A drop in replacement for slmgr script
NB: Currently the features are limited to KMS scenarios. See Comparison for details.
Install-Module slmgr-psStart-WindowsActivation -WhatIf
# Activates the local computer
Start-WindowsActivation -Verbose
# Activates the computer named WS01
Start-WindowsActivation -Computer WS01
# Activates the computer named WS01 using different credentials
Start-WindowsActivation -Computer WS01 -Credentials (Get-Credential)
# Disabled the KMS cache for the computers named WS01 and WS02. Cache is enabled by default.
Start-WindowsActivation -Computer WS01, WS02 -CacheEnabled $false
# Activates the computer named WS01 against server.domain.net:2500
Start-WindowsActivation -Computer WS01 -KMSServerFQDN server.domain.net -KMSServerPort 2500
# ReArm the trial period. ReArming already licensed devices can break current license issues.
# Guard clauses wil protect 99% but cannot guarantee 100%.
Start-WindowsActivation -ReArm# Collects basic license information of local computer, equal to slmgr.vbs /dli
Get-WindowsActivation
# Collects extended license information of local computer, equal to slmgr.vbs /dlv
Get-WindowsActivation -Extended
# Collects license expiration information of local computer, equal to slmgr.vbs /xpr
Get-WindowsActivation -Expiry
# Collects basic license information of computer WS01 over WinRM
Get-WindowsActivation -Computer WS01
# Collects basic license information of computer WS01 over WinRM using different credentials
Get-WindowsActivation -Computer WS01 -Credentials (Get-Credential)
One of my hardening guideline is getting rid of vbscript in every environment.
-
I disabled
wscriptandcscriptexecutables.
-
I changed the file-type association of
.vbsto be opened with Notepad, and cannot be executed.
This caused me being unable to use slmgr.vbs, OSPP.vbs, some SCCM features like MDT. I started with slmgr.vbs as it was more important for me; I was migrating Windows 7 devices to Windows 10!
I wrote a PowerShell script based on the slmgr.vbs. It's long but easy to read. You can find the old script in my gists.
I converted this simple, one-cmdlet script to a module and published it so anyone can use it easily.
| slmgr slmgr.vbs | slmgr-ps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| slmgr machinename | -Computers | Instead of one, you can provide multiple computer names. |
| slmgr username | -Credentials | The command uses the current user's credentials. User can passs a credential object. Reference: CWE-214: Invocation of Process Using Visible Sensitive Information |
| slmgr password | -Credentials | The command uses the current user's credentials. User can passs a credential object. Reference: CWE-214: Invocation of Process Using Visible Sensitive Information |
| slmgr /ipk zfgwx-zvc9b-646c9-t64zx | Start-WindowsActivation | No need for KMS keys |
| slmgr /ato | Start-WindowsActivation | no need for calling /ato separately |
| slmgr /rearm | Start-WindowsActivation -Rearm | |
| slmgr /dli | Get-WindowsActivation | |
| slmgr /dlv | Get-WindowsActivation -Extended | |
| slmgr /xpr | Get-WindowsActivation -Expiry | |
| slmgr /ckhc | Start-WindowsActivation -CacheEnabled $false | |
| slmgr /skhc | Start-WindowsActivation -CacheEnabled $true | KMS cache is enabled by default |
| slmgr /skms activationservername:port | Start-WindowsActivation -KMSServerFQDN activationservername -KMSServerPort port | |
| slmgr /ad | not implemented | |
| slmgr /ad | not implemented | |
| slmgr /ao | not implemented | |
| slmgr /del | not implemented | |
| slmgr /atp | not implemented | |
| slmgr /skms-domain | not implemented | |
| slmgr /ckms | not implemented | |
| slmgr /ckms | not implemented | |
| slmgr /cpky | not implemented | |
| slmgr /dti | not implemented | |
| slmgr /ilc | not implemented | |
| slmgr /rilc | not implemented | |
| slmgr /rearm-app | not implemented | |
| slmgr /rearm-sku | not implemented | |
| slmgr /sai | not implemented | |
| slmgr /sri | not implemented | |
| slmgr /spri | not implemented | |
| slmgr /cpri | not implemented | |
| slmgr /sprt | not implemented | |
| slmgr /sdns | not implemented | |
| slmgr /cdns | not implemented | |
| slmgr /upk | not implemented | |
| slmgr /lil | not implemented | |
| slmgr /ril | not implemented | |
| slmgr /stao | not implemented | |
| slmgr /ctao | not implemented | |
| slmgr /ltc | not implemented | |
| slmgr /fta | not implemented |
- You can provide an array of computer names, and it is up to you how you get them. It's just PowerShell.
- It works on PowerShell version 5.0 and above. It means PowerShell 7.0 is ok, too.
- It uses WinRM for remote computers. Check if remote computers are accessible over WinRM.
- It includes a list of KMS keys, so that you don't have to for most of them. It covers some of the versions though, not all of them.
- It works even if you disabled
cscriptandwscript- it's PowerShell! - The code is documented and readable, so that you can improve according to your needs.