Generic Volume License Keys (GVLKs) are not specific to an organization's license. Using a GVLK tells that Microsoft product to instead look to a local Key Management Service (KMS) instance, and use that to activate the product.

Cornell's KMS service is restricted to the Cornell network: A machine must be either physically on campus, on to a remote network that's directly routed through the Cornell network, or connected to Cornell's campus Virtual Private Network (VPN).

You'll need the appropriate GVLK to update installations of Windows that used a different activation method, such as a Multiple Activation Key (MAK).

Please see the following Microsoft websites for the current list of GVLKs:

• Generic Volume License Keys for Microsoft Windows
• Generic Volume License Keys for Microsoft Office (volume-licensed editions only)