If you’re using a spoof KMS server to activate Windows Vista Business or Enterprise edition (or Windows Vista Ultimate, Home Premium or Home Basic edition after combining “frankenbuild” crack), the activation may fail or invalidated once you flash or upgrade system firmware or BIOS software to latest version. The problem will happen when the new BIOS for the motherboard supports OEM activation for Windows Vista, which means the new BIOS contains ACPI_SLIC table which has the invalid Windows marker that does not support KMS activation.

Both situations of your Vista computer already activated with KMS host or you attempt to activate new Windows Vista installation with KMS server may face the following errors:

Invalid Volume License Key

In order to activate, you need to change your product key to a valid Multiple Activation Key (MAK) or Retail key.

You must have a qualifying operating system license AND a Volume license Windows Vista upgrade license, or a full license for Windows Vista from a retail source.

ANY OTHER INSTALLATION OF THIS SOFTWARE IS IN VIOLATION OF YOUR AGREEMENT AND APPLICABLE COPYRIGHT LAW.

or

Error Code: 0xC004F059

Description: The Software Licensing Service reported that a license in the computer BIOS is invalid.

The error may also affect corporations and users with volume license key (VLK) as the appearance of the Windows marker is important in order to use Windows Vista volume-licensed media to re-image or upgrade OEM through the re-imaging rights provided in their volume license agreement. Not having the appropriate BIOS marker results in the error on these systems and prevents them from activating using a KMS.

To solve the problem, the solutions or resolutions include:

  • Downgrade to older version of BIOS without SLIC table in ACPI module (non Vista OEM activation compliant).
  • Use a MAK (Multiple Activation Key) to activate the client. A MAK is similar to traditional volume license product key which enables a customer to install Windows. However, each MAK is preloaded with a set number of activations that it can perform.
  • For volume license product key users, contact your OEM for a replacement motherboard that contains a valid Windows marker in the ACPI_SLIC table.
  • Purchase new systems with Microsoft Windows preinstalled to help ensure that a valid BIOS is installed in the system.

For comprehensive list of SLA 2.0 supported mod BIOS (with SLIC table), go here.

Update: The volume activation also fails on Windows 7 OEM PC.