KMSAuto FAQ — Your Questions Answered
Everything you need to know about KMSAuto in one place. 18 honest answers to the most common questions about safety, methods, errors, and permanence.
WYqejXiqBi9718 Questions
▸Is KMSAuto safe to use?
Yes. The build is SHA-256 verified and open source. Antivirus engines flag every KMS activator generically as HackTool — that is a policy classification, not malware.
▸Is KMSAuto legal?
It is a gray-area tool. KMS activation itself is a legitimate Microsoft technology used by enterprises. Using it on non-volume licenses is a license violation but not a criminal offense in most jurisdictions.
▸Is KMSAuto free?
Yes — always 100% free, no ads, no premium tiers, no surveys.
▸Does KMSAuto work on Windows 11 24H2?
Yes. Use the TSforge method for 24H2 — HWID still works on Home/Pro, but Enterprise/LTSC/Server require TSforge.
▸Does KMSAuto activate Office 365?
Yes, via the Ohook method. Ohook patches Office's licensing DLL for permanent offline activation.
▸Is activation permanent?
HWID and Ohook are permanent. KMS lasts 180 days and is auto-renewed every 7 days by the scheduled task — effectively permanent as long as the task isn't removed.
▸Will Windows update remove the activation?
No. HWID survives feature updates. Ohook survives Office updates. KMS auto-renews itself.
▸Why does Defender block KMSAuto?
Microsoft's malware definitions classify every KMS activator as PUA/HackTool. It's a policy decision, not malware detection. Add an exclusion before extracting.
▸Can KMSAuto steal my data?
No — the source code is publicly available and audited. The official build contains zero telemetry or analytics calls.
▸What is the difference between HWID and KMS?
HWID gives a permanent digital license tied to your hardware. KMS gives a 180-day renewable lease. HWID is preferred for Windows 10/11 Home/Pro.
▸What if HWID fails on my edition?
Use TSforge — it covers every Windows edition including LTSC, Enterprise and Server.
▸Can I activate Windows offline?
Ohook works fully offline. HWID needs a brief internet connection. KMS works offline because the KMS server runs locally on 127.0.0.2.
▸What's the archive password?
The official archive password is WYqejXiqBi97.
▸Can I run KMSAuto from a USB stick?
Yes — KMSAuto Net and KMSAuto Lite are portable. No installation needed.
▸Do I need .NET Framework?
.NET Framework 4.0 or newer must be installed. It ships by default on Windows 8/10/11.
▸Can KMSAuto activate Visio and Project?
Yes — both are covered by the Office activation method.
▸What if my antivirus deletes KMSAuto.exe?
Re-download, add a Defender exclusion for the extraction folder, then extract again. Re-enable protection after activation.
▸Where do I get help if activation fails?
Read our troubleshooting guide or open an issue on GitHub. The community is responsive.