Because these three activation methods are also used to activate volume licensed versions of Windows, you might be able to use the same method to activate both Windows and Office. You can choose to use different activation methods for different versions of Office and for different computers, for example desktops and laptops. Which activation method you choose depends on the size, network infrastructure, connectivity, and security requirements of your environment. Multiple Activation Key (MAK): Office is activated online by Microsoft-hosted activation servers or by telephone.Īctive Directory-based: Office on a domain-joined computer is activated through Active Directory. Key Management Service (KMS): Office is activated by contacting a KMS host computer on your network. There are three different methods that you can activate volume licensed versions of Office, including Project and Visio: Volume activation is the process that Microsoft volume licensing customers use to automate and manage the activation of Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office, and other Microsoft products across large organizations.

If you're a user trying to activate a personal copy of Office at home, see Activate Office instead of reading this article.

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