I am seeing this failure (with Windows Server 2008):=================================Windows could not be activated.Error: 0xc004f039The Software Licensing Service reported that the computer could not be activated.The Key Management Service (KMS) is not enabled.=================================I need to be running Windows Server 2008 to perform testing of one of our applications.I downloaded it via my MSDN subscription.MSDN gave me a product key for it.I do not remember if the install prompted me for the key (but I don't believe it did).My guess is that it is trying to activate using a service that the we are not running in my company.Any ideas about how I can activate it?I would have no problems calling in to get it activated, but I see no way to get a dialog prompting me to do so.Thank You

I found the solution in this thread: http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=3315256&SiteID=17Basically this is what happened:The MSDN subscriptions version of Windows Server 2008 installs by default using KMS (Key Management Service).The key MSDN gave is a MAK (Multiple Activation Key).So the install does not use the key, it tries to talk to KMS.We don't have KMS here so it fails.Doing the following activates it using the MAK key:1) Open a cmd shell as Administrator.2) Type the following (but use your key instead of all the X's)slmgr -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX3) The prompt will return right away, but there is a licensing task that it started (if you look in Task Manager you can find a task SLsvc using up cpu, I assume this is where the licensing is going on).4) After a while a dialog will pop up saying that it has been activated.Good Luck

Hello John,Actually the error message means that a KMS host machine was found but that KMS host machine has not yet been activated so it will not respond to this KMS client.Changing to the MAK key solves this client, but from the original message somebody has setup a KMS host machine. Thanks Darrell Gorter [MSFT]

At least for our case, this machine is being used only for internal testing.Users will be running our app on their own Windows Server 2008 machines.So we don't need our IT department to set up a KMS host machine.Unless you are saying that we really should set up one anyway.Should we?Thank You

Hello John,You should change to a the MSDN MAK key to activate that machine.Thanks, Darrell Gorter[MSFT] This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights

Hello,I amenabling two new servers at the university I work forand I have just installed Windows Server 2008 (including all updates and SP2) but am still having trouble activating one of the servers (the other activated with no issues).I'm having the same issue as noted in this thread except when I run the slmgr command with the MAK, I receive an error message "software licensing service reported an error. the license is not installed".I am having a hard time finding information on this error. How would I change to the MSDN MAK key to activate this box?Thanks,rita.

You can use VAMT to manage your MAK keys. That is how I activate my MSDN server 2008 machines. You validate the key in VAMT and use VAMT to validate the new machine by proxy. VAMT will also tell you how may times to MAK has been used and how many validations remain.Bill

Hello Ritab68,Does it give any error code along with the message?Can you run slmgr /dlv and get output?Thanks, Darrell Gorter This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights

I am seeing this failure (with Windows Server 2008):=================================Windows could not be activated.Error: 0xc004f039The Software Licensing Service reported that the computer could not be activated.The Key Management Service (KMS) is not enabled.=================================I need to be running Windows Server 2008 to perform testing of one of our applications.I downloaded it via my MSDN subscription.MSDN gave me a product key for it.I do not remember if the install prompted me for the key (but I don't believe it did).My guess is that it is trying to activate using a service that the we are not running in my company.Any ideas about how I can activate it?I would have no problems calling in to get it activated, but I see no way to get a dialog prompting me to do so.Thank You

I found the solution in this thread: http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=3315256&SiteID=17Basically this is what happened:The MSDN subscriptions version of Windows Server 2008 installs by default using KMS (Key Management Service).The key MSDN gave is a MAK (Multiple Activation Key).So the install does not use the key, it tries to talk to KMS.We don't have KMS here so it fails.Doing the following activates it using the MAK key:1) Open a cmd shell as Administrator.2) Type the following (but use your key instead of all the X's)slmgr -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX3) The prompt will return right away, but there is a licensing task that it started (if you look in Task Manager you can find a task SLsvc using up cpu, I assume this is where the licensing is going on).4) After a while a dialog will pop up saying that it has been activated.Good Luck