5Jun
Windows 10 Subscription Activation – Deploy and upgrade operating systems
Windows 10 Subscription Activation

Windows 10 requires activation to unlock all the features of the operating system and to comply with the licensing requirements.

Once activated, Windows 10 devices can:

  • Receive updates
  • Access all Window 10 features
  • Access support

There are several types of activation that register the installation of Windows on a device with a standalone or corporate Windows 10 product key.

The three main methods of activation are as follows:

  • Retail
  • OEM
  • Microsoft Volume Licensing (volume activation)

Note More about Retail and OEM Activation

Both retail and OEM activation are outside the scope of this book and are part of the MD-100 Windows 10 exam. (See Exam Ref MD-100 Windows 10, published by Microsoft Press.)

Organizations with Enterprise Agreements (EA) can use volume activation methods. These provide tools and services that allow activation to be automated and deployed at scale. These tools and services include the following:

  • Active Directory–based activation This is an automated service that, once installed, uses Active Directory Directory Services (AD DS) to store activation objects. This simplifies the maintenance of volume activation services for an enterprise. Activation requests are processed automatically as devices authenticate to the Active Directory domain.
  • Key Management Service (KMS) This is an automated service that is hosted on a computer within your domain-based network. All volume editions of Windows 10 periodically connect to the KMS host to request activation.
  • Multiple activation key (MAK) Enterprises purchase product keys that allow a specific number of Windows 10 devices to be activated using the Microsoft activation servers on the internet.

All the preceding enterprise activation methods utilize services found within traditional on-premises, domain-based environments. An alternative method of activation is required to meet the needs of devices that are registered to cloud-based authentication and identity services, such as Azure Active Directory.

Subscription Activation allows your organization’s Azure AD tenant to be associated with an existing Enterprise Agreement; all valid devices that are connected to that tenant will be automatically activated.

Eligible licenses that can use Subscription Activation include the following:

  • Windows 10 Enterprise E3 or E5 licenses obtained as part of an Enterprise Agreement
  • Devices containing a firmware-embedded activation key
  • Windows 10 Enterprise E3 in CSP (Cloud Solution Provider), which is offered as a subscription for small- and medium-sized organizations, from one to hundreds of users

Note Firmware-Embedded Activation Key

Most OEM-provided devices designed to run Windows 8 or later will have a firmware-embedded key. You can read more information about firmware-embedded activation key licensing on the Microsoft website at https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/deployment/deploy-enterprise-licenses.

Organizations must meet the following requirements to implement Subscription Activation:

  • Enterprise Agreement or a Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA) associated with the organization’s Azure AD tenant.
  • Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Enterprise is installed on the devices you want to upgrade.
  • Azure AD for identity management.
  • All devices are either Azure AD–joined or are members of an AD DS domain that is synchronized to Azure AD using Azure AD Connect.

If all the requirements are met, when a licensed user signs in using their Azure AD credentials using a device, the operating system switches from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 Enterprise and all Windows 10 Enterprise features are then available. This process takes place without entering a product key and without requiring that users restart their computers.

Exam Tip

Devices that have been upgraded using Subscription Activation must be able to connect to the Azure AD tenant at least every 90 days to remain licensed. If the Azure AD tenant expires or the user license is unassigned, then the device will revert to Windows 10 Pro.