-FJHGG-QRVH7-QPFDW |
| MS Excel 2016 | 9C2PK-NWTVB-JMPW8-BFT28-7FTBF |
| MS OneNote 2016 | DR92N-9HTF2-97XKM-XW2WJ-XW3J6 |
| Microsoft Outlook 2016 | R69KK-NTPKF-7M3Q4-QYBHW-6MT9B |
| Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 | J7MQP-HNJ4Y-WJ7YM-PFYGF-BY6C6 |
| Microsoft Publisher 2016 | F47MM-N3XJP-TQXJ9-BP99D-8K837 |
| Skype for Business 2016 | 869NQ-FJ69K-466HW-QYCP2-DDBV6 |
| MS Word 2016 | WXY84-JN2Q9-RBCCQ-3Q3J3-3PFJ6 |
The product key can be optionally changed to KMS:
cscript ospp.vbs /inpkey:xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Hi, great article! I have one question, we already have a KMS host in our network (which activates Win7, Server 2008 R2, Server 2012 R2 and Office 2010). Can this KMS option for Office 2016 be installed on this existing KMS host? Is there something I should take into account before enabling?
Kind regards,
Mario
Can anyone provide me with a Office Pro Plus 2016 VL or MAK keys, i want to activate it through Skype. Thanks.
Thanks a lot – but the keys for MS Office Edition is the one for MS Office Professional Plus and the other way round 😉
What is you finding?
What is the GVLK key for Visio 2016 Standard Volume using C2R? The last 5 digits when I successfully license this comes back as w4423 (ospp.vbs /dstatus) and not W8GF4 as your chart suggests. I do see W8GF4 when I install Visio 2016 Standard via MSI though.
you just change the FR with COM and you get the english version
For the permanently activation, u can get genuine license from mskeyoffer(dot)com, it’s easy and convenient.