In part 1 and part 2 of this series, I describe how & where to buy a Windows Sideloading Key and then how to configure a machine to sideloading your “store” application.

I did not think there was another part to this story … until I checked my license and it’s number of activations. The license you purchase and use to sideload Windows store applications is supposed to be for an “unlimited number of devices“.

MS Claim of Activations on Unlimited Devices

You can imagine my surprise and frustration when I saw in the Volume License Service Center that I had burned through 7 of 25 activations in the first few days!!

Long story short, after a few emails with the VLSC, they said they set the number of activations on that “UNLIMITED” license to 25 “for Microsoft tracking purposes on how many times the product has been used“. In the event you run out, you can request more activations by contacting the MAK team.

I do NOT want to be in production and getting calls from a customer that can no longer sideload the application because we have reached the maximum number of activations. Sure enough, it took another couple emails, but the MAK team was “happy” to increase the number… to 225. Still not unlimited, but a somewhat large number that I will someday likely have to increase again.

225 Activations

Where I uncovered the answers

vlserva -at- microsoft.com
MAKAdd -at- microsoft.com