Question:

How can I prevent Office 2021 LTSC from losing its RETAIL(MAK) activation on RDS servers? >
> I have several RDS servers running Office 2021 LTSC (Standard2021Volume) that were activated with a RETAIL(MAK) key using the ospp.vbs tool. However, they randomly lose their activation and switch to an unlicensed VOLUME_KMSCLIENT SKU, prompting users with an “Office is not activated” warning. I can reactivate them with the same key, but the issue keeps happening. I have attached the relevant outputs from the ospp.vbs tool and the event log. I also noticed that there is a KMS SKU installed, but I don’t know how to remove it. I am looking for a permanent solution that does not involve using M365 licenses, as they are not suitable for my environment. Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer:

How to fix Office 2021 LTSC activation issues on RDS servers

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> If you are using Office 2021 LTSC (Standard2021Volume) on RDS servers, you may encounter a problem where your Office installation loses its RETAIL(MAK) activation and reverts to an unlicensed VOLUME_KMSCLIENT SKU. This can cause users to see an “Office is not activated” warning when they try to use Office products. You may be able to reactivate Office with the same key, but the issue may recur randomly. This article will explain why this happens and how to fix it permanently. >
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> Office 2021 LTSC is a volume licensed product that can be activated with either a Multiple Activation Key (MAK) or a Key Management Service (KMS) key. A MAK key can activate a limited number of Office installations, while a KMS key can activate an unlimited number of Office installations as long as they are connected to a KMS server. Office 2021 LTSC supports both activation methods, but you need to choose one and stick to it. If you mix them up, you may run into activation issues. >
> The most common cause of Office 2021 LTSC losing its RETAIL(MAK) activation is that there is a conflicting KMS SKU installed on the same RDS server. A KMS SKU is a product key that enables Office to use KMS activation. If you have a KMS SKU installed, Office will try to contact a KMS server to activate itself, even if you have already activated it with a RETAIL(MAK) key. If the KMS server is not available or not configured properly, Office will fail to activate and switch to an unlicensed VOLUME_KMSCLIENT SKU. This will override the previous RETAIL(MAK) activation and cause the “Office is not activated” warning to appear. >
> Another possible cause of Office 2021 LTSC losing its RETAIL(MAK) activation is that the Office license has been transferred to another device or user. This can happen if you have made significant hardware changes to your RDS server, such as replacing the motherboard or the hard drive. This can also happen if you have assigned the Office license to a different user account or device in the Microsoft 365 admin center. In these cases, Office may detect that the license is no longer valid for the current device or user and deactivate itself. >
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How to fix Office 2021 LTSC activation issues on RDS servers

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> To fix Office 2021 LTSC activation issues on RDS servers, you need to do two things: remove the conflicting KMS SKU and reactivate Office with the RETAIL(MAK) key. Here are the steps to do so: >
> 1. Remove the KMS SKU. To do this, you need to use the ospp.vbs tool, which is a command-line script that can manage Office activation. You can find this tool in the Office installation folder, usually C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16. Open a command prompt as an administrator and navigate to the Office installation folder. Then, run the following command to display the status of all the Office SKUs installed on the RDS server: `cscript ospp.vbs /dstatusall` > 2. You should see two SKUs: one with the license name Office 21, Office21Standard2021VL_MAK_AE edition and the license description Office 21, RETAIL(MAK) channel, and another one with the license name Office 21, Office21Standard2021VL_KMS_Client_AE edition and the license description Office 21, VOLUME_KMSCLIENT channel. The first one is the RETAIL(MAK) SKU that you want to keep, and the second one is the KMS SKU that you want to remove. Note the last five characters of the installed product key for each SKU, as you will need them later. > 3. To remove the KMS SKU, run the following command, replacing XXXXX with the last five characters of the installed product key for the KMS SKU: `cscript ospp.vbs /unpkey:XXXXX` > 4. You should see a message saying that the product key uninstallation was successful. To verify that the KMS SKU has been removed, run the following command again: `cscript ospp.vbs /dstatusall` > 5. You should now see only one SKU: the RETAIL(MAK) SKU that you want to keep. If you still see the KMS SKU, repeat the previous step until it is gone. > 6. Reactivate Office with the RETAIL(MAK) key. To do this, run the following command, replacing YYYYY with the last five characters of the installed product key for the RETAIL(MAK) SKU: `cscript ospp.vbs /inpkey:YYYYY` > 7. You should see a message saying that the product key installation was successful. To activate Office with the RETAIL(MAK) key, run the following command: `cscript ospp.vbs /act` > 8. You should see a message saying that the product activation was successful. To verify that Office has been activated with the RETAIL(MAK) key, run the following command: `cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus` > 9. You should see the license status as LICENSED and the license description as Office 21, RETAIL(MAK) channel. If you see any errors or unlicensed status, repeat the previous steps until Office is activated with the RETAIL(MAK) key. >
> After following these steps, you should have fixed the Office 2021 LTSC activation issues on your RDS servers. You should no longer see the “Office is not activated” warning when using Office products. You should also make sure that you do not install any KMS SKUs on your RDS servers in the future, as they may cause the same problem again. If you need to use KMS activation for Office, you should use a different RDS server or a different Office edition that supports KMS activation. You should also check the status of your Office license regularly and make sure that it is not transferred to another device or user without your knowledge. You can do this by logging in to the Microsoft 365 admin center and going to Billing > Your products > Office LTSC Standard 2021. You should see the number of devices and users that are using your Office license and the date of the last activation. If you see any discrepancies or errors, you should contact Microsoft support for assistance.