How to Fix DNS-related activation issues on Windows Server

Because the activation process uses DNS to locate the computer that is running the KMS software, some activation problems with client PCs might be related to DNS. If the DNS entry for the KMS host computer cannot be found during the DNS query by the wizard, an error notice will appear in the display. The following are some of the possible resolutions to these problems.

DNS Blocking Windows Server Activation Issues

Following are the steps for resolving any activation issues of DNS with Windows Server or with Windows 11.

Check the DNS settings.

Change the product key to MAK

Activate Virtual Machine Activation Service

Place the client on a KMS host manually.

Create a DisableDnsPublishing property.

We can explain them in detail.

1. Check the DNS settings

First and foremost, to troubleshoot any DNS-related activation problems in Windows, one has to verify the setup. Open the Command Prompt and execute the following command.

use ipconfig /all

We should check some information. First of all, check the IP address assigned to the client device. Then check the IP address of the default gateway and main DNS server of KMS client. Finally, make sure it is looked up in the DNS suffix search list.

During this period, we must verify from DNS whether the KMS hosts' SRV records have become active. To do that, run the below command from the Command Prompt by logging in as an administrator.

"nslookup -type=all _vlmcs._tcp>kms.txt"

By running this command, a text file named kms.txt will be created. If you open it, you will notice a set of codes something like what is given below.

Which host has the SRV service?

_vlmcs._tcp.contoso.com

Position = None

Means mass is Zero.

svr port = 1688 and hostname = kms-server.domain.com

Here, domain.com will be a placeholder for your actual domain name, so it is different for you.

In order to check whether _vlmcs entries exist, you have to check the IP address, hostname, port, and domain name. See the fourth solution for how to manually specify a KMS host if you encounter duplicate KMS host names.

Even if nslookup finds it, the DNS client may not find the KMS host. If you still cannot activate it after finding the KMS host, find the primary DNS suffix and look it up in the DNS suffix search list.

2. Replace product key with MAK

Change the product key to a MAK if you cannot install or activate with a KMS host. The stock-keeping units listed below, in Windows images acquired via TechNet or MSDN Subscriptions are often volume-licensed. The MAK key is usually the product key in the media. To do this follow the command below in the Command Prompt as an administrator.

rand -ipk

This can also be done through the command wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey. Replace it with your key after this.

When you activate your product, a pop-up for activation will appear saying "Installed product key successful".

3. Volume Activation Service

To activate KMS, clients must have a properly configured KMS host. If there isn't an existing KMS host key, install and activate one. Publish the DNS settings once the host is configured. The client device must have installed Volume Activation Services to do this. Follow the steps below to do so.

Launch Server Manager.

Click the Add roles and features button.

Click Next to continue to the Server Roles tab.

Select Volume Activation Services.

You can also select the prompt asking if you want to add any missing features.

Then, you will need to set up a KMS host to see if the feature installed successfully.

4. You can manually set up a KMS host on each client.

KMS clients can automatically find all the other KMS servers that have published SRV records through a DNS query. The DNS responds with the list in random order. The client chooses one of the hosts for its initial attempt to establish the session. If successful, the client caches the name of that host for subsequent use; if not, it randomly chooses another host from the list. But in case this for any reason can't work, then it is recommended you assign the KMS host to the client manually. You do this by opening a Command Prompt window on the client and then typing either or both of the following commands.

To set a KMS host with its FQDN, run the command as shown below.

cmdlet windows system32slmgr.vbs -skms executable:

The following command will assign an IPv4 address to a KMS host.

cmdlet windows\\system32\\slmgr.vbs -skms executable:

To assign an IPv6 address to a KMS host, run the following command.

cmdlet windows\\system32\\slmgr.vbs -skms executable:

To assign a KMS host using the host's NETBIOS name, run the following command.

cmdlet windows\\system32\\slmgr.vbs -skms executable:

Automatic discovery can be disabled by running the following command: cscript windows\\system32\\slmgr.vbs -ckms.

The 0xc004f069 Windows Server Activation Error and How to Fix It

5. Create a DisableDnsPublishing property.

Next steps include checking whether DNS is registering KMS host server. For that, we have to check if DisableDnsPublishing is enabled to do so. If yes, then we will continue to make necessary changes. Always remember to have a backup of your registries prior to making any changes to the registry. Then follow as below.

Open Registry Editor.

Open Software Protection Platform, and then browse to ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrentVersion.

Look for DisableDnsPublishing. If not available, this is a new DWORD value. Its default value is unknown. Therefore, the value will be set to zero so that the KMS host server will register an SRV record once every twenty-four hours. Setting this setting to 1 will never auto-register any SRV records.

Depending on your changes, you may need to restart the computer to see if it resolved your problem. If you have followed through with the steps in this post, you should be fixed.