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Microsoft VAMT 2.0 (Volume Activation Management Tool)
This tool can be downloaded from Microsoft here
The tool can be intalled on any recent windows platform but would normally be installed on a server from where you can manage the activation of Windows 7 and Office 2010. Windows XP can't be managed but Office 2010 on Windows XP can.
Commonly, the following error is experienced when first running the tool so this page list the causes I have found and over come. There are probably many more, I just haven't had them yet!
Unable to connect to the WMI service on the remote machine.
Windows 7
Allow WMI through Windows 7 Firewall...
On the client machine, go to the Windows Firewall, Advanced settings, Inbound rules (Firewall must be on for this to work).
Right click and select Enable Rule for the following four rules:
Windows Management Instrumentation (DCOM-In) Private,Public
Windows Management Instrumentation (DCOM-In) Domain
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI-In) Private, Public
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI-In) Domain
Another cause of the above error is if you have IPv6 installed but disabled (unticked). Enable it. (Don't ask me why!)
Windows XP with Office 14 (2010)
In this case, it is likely that the windows firewall is blocking remote administration. Assuming the PC's in question are on a domain, edit the associated machine group policy on the server as follows. This applies to server 2003 and 2008
Administrative Templates, Network, Network Connections, Windows Firewall, Domain Profile.
Now enable the item "Windows Firewall: Enable remote administration exception"