Forum Discussion
Server 2022 KMS host key bug; Can't activate Win10 Enterprise LTSB/LTSC
We recently dropped our new Server 2022 KMS host key onto our KMS server. After the necessary update to accept the 2022 key and activating the new 2022 host key, we were able to activate our most com...
Well well... Server 2022 KMS Key bug strikes again.
The Server 2019 February 2022 Updates fixed the problem. UNFORTUNATELY, the Server 2019 March 2022 Updates broke KMS again. I was hoping that the April updates would fix that, nope.
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019, 2021 and Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB cannot activate again. Other versions activate just fine.
Should I upgrade my KMS Server to Server 2022 and expect the problem to go away?
Anyone experiencing the same problem again?
The Server 2019 February 2022 Updates fixed the problem. UNFORTUNATELY, the Server 2019 March 2022 Updates broke KMS again. I was hoping that the April updates would fix that, nope.
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019, 2021 and Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB cannot activate again. Other versions activate just fine.
Should I upgrade my KMS Server to Server 2022 and expect the problem to go away?
Anyone experiencing the same problem again?
- It's not just you, ours is doing the exact same thing.
Issue was fixed after KB5010427 back in February, and I never looked back at it. Now that I see your comment, I tried activating a test Win10 10 Ent. LTSC 2019 VM, and nope. Failed to activate, back to square one all over again.
Good God, Microsoft...- ajc, I suggest you try flushing the DNS on your KMS server (ipconfig /flushdns) and then run on the KMS slmgr.vbs /ato. Then try again the activation on your Windows 10 LTSC.
TBH what threw me off is that the GUI said that KMS was successfully activated, but via the CLI it wasn't.
Running the 2 steps above fixed my problem.
I am wondering if the march updates messed up something on the dns cache on KMS.- Solid, that worked thanks! I missed your response above saying as much, happy it was that simple.
Now if it would quit doing that, that'd be fine too. 😛
Armando_Rivera with the myriad of issues KMS are stunning.
Mind that KMS, and so also ADBA are out of door. CSP (New Commerce Experience) licensing won't give you any KMS keys anymore which is a pity IMHO. KMS will reside for classic licensing models and big customers having EA(S). Also notice that service providers don't want to give you KMS keys anymore.
So you must go down the route with MAK Keys and VAMT 3 from the lastet ADK to have centralized and easy management.
Also Domain Join is going out the door as Microsofts target are Azure AD joined only endpoints (not talking about Windows Server yet). VAMT can handle activation of domain joined and non-domain joined devices.
Interestingly it is not pushed in the docs. My recent PR on docs on KMS has been closed after sitting for months.
Armando, can you confirm that the devices you try to activate are domain joined?
kwester-ebbinghaus-business
Thanks for your reply.
We handle thousands of Windows computers, unfortunately because our unique environment ADBA is not an option, so KMS fits the bill. Regarding your question, yes the clients that are trying to register are domain joined, also non domain joined.As I previously commented above, the issue with the Server 2022 Key is that it broke the activation of Windows 10 LTSC and LTSB activations, while other versions of Windows activated just fine. Reverting to the Server 2019 key fixes the problem, but then Server 2022 and Windows 11 clients won't be able to activate. This KMS problem was fixed with the release of the February 2022 Windows Server 2019 updates. Unfortunately the happiness lasted only one month, because the March 2022 update broke KMS again, as in unable to activate Windows 10 LTSC and LTSB clients again. I was hoping that the April 2022 updates brought the fix back, that did not happen.
This is not the first time Microsoft has reintroduced a bug in Windows, to be then fixed at a later time. Whoever is tracking code changes being published to the right branch is doing a very bad job. It is very frustrating.
Our KMS server is still working fine after the March updates, did you try running slmgr.vbs /ato on your KMS server yet? We had to do that after the February updates and it's been fine ever since.
