Types of Windows Activation Keys

 

OEM Keys (Original Equipment Manufacturer)

• OEM or the computer manufacturers strike a deal with Microsoft.  
• They sell a computer with a copy of Windows which is already activated. 
• Even after you re-install, the copy is activated. 
• The OEMs embed this key in the UEFI firmware chip of the computer. 
• This also means that you cannot transfer the keys to any other PC.

 

Retail Keys

• You get this key when you buy a Windows 10 license from Microsoft Store or a retail store. 
• It’s usually 25 alpha-numeric key which you enter in the activation setting.
• It gets verified, and if valid, the copy of Windows is activated.
• Can be used only on one PC at a time

 

Volume Licensing Keys (MAK/KMS)

Microsoft developed different types of keys so it suits a different kind of requirements of companies using Windows.

Enterprise buys Windows license in bulk under Volume Licensing Program.  There are two types of keys under this scheme – MAK and KMS. You can use MAK keys only once, while KMS keys can be used again.

MAK: Multiple Activation Keys

• MAK keys are used to activate a specific number of devices. 
• The count is pre-configured as a deal between Microsoft and Enterprise. 
• If the computer goes through re-installation or the hard drive is wiped clean, the count is not returned or increased
• useful for clients where the reinstallation is rare, and the machine stays as-is for a very long time.
• can stay disconnected from the corporate network for a very long time.  Since their validation was done through the Microsoft activation servers, this is pretty useful.
• Every time a device is activated using MAK this is what happens:

1. The connection is established to Microsoft’s own activation service.
2. The key is verified i.e., validated if any more copies can be activated using that key.
3. If that’s a yes, 1 is subtracted from the number of activations still available.

KMS: Key Management Services Keys

• If a company wants to keep a tap on their Windows 10 computer and make sure these computers get back to the corporate network from time to time and do not need to connect to the internet, KMS is the way to go. 
• Instead of going through Microsoft Activation Server, KMS keys go through corporate KMS servers.
• the KMS server grabs the license from the client computers and then verifies it with the Microsoft licensing service.
• when Windows is reinstalled the keys can be used to reactivate the same or another computer. 
• This is why the computers activated using KMS keys need to connect every 180 days else they would expire.