Introduction
KMS is a popular method to activate Microsoft Office products from version 2010 to 2021, including Office 2016 products such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, and Outlook. It mimics an enterprise-grade utility called key management service or KMS that companies use to manage licenses across multiple devices. In a way, the KMS process “tricks” your Microsoft Office installation into believing that it has been activated the legitimate way, whereas the KMS server was local to your PC only.
But this is not 100% safe! In this guide, you will learn about the risks associated with activating Office 2016 using KMS. From legality to security concerns, let’s help you get an in-depth, practical look at everything you need to know.
Using KMS Office 2016
Using KMS for activating Office 2016 is quite popular. After all, Microsoft Office 2016 remains a popular productivity suite, providing essential applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook for personal and business use.
With its robust feature set, many users still prefer Office 2016 over newer versions, which often require ongoing subscriptions. However, activating Office 2016 without a valid license can pose certain risks—particularly for those using a KMS activator.
Don’t get us wrong. These KMS tools are a quick and cost-free activation method. But no one can dispute that they come with several security, legal, and technical considerations that you should be fully aware of before proceeding.
Understanding the Risks of KMS Activator Office 2016
There are several issues that you need to be aware of before you go on activating your Microsoft Office 2016 with a KMS tool (such as KMSPico Office 2016). These utilities do provide Office 2016 free activation but without the complete knowledge of surrounding concerns, you might be putting yourself in a state of jeopardy.
1. Malware
One of the biggest risks with KMS activation tools is the potential for malware. Your antivirus software is not in the wrong when they flag these tools. There is a very high likelihood of bundled malware, spyware, or adware with these tools. This is why you should only download it from the official website.
2. Hacks
Some KMS activators are created by bad actors. They want your data. And to do that, they engineer a piece of executable code alongside the KMS Activator Office 2016 that can create a persistent backdoor into your system. This can even give hackers remote access to your system. Again, stick to only the official website.
3. Deactivation
Some Windows updates and all Windows reinstall will totally remove any KMS activation. This means if you update or reinstall Windows regularly, you never know when you might need to redo it all over again. In this case, we recommend you use the HWID-level binding of the MAS method.
4. Piracy
You’re essentially pirating Office. This is more of an ethical dilemma than an actual issue—but perhaps you’ll find solace in the fact that Microsoft makes enough money and is so crazy about maintaining its market leader position that it intentionally turns a blind eye toward one-off consumers using KMS tools to activate their Office 2016 or other products.
5. 180-Day Activation
By default, the KMS process only activates a license for 180 days or roughly 6 months. This is the way the tool has been designed. As unofficial KMS tools such as KMSPico Office 2016 basically mimic the same process, they are also limited. That being said, some KMS installations actually carry self-renewal capabilities.
That’s pretty much it. And almost all of the risks associated with Office 2016 free activation using KMS tools have some kind of workaround.
Wrapping Up
Key Management Service (KMS) is a legitimate Microsoft protocol created for large-scale organizations to streamline the activation of Windows and Office products across multiple devices. It allows companies to manage licenses internally, reducing the need to activate each product individually through Microsoft’s servers.
For personal use, however, some users turn to unofficial KMS activators to activate Office 2016 without a valid license. These tools create a simulated KMS server locally, effectively “tricking” Office into recognizing the activation as legitimate. While it may seem like a quick solution, KMS activation for Office 2016 carries risks that go beyond just avoiding a licensing fee.
So, be careful out there. The official page you should always download KMS Pico from for Windows and Office activation needs is KMS-FULL. This is maintained by the team that develops the tool. So far, nobody has had any malware bundles with the executables you can find here. Every other website having its own version of KMS activation is risky.