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...
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.
- Along with your suggestion and this OLD post from 2015 fixed the problem.
A simple ipconfig /flush dns and then slmgr.vbs /ato
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/ie/en-US/cd90cc53-1800-40ca-bf68-85abc678aa74/sluiexe-0x2a-0x80072ee2-the-operation-timed-out-failure-in-product-activation-win2008r2-std - Thanks for your fast reply!
So I did what you asked and this was the output:
Error: 0x80072EE2 On a computer running Microsoft Windows non-core edition, run 'slui.exe 0x2a 0x80072EE2' to display the error text.
Running slui.exe 0x2a 0x80072EE2
Pops up a Window with:
Windows activation. An error has occurred. Contact Microsoft by phone to resolve the problem.
Expanding the details section says: Description: The Operation has timed out.
Now I am puzzled. slui.exe Shows that Windows IS activated.
