slmgr Commands — The Complete Windows Licensing Reference

How to run it

slmgr is a script, so it needs an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell: press Win+X, choose Terminal (Admin), and prefix commands with `slmgr` (Windows resolves slmgr.vbs automatically). Output appears in a dialog box by default; run `cscript //nologo C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs /dli` to keep it in the console.

Read-only status switches

These report state and change nothing — safe to run at any time.

• /xpr — is the licence permanent, or when does it expire
• /dli — licence name, description, partial key and activation status
• /dlv — the verbose version, including the activation ID and KMS host details
• /ato — requests activation against the currently configured source

Switches that change state

These modify the licence store and should only be used deliberately.

• /ipk <key> — installs a product key
• /upk — uninstalls the current product key, returning the machine to unlicensed
• /cpky — clears the key from the registry so it cannot be read back
• /skms <host> / /ckms — sets or clears a KMS host name
• /rearm — resets the evaluation timer, limited to a few uses per installation

Reading the output

Two fields matter most. Description tells you the channel: RETAIL, OEM_DM or VOLUME_KMSCLIENT. Licence Status should read Licensed; Notification means activation failed and is followed by the reason code you can search directly.

The Office equivalent

Office uses ospp.vbs, found in the Office installation folder (Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16). `cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus` prints the licence family, remaining grace period and the last five digits of the installed key.

slmgr Commands System Requirements & Compatibility (2026)

slmgr Commands is engineered for the modern Microsoft activation stack. The tool runs on Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (all builds from 1507 to 22H2) and every Windows 11 release including 23H2 and 24H2. Both x64 and ARM64 hardware are supported, and the activator also recognises Server SKUs such as Server 2016, 2019 and 2022. On the Office side, Click-to-Run installations of Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and Microsoft 365 are detected automatically — including LTSC channels. You do not need to uninstall a previous KMS client or remove an existing product key: the script reads the current edition through slmgr and routes it to the correct activation method (HWID for Windows, Ohook for Office).

• Windows 7 SP1 / 8.1 / 10 / 11 — all editions (Home, Pro, Education, Enterprise, IoT, LTSC)
• Windows Server 2008 R2 through Server 2025
• Office 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and Microsoft 365 Apps
• Architectures: x86, x64, ARM64
• .NET Framework 4.6+ (preinstalled on Windows 8.1 and later)

slmgr Commands Troubleshooting: Common Errors & Fast Fixes

Most slmgr Commands failures fall into three buckets: antivirus interference, missing administrator rights, or a corrupted Software Protection Service. If you see error 0xC004F074 the KMS host could not be contacted — disable Defender real-time scanning for two minutes, then re-run the activator. Error 0xC004C003 means the product key is blocked by Microsoft; switch to the HWID method, which bypasses key validation entirely by binding the licence to your motherboard's hardware ID. Error 0x80070005 (Access Denied) is always a UAC issue — right-click the executable and select "Run as administrator". If activation succeeds but reverts after reboot, open services.msc, set "Software Protection" to Automatic, and restart sppsvc.exe. For Office, run the Office Click-to-Run repair from Settings → Apps → Microsoft 365 → Modify → Quick Repair before retrying Ohook.

• 0xC004F074 — pause antivirus, re-run as administrator
• 0xC004C003 — switch to HWID (no key required)
• 0x80070005 — UAC denied, use "Run as administrator"
• Activation reverts on reboot — set "Software Protection" service to Automatic
• Office not detected — run Quick Repair, then re-run Ohook