Troubleshoot Azure Windows virtual machine activation problems
Article
03/27/2024
Applies to: ✔️ Windows VMs
Note
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This article helps you troubleshoot an activation issue that occurs when you create a Microsoft Azure Windows virtual machine (VM).
Understanding Azure KMS endpoints for Windows product activation of Azure VMs
Azure uses different endpoints for Key Management Services (KMS) activation depending on the cloud region in which the VM resides. When using this troubleshooting guide, use the appropriate KMS endpoint that applies to your region.
Region
KMS endpoint
Azure public cloud regions
azkms.core.windows.net:1688
Azure China 21Vianet national cloud regions
kms.core.chinacloudapi.cn:1688 or azkms.core.chinacloudapi.cn:1688
Azure Germany national cloud regions
kms.core.cloudapi.de:1688
Azure US Gov national cloud regions
kms.core.usgovcloudapi.net:1688
Note
kms.core.windows.net for Azure public cloud regions was updated to azkms.core.windows.net in July 2022. For more information, see KMS endpoints - new endpoints.
Troubleshoot Windows activation issues
To troubleshoot a Windows activation issue, follow these steps:
Get the error message and the error code:
Open a command prompt as an administrator, type slmgr.vbs /ato, and then press Enter.
This command will try to activate Windows using the current product key and display the result.
If the activation fails, you'll receive an error message and error code. For example,
Error: 0xC004F074 The Software Licensing Service reported that the computer could not be activated. No Key Management Service (KMS) could be contacted.
The error code and message will help identify the possible cause and solution to the activation issue.
Search the error message and error code online for possible solutions or check the following known errors and issues:
Learn to troubleshoot configuration issues that affect connectivity to your Azure-hosted Windows Server virtual machines (VMs). Explore approaches to resolve issues with VM startup, extensions, performance, storage, and encryption.