Glossary

 

Did you come across an unfamiliar term while validating your software or while searching for other information? Use the Glossary to find definitions of common terms used on the Genuine Microsoft Software Web site.

Malicious software is typically used as a catch-all term to refer to any software designed to cause damage to a computer, server, or network. Common types of malicious software, or malware, include viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, and worms. Get more information from Microsoft’s Malware Protection Center.

A Multiple Activation Key (MAK) is associated with volume licensing. MAK is used for one-time activation with Microsoft’s hosted activation services. All volume editions of Windows^® can use MAK (Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2). There are two ways to activate computers using MAK. The first method is MAK Independent activation, which requires that each computer independently connect and be activated with Microsoft^® either over the Internet or by telephone. The second method is MAK Proxy activation. With this method, a computer acting as a MAK proxy gathers activation information from multiple computers on the network, and then sends a centralized activation request on their behalf. MAK proxy activation is configured using the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT). For more about MAK, visit Microsoft’s Volume Licensing Service Center.