Massgrave and Windows LTSC / IoT: The Long-Life Editions
LTSC and IoT LTSC are the editions people run when they want a machine to stay unchanged for a decade. Activation behaves slightly differently on them.
Why LTSC is different
Enterprise LTSC and IoT Enterprise LTSC ship with a ten-year servicing lifecycle, no Store, no bundled apps and no feature updates. They are volume-licensed SKUs, which changes which activation paths apply.
The practical consequence: the digital-license service that HWID relies on is inconsistent about LTSC SKUs. Sometimes it accepts them, sometimes it reports the edition as unsupported.
The method order for LTSC
- Try HWID first. If it succeeds, you get a permanent server-side license that survives reinstalls. Best possible outcome.
- KMS38 if HWID refuses. Fully offline, expiry set to January 2038 — for an LTSC box that is effectively permanent given the servicing window.
- TSforge if both are awkward. Writes licensing data directly, edition-agnostic, offline, permanent.
All three are in the same MAS menu; you can try them in order without uninstalling anything in between.
IoT Enterprise LTSC specifics
IoT Enterprise LTSC is the edition of choice for kiosks, embedded devices and minimal desktops. It responds well to KMS38 and TSforge. HWID support is the least reliable of the LTSC family — do not spend time forcing it, move to KMS38.
Windows Server
Server 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025 activate with KMS38 or TSforge. HWID does not apply to Server at all — there is no consumer digital-license path. For a domain controller or a hypervisor host, TSforge is usually preferable because it leaves no scheduled task.
Verifying on a long-life box
slmgr /xpr
slmgr /dli
A 2038 expiry confirms KMS38. "Permanently activated" confirms HWID or TSforge. On a machine you will not touch for years, note in your own records which method you used — the remediation differs if it ever lapses.
What breaks it later
LTSC does not receive feature updates, which is exactly why activation tends to stay put. The realistic risks are hardware changes (a motherboard swap invalidates an HWID binding) and disk imaging across different hardware. Both are fixed by a single re-run.
Getting LTSC media
Use official Microsoft ISOs. LTSC ISOs circulating on file-sharing sites are a far bigger security risk than any activation method — a modified install image compromises the machine before you ever open a terminal.
Get the script
Open Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin) and run:
irm https://get.activated.win | iex
Prefer offline? Grab the archive from the download page and run MAS_AIO.cmd as administrator. More help: MAS script overview · Massgrave Windows guide · troubleshooting · error decoder.
Step-by-step overview
Activating Windows LTSC or IoT Enterprise LTSC using Massgrave involves a clear, prioritized approach to ensure the most robust and permanent activation. This guide walks you through the recommended steps, assuming you've already installed your desired LTSC edition from an official Microsoft ISO.
First, you'll need to obtain and run the Massgrave script. The easiest way is to open Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin) and execute the command irm https://get.activated.win | iex. This downloads and runs the latest script directly from the internet. If you prefer an offline approach, navigate to the download page to grab the archive and then run MAS_AIO.cmd as administrator from the extracted folder.
Once the Massgrave menu appears, your primary goal for LTSC editions is to achieve a permanent server-side license via HWID (Hardware ID). This method links your activation to your machine's hardware profile on Microsoft's servers, making it incredibly resilient to reinstalls. Navigate the menu to select the HWID option and initiate the process. Monitor the output for success. If the script reports a successful HWID activation, you've achieved the "best possible outcome." You can then verify this by running slmgr /xpr or slmgr /dli in an elevated command prompt, looking for "Permanently activated."
However, the digital-license service can be inconsistent with LTSC SKUs. If HWID fails or reports the edition as unsupported, do not attempt to force it. The next recommended step is to utilize KMS38. This method sets an expiry date to January 2038, which for a long-servicing LTSC edition, is effectively permanent. Return to the Massgrave menu, select the KMS38 option, and let it complete. This activation is fully offline and does not rely on Microsoft's digital license service. After it finishes, verify its success with slmgr /xpr, which should now show a 2038 expiry date.
In the rare event that both HWID and KMS38 prove problematic, the final resort is TSforge. This method writes licensing data directly to your system, bypassing traditional activation paths. It's edition-agnostic, offline, and results in a permanent activation, similar to HWID. Access TSforge from the Massgrave menu and follow the prompts. Once completed, slmgr /xpr should report "Permanently activated."
It's crucial to note that for IoT Enterprise LTSC, HWID support is particularly unreliable; it's generally best to skip straight to KMS38 if it doesn't succeed immediately. For Windows Server editions (2016, 2019, 2022, 2025), HWID is not applicable at all, so you should exclusively use KMS38 or TSforge. TSforge is often preferred for servers like domain controllers due to its minimal footprint (no scheduled tasks).
Remember to keep a record of the activation method used, especially for long-life boxes, as this information can be vital for future troubleshooting or re-activation after major hardware changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is LTSC activation sometimes tricky with HWID?
The digital-license service, which HWID relies on, is inconsistent in recognizing LTSC SKUs. These editions are volume-licensed, and their integration with consumer-oriented digital licenses isn't always seamless, leading to "unsupported edition" errors.
What is the advantage of KMS38 over other methods for LTSC?
KMS38 provides an offline activation that sets the expiry date to January 2038. For an LTSC edition with a ten-year servicing lifecycle, this is practically permanent and doesn't rely on online services or a scheduled task.
Can I use HWID for Windows Server?
No, HWID does not apply to Windows Server editions. Server operating systems do not have a consumer digital-license path. For Servers, you should use KMS38 or TSforge for activation.
How do I verify my LTSC activation?
You can verify activation by opening an elevated command prompt and running slmgr /xpr or slmgr /dli. A "Permanently activated" message indicates success with HWID or TSforge, while an expiry date of January 2038 confirms KMS38.
What if my LTSC activation lapses later?
LTSC rarely loses activation due to its lack of feature updates. However, hardware changes (like a motherboard swap) or disk imaging to different hardware can invalidate HWID. A simple re-run of the Massgrave script using the same method should restore activation.
Is it safe to use LTSC ISOs from file-sharing sites?
It is strongly recommended to use official Microsoft LTSC ISOs only. ISOs from untrusted sources often contain malicious modifications that can compromise your system's security before any activation method is even applied.
Related guides
Get MAS from the official project
This site does not host its own build of the scripts. The buttons below go to the project’s own repository and mirrors, so what you get is what the developers published.
PowerShell one-liner published by the project:
irm get.activated.win | iexCheck the domain before running it, and see how to verify what you run.
Activation tooling is routinely classified as riskware by antivirus software. That is expected for this category and is not by itself evidence of malware — nor proof that a particular copy is clean. Verify the source before running anything.