There is no “Product Key or license codes”.

To properly activate your UH Faculty/Staff copy of Windows 8, you will need to use the campus Key Management Server (KMS). This is done automatically and the user does not need to do anything as long as the computer it connected to the UH Network. The license code will automatically be assigned to your PC. No individual code is needed.


***NOTE: If your machine is off-campus and not on the UH network, you will need to establish a VPN connection (using your CougarNet logon credentials) back to the UH campus. Click here for instructions.

Run the Command Prompt as an Administrator, located in the Start Menu --> All Programs --> Accessories. To run as an Administrator, right-click on the Command Prompt icon and select "Run as Administrator."
Once at the command prompt, type the following command and then press Enter to manually tell the PC where to look for the KMS service:

cscript \windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /skms uhkms.cc.e.uh.edu:1688

After confirmation that the KMS server has been manually entered, type this command and press Return to force activation immediately:

cscript \windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato

You only need to do this ONCE!

Any machine that is registered using the KMS server will have to be on the campus network to communicate back to the KMS server once every 180 days.

For general questions about Windows 8, please consult the Windows 8 Solutions Center, located at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows/how-to#2TC=windows8