I am now positive this is an issue after chasing activation issues for over a year. I manage roughly 150 computers in the field and have been using Norton for 20+ years. I can’t change the fact they already exist in the field, reinstalling 150 computers across 20 or so companies is not viable.
So please, not looking for judgement for how I got into this position, just help understanding if there is a way out or if I just need to move to another product (NOT what I want to do).
Nothing illegal going on in terms in licensing, each account has their own Norton Account with the appropriate Norton license. But selling a very limited number of models across all sites made it ideal for cloning (ideal being wrong when it comes to Norton, no problems with any other product I have used). Any computer they identify as a clone has the license periodically kicked out and the user receives an expire anti-virus error.
I know what doesn’t work…
- Deleting from online and then reactivating (always remembers the original activation date)
- Full uninstall / reinstall of Norton including manual cleanup.
I changed procedures last year but I cannot afford the security risk if the product is constantly kicking out the license.
Norton / Anyone, is there a way around this or am I SOL?
Thanks.
Norton, anyone? I can’t imagine I am the only person who has run into this.
If you are cloning using an image of the first computer with Norton installed, you would have the same serial number for the Norton installation on all the other computers you clone from the first. That would be why some or all of the clones would lose their activations. As the first device gets the activation confirmed on a regular basis ( one week I think), any other device with the same serial number would be seen by the Norton activation servers as an attempt to avoid paying for your installations. It does not matter that you may have more than enough subscriptions for all the devices. The activation servers have no way of knowing that.
@peterweb This is where Norton needs to step into the conversation about things. There is more to what is happening than cloning to deploy. I’ve followed this customer for a long, long time with this. Norton isn’t responding with anything at all. Just an added RESPECTFUL input.
SA
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This is why even setting up and using a KMS server has its pitfalls. Thus the reasons I haven’t suggested this approach.
AI Overview
Managing antivirus subscriptions and activations via a Key Management Service (KMS) server involves setting up a central host to manage volume licenses
. This is typically done by installing the Volume Activation Services role, configuring firewall port 1688, and activating the KMS host with a Customer Specific Volume License Key (CSVLK).
How to Manage Antivirus Subscriptions/Activation via KMS:
- Set up the KMS Host: Install the Volume Activation Services role on a Windows Server and use the Volume Activation Tools wizard to enter your organization’s KMS host key.
- Configure DNS: Ensure the KMS host creates a
_VLMCS record in DNS so clients can automatically locate it.
- Configure Clients: Clients (computers) need a Generic Volume License Key (GVLK) to point to the KMS host, which is standard for enterprise volume licensing.
- Verify/Activate: Use
slmgr.vbs /ato on client machines to trigger activation against the KMS server.
- Centralized Management: Use antivirus management consoles (e.g., Bitdefender GravityZone) to sync subscription dates and reconfigure agents.
For non-Microsoft antivirus, management is usually handled through that vendor’s centralized management console, not directly via Windows KMS, which is strictly for Microsoft product volume activation.
Key Considerations:
*** Firewall: Ensure port 1688 is open for inbound traffic.**
*** KMS Keys: Use the appropriate CSVLK from the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center.**
*** KMS Client Key: If not a volume edition, you may need to install a GVLK (Generic Volume License Key) on clients.**
*** Alternatives: For small businesses, Microsoft Defender offers free, centrally manageable protection.**
Edited: Create a Key Management Services (KMS) Activation Host in Windows Server | Microsoft Learn
SA
That is not the scenario peterweb. Norton is NOT included in the clone and is only installed AFTER the base clone was applied to a new computer. Even changed the SID to see if they were using that and no luck.
It’s safe to say that none of us know exactly how their activation works, I just need someone who DOES know how it works to explain if I am SOL or not.
The cost per year to Norton is nothing crazy….5K-7K per year for my core base. So, my guess is I will receive no response just as I have for 9 MONTHS for the open ticket 94900448 (open since August 2025, escalated to tier 3 in September and Norton has been ghosting me for 6 months since).
Appreciate the feedback but not the scenario you mentioned isn’t valid in the case and, even if it was, why wouldn’t a simple removal of ALL computers from an Norton Online account and reinstalling Norton resolve the issue? It should.
Thanks for the clarification.
Really Norton, not even a token effort? That really sucks. 25 years of reselling and going to bat for you in the lean, resource intensive days followed by ads flying in your damn face every day. Just to restate, there is already a ticket in tier 3 for this exact issue, it had been in tier 3 for 9 MONTHS and they just stopped replying. So my ask for help here is in lieu of them even responding to an open ticket that I spent 80+ man hours (easily) troubleshooting and working with tier 3 before they went silent. Ticket # 94900448.
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Another update…turns out the ticket # I noted above has been in an invalid queue for months, one of the reasons I wasn’t getting responses.
Anyway, have spoken to 3 different tier 1 managers:
- A new case has been opened, 100403125. I was told last weeks on 2 different days that I would hear back from tier 2 in in 2-3 days. I have heard from no one 6 business days and 8 total days later.
- Today, nice manager #3 (his intentions are good) tells me not to worry, someone will contact me in 2-3 days. I tell him he is the 3rd person who promised me 2-3 days but he “assures” me it will be different this.
- Here is the kicker…the initial company I opened this for has roughly 15 computers and around 10 of them had their Norton license kicked out over the weekend. They have a perfect test bed….10 computers that have no active license on the computer but the same 10 computers are shown as licensed under my.norton.com. Why in the &H%! can’t tier 2 simply capture this information…as if tier 3 is not going to ask for it.
It’s the blind leading the blind. Hard to believe there isn’t 1 person who the common sense to cut through red tape to take care of a customer.
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@potomacpctech Have the next tech person you speak with validate your internal Norton licensing tokens. Ask the client for assistance if you cannot remotely sign each device OUT of Norton in the UI, REBOOT and sign them in again. Maybe you have already done this, this thread has been active for so long its hard to catch everything. Are there a lot of “old devices” sitting in the devices section of the Norton portal or each sub? If so have they been removed? Again this may have already been done, just thinking out of the box.
SA
I have done a scratch install using their client uninstall utility and, no matter what I do (short of formatting and reinstalling), the freshly installed computer will show up online with the original install date Norton was installed on the computer. All devices have been removed. The account used to create the clones is completely empty, not a single license allocated. That is because my internal computers re currently in differently stages of trials of competing products. So this is CROSSING ACCOUNTS, a very important point to note. I create the under Account A. All reference to the computer being licenses are removed from Norton, included devices.
Go to account B, license 2 computers that were originally installed with the clone and within a period of time the licenses will start to get kicked out. As a side note, the installation date is the current date when installing under a different Norton account (it does not mirror the installation date from Account A).
All of this has been staged and prepared for anyone at Norton to lookup.
This is ALL on them….
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My Norton contact says there has been issues with calls going unanswered so I filled them in about that issue and its now solved. Hoping the team follows up. A developer/engineering rep should be involved already, but, I’m not a Norton employee so we have no say, we can just offer suggestions.
SA
That is pretty much par for the course with Norton and REALLY frustrating. A brand new ticket has been created and there has not been a single issue with missed called because the call is ALREADY in TIER 3 and I am simply waiting for a Tier 2 rep to pickup the damn phone and call my wife’s cell phone? Why you ask? Because as soon as we created a new ticket I suggested trying her phone since she had recently switched to mint mobile (NOT VERIZON). It worked. Her number, (301) 529-3603, was changed to the primary number on the ticket specifically because of this.
So why would your contact go back to October 2025 when there was a history of missed calls? How the f does this person say or type of crap to you when none of it is on the new ticket and the new ticket is supposed to explain the history and why they changed to my wife’s number. And how does he not see me screaming via email why I am missing calls, why does he no acknowledge the old ticket was placed into a back hole that no one was ever gong to look at in November 2025 *verbatim from the managers I spoke to).
I’m sorry man but your contact is full of it and not even looking at the totality of the 2 ticket s or any acknowledgement of the new ticket with the new mint mobile phone #.
Par for the course. This person is doing nothing at all to help with the ticket.
Appreciate your help bud, you feel my frustration with these people.
And again, ALREADY AT TIER 3, just a matter of someone getting off their ass and calling me. It is the exact crap I dealt with last fall until their transferred the ticket into the black hole.
Calling back AGAIN, ask the person what call back number is assigned to the ticket and she gives me my cell #, not my wife’s. You know what is going to happen, either they will call my wife’s cell when we are not near each other or they will call my cell and it will go straight to VM. Sorry, even more agitated after that arrogant response from your contact.