TechCular

Topics: Activation, MS Office 2010, Product Keys, Tips and Tricks

Microsoft Office 2010 volume licensing customers have to activate their volume license suites using a volume license key (VLK). Microsoft made it mandatory to go through volume license activation in order to start using the volume licensed products like it did in case of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. Like Office 2007 and Office 2003, you have to provide a 25-characters volume license key (VLK) during installation, so that the end-users won’t have to activate it all over again using the licensed product key, they can simply bypass this step.

This drawback allows users to download pirated copies of Microsoft Office 2010 as it will require no activation using product keys. In order to tackle this issue, Microsoft is planning to stem the counterfeit Office with Office Genuine Advantage (OGA) Validation and Office Genuine Advantage Notifications, but soon hackers will develop cracks or patches to bypass OGA limitations, this does not seem to be the way to control piracy.

With the announcement and release plans of MS Office 2010, Microsoft is taking an another step to fight against hackers and crackers and it’s Software Protection Platform (SPP), which was initially implemented on operating systems like Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. As a result, all Office 2010 license acquired through volume licensing channel has to be activated, via KMS host (Key Management Server) for local activation of more than 25 licenses, or MAK product key (Multiple Activation Key).

Microsoft Office 2010 activation method is almost similar with Windows 7 activation. You have to configure Key Management Service (KMS) host to activate Office 2010 clients. Note down the following MS Office 20101 activation tricks.

1. Key Management Service (KMS) hosts configured to activate MS Office should be installed on operating systems such as Windows Server 2003, volume editions of Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2
2. If you want KMS host to activate multiple Microsoft products (e.g. Office 2010 and Windows 7), you will need to install the Windows KMS host key with Office KMS host key and activate both of them
3. Microsoft Office KMS clients are only activated when five or more than five computers with MS Office installed attempt to get activated using the KMS host. In case of operating systems (e.g. Windows Vista and Windows 7), activation starts after 25 or more than 25 computers with Windows client request for activation.