Issue with activating ESU for Win 7

Usage and Config Patch
1

Hello guys!

I’m tasked to push down the activation commands for Win 7 ESU. However, there’s an issue encountered.
The below command return with an Exit Code=-2147012866 on my console.

waithidden cmd.exe /C cscript slmgr.vbs /ato XXXXX-XXXX-XXX-X-XXXX

I tried to execute the command manually on the client PC and it worked. Would like to seek advice on this, thanks!

2

We are having similar issues activating Server 2008 and realized that only servers with external Internet access are activating.
Looks like VAMT is required for air-gapped and non-internet facing boxes to do the actual activation.
https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/9.5/patch/Patch/Patch_ESU/c_faq.html

Does anyone have any other ideas on how to handle these servers? I am sitting on about 250 or so and do not feel like riding the Microsoft phones for each one.

3

@kicker, this post may be of some help. Commands using Cmd

4

I think that HCL article means that you must create VAMT machine and use VAMT to install product key and perform proxy activation for your servers without internet access.
VAMT reference:

5

Thanks. I have been working with Microsoft directly. VAMT is not an option for the majority of my air-gapped servers due to PCI, etc. It would take just as long to set up VAMT firewall access than it would to activate manually, if the access would even be allowed.
We have a ps script that will install the ESU key and drop the Installation ID into clipboard. Still have to manually plug that into the Microsoft activation site, grab the activation number, and install that back onto the server.

6

@Meydey, would you mind sharing that PS script?

7

This will pull the Installation ID out of slmgr /dlv:
cscript slmgr.vbs /dlv | %{$_ |Select-String -Pattern "Installation ID: "} | %{($_ -split " ")[-1]}

Note: It will pull all Install IDs, the ESU key and the MAK key. Run in PS with admin.

This is an attempt to pull only the ESU key, #0, and drop it into clipboard:

Function Get-EDUKeys
{ $key = cscript slmgr.vbs /dlv
$I=0

$KeyArray = $key | %{$_ |Select-String -Pattern "Installation ID: "} | %{($_ -split " ")[-1]}

If ($KeyArray.count -gt 1)
    {
        $key | %{$_ |Select-String -Pattern "Description: "} | %{($_ -split ": ")[-1]} | %{Write-host "$I = $_";$I++}
        [int]$KeyNum = Read-host "Please choose a Key Number"

        ($key | %{$_ |Select-String -Pattern "Installation ID: "} | %{($_ -split " ")[-1]})[$keyNum]

        set-clipboard -value (($key | %{$_ |Select-String -Pattern "Installation ID: "} | %{($_ -split " ")[-1]})[$keyNum])
    }
Else
    {
        $key | %{$_ |Select-String -Pattern "Installation ID: "} | %{($_ -split " ")[-1]}
        set-clipboard -value ($key | %{$_ |Select-String -Pattern "Installation ID: "} | %{($_ -split " ")[-1]})
    }

}
Get-EDUKeys

Still have to manually copy that to the Microsoft activation site: https://msdev.gointeract.io/interact/index?interaction=1461173234028-3884f8602eccbe259104553afa8415434b4581-05d1&accountId=microsoft&appkey=196de13c-e946-4531-98f6-2719ec8405ce

Then copy the result back to the end point and activate with (for a 1 year license):

slmgr /atp {activation id} 553673ed-6ddf-419c-a153-b760283472fd

2 Likes
8

Does the above link still work? Is there a new one?

9

Looks dead now. I got that from MS support after opening a ticket. I wonder if they killed the link once the ticket closed.
We still 16 servers left that refuse the activation key. Going to focus efforts on shutting them down vs fighting activation.

1 Like
10

All,

Here is a link to the HCL content for ESU. I hope it helps from the BigFix side.

https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/9.5/patch/Patch/Patch_ESU/c_introduction.html

11

Hey Meydey,

Found this if you are in need.

https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/ActivationWs-An-Extended-be597449#

12

Thanks. That does look like a glossier version of the manual process for air-gapped servers we did roughly 200 times here.
We are down to 12 out 360 that fail activation due to not accepting the key. Not worth dealing with support for those, putting more effort in to just getting them shut down now.