Streamline and Downsize Time Freezing Version of mini KMS Server VM Image for Local KMS Activation Hack

The hack to use Windows Vista KMS activation method, including running a local KMS as a workaround to bypass and crack Windows Vista activation is one of the most reliable, popular and nearly perfect crack method with higher chance of success and minimal failure rate against any Windows Vista validation. Hackers have released a streamlined, downsized and miniature version of mini KMS server virtual machine or VMWare appliance image where the download size is only about 300 MB, compared with 1.5 GB of Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Local.Activation.Server-MelindaGates VMWare image.

The main advantage and benefit of the mini KMS server is the minimal consumption of system resources such as memory and hard disk space, thus enable the KMS service to be ran at a machine with lower system specifications. So you can keep this KMS virtual image and boot it in any VMWare virtual machine as and when activation or reactivation is required.

The mini Vista KMS is for the purpose to run as KMS to activate 1 or more Windows Vista clients only. Some note about this mini KMS server:

1. Users need an administrator account to log on to Windows Vista KMS. The administrator account in BinBin with password as 123. The password is for remote control or remote desktop access, and disable automatic logon in Windows Vista can further save resources.
2. After shutting down the Windows Vista virtual machine, the VMWare will automatically restore the virtual machine to its original state. This preference can be changed in advance configuration settings.
3. swap.vmdk file is not necessary if you’re using restore feature. Deleting swap.vmdk will cause pagefile.sys to be placed on C drive, indirectly cause kms.vmdk to grow bigger. However, if you’re using state restore feature, this won’t cause any problem.
4. The default resolution of KMS VM in Display Settings is set to low at 800×600 pixels with 2MB available graphics memory in order to reduce resource consumption. To change this settings, simply edit the VMWare configuration file (kms.vmx) and delete all settings starts with svga (svga.*).
5. You can add a CD-ROM drive with VMWare Workstation. If you’re using VMWare Player, simply edit the VMware configuration file (with .vmx extension), and locate the line of with the text of ide1:0.present=”FALSE”. Modify the “FALSE” to “TRUE”.
6. The KMS VM network interface is defaulted to NAT interface and not connected. This behavior must be changed in the network card driver of VMWare configuration file before the KMS image is booted up to provide activation service. Edit the .vmx file, set the value of “ethernet0.connectionType” to “bridged” (current value is “nat”). Beside, locate also the line of text ethernet0.startConnected=”FALSE”, and modify the “FALSE” to “TRUE” for network interface to automatic connect.
7. Windows Vista and VMWare built-in firewalls have been disabled or simplified. If you want to serve the KMS service to the public over the Internet, you’re recommended to start the virtual machine with NAT network interface, and utilize the router’s port forwarding feature.
8. Windows Vista Event Viewer unable to use because it needs Microsoft .NET Framework. However, you can use other Windows Vista client to remotely access and check the events on this Vista Virtual Machine.
9. Windows Vista Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) has been disabled or simplied, and this cause users unable to execute and run slmgr.vbs in this mini KMS server.
10. The time zone of the mini Vista KMS server cannot be changed (currently set to GMT-08:00 Pacific Time (US & Canada), if not the KMS will be ineffective.
11. If you face the error that the n count of the KMS is insufficient, set back the date of the KMS server to 12/9/2006 (9 December 2006). You can simply restart VMWare virtual machine if you set the VMWare to auto restore the VM to original state.
12. Windows Vista clients and KMS server do not need to have the same date or time.

As mentiond, the streamline and downsize mini Windows Vista KMS is made with bare minimum services and tools for the sole purpose for providing activation to Vista computers only. Any extra features or applications shouldn’t be added and all unused or unnecessary functionalities can be stripped, removed or disabled. Some possible further reduction are (if you’re using VMWare Player, it’s not useful as you can save the image, so this part can be skipped):

1. Add a D hard drive, and then move the TEMP and swap files and directories to the D drive. In the virtual machine, set D drive as Independent Nonpresistent.
2. Stop and disable unused services, such as Application Experience, SuperPrefetch, Distribute Link Track, SSDP, TabletPC Input, Offline Files, Print Spooler, ReadyBoost, Security Center, TCP/IP NetBIOS, Windows Search, Windows Defender, Windows Firewall, Windows Time, WebClient and etc.
3. Disable System Protection and System Restore in Control Panel.
4. Disable User Access Control (UAC).
5. Delete and remove \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Ink\ folder. (for handwriting recognition)
6. Delete and remove \Windows\IME\ folder and all subdirectories inside \Windows\System32\IME\ folders (for input method)
7. Delete and remove everything related to Speed in \Program Files\Common Files\ folder, \Windows\ folder and \Windows\System32\ folder.
8. Delete and remove everything related to Assemble and .NET in \Program Files\ folder and \Windows\ folder.
9. Delete (must has administrator rights) \Windows\SYSTEM32\DriverStore\FileRepository drivers folder. Certain files and subdirectories won’t be able to be removed.
10. Delete (must has administrative privileges) Backup, msil* and x86* entries in \Windows\WinSxS\ folder, except those already been used.
11. Delete every entries related to Search and Mail in \Users\ and \Program Data\ folders.
12. Delete \Windows\System32\config\RegBack\ folder.
13. Delete all wallpapers inside \Windows\Web\Wallpaper\ folder.
14. Delete \Windows\Help\ folder.

Download mini KMS Server

Download 12.09.06.Vista.KMS.Server.MyDigitalLife.rar which contains the KMS virtual machine image, and already been applied with patched version of .vmx VMWare configuration file, so that the Windows Vista KMS server will be restored to its original state with date freeze at 9 December 2006 whenever VM restarts. This way, the KMS will not lose n count with n count will always exceed the required 25.

Download 12.09.06.Vista.KMS.Server.rar. You can also download the BitTorrent (BT) 12.09.06.Vista.KMS.Server torrent to download using using BT P2P network. You need BitTorrent clients such as BitComet in order to download. Beside, you also need to edit the .vmx VMWare configuration file to add in the hack below that will ‘freeze’ the time and date of Vista KMS by restoring to original state of the VM image.

tools.syncTime = “FALSE”
tools.synchronize.continue=FALSE
tools.synchronize.restore=FALSE
tools.synchronize.resume.disk=FALSE
tools.synchronize.shrink=FALSE
rtc.startTime=116565960

If you prefer, you can download kms.rar archive that contains already modified version of kms.vmx, and replace the original kms.vmx with it.

The procedures to activate Windows Vista with the local copy of this downsizing KMS server is the same with the steps the detailed in tutorial in using Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Local.Activation.Server-MelindaGates KMS virtual machine to activate Windows Vista. Here is the summarized guide on activating Vista against local KMS again (crack method, not VLK method). Note that network interface is for the downloaded KMS VM image is disabled by default, refer to above note in bold to enable it, or you can go to Virtual Machine (VM) menu, and select Removable Devices, then select Ethernet and select Edit. Set Network Connection to “Bridged” and select both “Connected” and “Connect at power on”.

1. Install Windows Vista RTM Business edition by using product key with serial number of FKBB-PQJJV-XXXXX-XXXXX or 0UNW0-EP68D-XXXXX-XXXXX or
   K2T8M-36C6Q-XXXXX-XXXXX or KTNP5-24J6Z-XXXXX-XXXXX.
2. Properly configure the network interface, so that the IP address of Vista machine to be activated and the local KMS is on the same subnet with subnet.
3. Turn off UAC.
4. Press Win + R key.
5. Type “slmgr.vbs -skms <replaced with IP address of local KMS>” (without quotes). For example: slmgr.vbs -skms 192.168.1.66:1688, and then press Enter. Also usable is cscript \windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -skms <IP address>.
6. Then type slmgr.vbs -ato or cscript \windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -ato and press Enter.
7. Confirm that activation of Windows Vista is completed without error.