In the past, many users and system administrators have relied on Microsoft’s telephone activation service to manage installations in specific contexts.
During the Windows 8 era, MAK ( Multiple Activation Key) licenses were widely available. While these keys had a predefined activation limit, their very high limits allowed them to be reused numerous times through the phone system, making them ideal for managing large fleets of machines without centralized server management.
The strong point of this system was the ability to activate the software without the PC being directly connected to the Internet . Many experts remember the procedure: you entered the code, generated an installation ID, and, by calling Microsoft support, you received the confirmation ID to unlock the system.
To facilitate this process, Microsoft had rolled out the service in major global markets, relying on a remote verification system that generated the necessary activation IDs . This allowed it to operate in isolated contexts , such as unconnected offices, industrial systems, or remote laboratories, where security or logistics prevented network access.
Recently, however, the scenario has changed. A user known as @TheBobPony reported that the traditional telephone activation process now appears to have been almost entirely abandoned in favor of a web portal. Instead of interacting with an automated voice over the phone, users are now redirected to a Microsoft website where activation must be completed online (usually via smartphone). Since this change appears to impact all products, there are concerns that purely voice activation will no longer be supported, a change that appears recent considering reports from just a few months ago.
One point remains to be clarified: the flow of this new online portal has not yet been fully analyzed. It’s likely that Microsoft hasn’t abandoned the principle of isolated system activation, but has simply moved the interface from the phone keypad to a web page . In practice, the user would still act as a “bridge” by entering the product ID on the site to receive an unlock code, but the operation now requires a secondary device with Internet access.
For air-gapped environments (completely isolated from the network), this evolution could be crucial. While the PC remains offline, the requirement to go through a web portal instead of a simple phone call could complicate procedures in certain critical areas. The ability to activate software without a direct connection is not just a convenience inherited from the past, but an operational necessity that many hope Microsoft will continue to ensure.
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