How To Set Up KMS To Activate Office 2010

A friend and co-worker of mine battled with getting our KMS host to activate Office 2010 computers recently. Despite being fluent in Google searching, she just couldn't piece it all together until the end, when she finally succeeded. She graciously gave me permission to post this here. Most of the following is in her words, but I've cleaned things up a bit. Thanks Z!

To activate the KMS licenses for a specific product follow these steps. The only change that may be necessary is the key that starts with bfe in this documentation may need a new number to correspond to the software for which you will be installing. This number refers to Office 2010 standard specifically.

1. Office 2010 Standard SP1 License Activation - KMS Server
Go to the MSVLC website and download the Office Std 2010 Key management service host
It is an ISO so save it somewhere and then and have it mounted.

2. On the KMS host server.. run the KMS host executable file which you mounted from the ISO.. it will come up and say:
Microsoft Office 2010 KMS Host licenses installed successfully.
Would you like to enter a Microsoft Office 2010 KMS host product key and proceed with internet activation now?

3. Click yes and enter the key provided from your MSVLC under the product for which you will be installing:
We installed the key for Microsoft Office 2010 Standard SP1
Then it kicked back a message that says:
Micosoft office 2010 KMS Host License Pack in the header
Microsoft Office 2010 KKMS host product key has been successfully installed and activated.
For KMS host configuration options, see Slmgr.vbs.
OK

I clicked ok.

Then go to
C:\Windows\system32> cscript slmgr.vbs /dlv bfe7a195-4f8f-4f0b-a622-cf13c7d16864

(NOTE: the bfe7a….. is the key for Office 2010 specifically, there maybe a different key for 2013)

When the data is returned you will need to know the following information:
Activation ID: bfe7a195-4f8f-4f0b-a622-cf13c7d16864
Installation ID: 022076-474424-662791-738941-933420-822321-034281-859076-352701
Now call Microsoft at: 1-888-725-1047 and you will have to input the installation ID and when confirmed they will provide you with a confirmation ID.. write it down….

Confirmation ID: 373006-236172-104250-501940-094242-708836-908992-285622

Now go back to the cmd prompt and type:

Cscript slmgr.vbs /atp <ConfirmationIdWithoutDashes> <ActivationID>
Enter

It should come back with Confirmation ID for product <ActivationID> deposited successfully.

Here is the Microsoft Technet page that deals with all of this, if you'd like to read some drivel.....

Unending Cycle of .NET Updates

So recently installed .NET Framework 4 on my Windows 7 laptop because I needed it for a new app. Afterwards I naturally needed to install a slew of updates from our WSUS server to go along with it. Two of them said they would install, but would pop back up as needing to be installed later on. I looked into it, and the KB numbers aren't important because it could happen with any of them.

What IS important is how to fix this irritating issue. On some of the forums I visited, people had run the installation 30 times or more with the same result! I facepalmed when I read that you need to use the venerable .NET cleanup tool to remove the offending numerical .NET version you are having issues with, and then reinstall from the standalone installer which you can get from Microsoft's downloads page.

I have used the .NET cleanup tool, which you can find at Aaron Stebner's blog here, before to clean up all kinds of .NET shenanigans - weird error messages and the like, so I can't believe I overlooked this great tool when confronted with a .NET issue.

Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.