This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(256, 65%, 34%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EQ%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hello,
I'm facing an issue when I want to activate the licence for Visual Studio 2026 that I installed offline (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/install/create-an-offline-installation-of-visual-studio?view=visualstudio) using below command :
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\18\Professional\Common7\IDE\StorePID.exe" AAAAA-BBBBB-CCCCC-DDDDD-EEEEE 09662***
But I'm getting the error code 2 (PID_ACTION_INVALID), and If I activate manually from Visual Studio IDE portal the same licence key is working fine.
It seems that the MPC 09662 is not recognized for Visual Studio 2026 while Microsoft confirms (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/install/automatically-apply-product-keys-when-deploying-visual-studio?view=visualstudio&viewFallbackFrom=vs-2026).
Can someone confirms me the right MPC to use ?
Regards,
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(102.4, 53%, 19%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3E3%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Dears,
Although the MPC for Visual Studio Professional 2026 has not been made available it is relatively easy to get it by capturing the licensing process. For those who are interested MPC for VS Pro 2026 is 09862.
Dears, Although the MPC for Visual Studio Professional 2026 has not been made available it is relatively easy to get it by capturing the licensing process. For those who are interested MPC for VS Pro 2026 is 09862.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(163.2, 69%, 25%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EVD%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Thank you for reaching out.
The MPC for Visual Studio 2026 has not been published by Microsoft yet. The official documentation only lists MPC values for Visual Studio 2019 and 2022 (e.g., Professional 2022 = 09662). Because 2026 MPC is missing, StorePID.exe returns PID_ACTION_INVALID (2) when you try to use a 2022 MPC.
For now, activate through the IDE or wait until Microsoft updates the MPC table for 2026.
Reference: Automatically apply product keys when deploying Visual Studio
Please let us know if you require any further assistance, we’re happy to help.
If you found this information useful, kindly mark this as "Accept Answer".
Thanks Varsha.
Any timeline by when Microsoft may publish the MPC for Visual Studio 2026 Professional ?
Thank you for reaching out!
Currently, Microsoft hasn’t announced or published the MPC values for Visual Studio 2026 Professional. The official documentation only lists MPCs for Visual Studio 2019 and 2022, so using those for 2026 will result in the error you observed.
For now, the recommended approach is to activate through the IDE and keep an eye on the official page for updates:
Automatically apply product keys when deploying Visual Studio
As soon as Microsoft releases the MPC for 2026, it will appear there first.
Please let us know if you require any further assistance, we’re happy to help.
If you found this information useful, kindly mark this as "Accept Answer".
Thank you for reaching out.Microsoft has now published the MPC values for Visual Studio 2026 Professional. You can find the official details and instructions on the Microsoft documentation page: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/install/automatically-apply-product-keys-when-deploying-visual-studioPlease use the newly released MPC for activation instead of older versions (2019 or 2022), as those will cause errors.
Let me know if you need any further help with this. We'll be happy to assist.
If you find this helpful, please mark this as answered.
Hello @Varsha Dundigalla(INFOSYS LIMITED) ,
Thansk for your feedback.
I tested the new MPC 09862 but now I started getting the rror code 5 (PID_ACTION_FAILURE).
Can you please assist me again ?
Regards,
Thank you for letting us know!
Error code 5 (PID_ACTION_FAILURE) usually means something is missing or mismatched during offline activation. Please try these steps:
1. Install the offline certificates
From your Visual Studio offline layout, run these commands in an elevated Command Prompt:
certutil -addstore -f "Root" <layout>\certificates\manifestRootCertificate.cer
certutil -addstore -f "Root"
<layout>\certificates\manifestCounterSignRootCertificate.cer certutil -addstore -f "Root" <layout>\certificates\vs_installer_opc.RootCertificate.cer
Install certificates required for Visual Studio offline installation
2. Run StorePID from the correct folder with admin rights
cd "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\18\Professional\Common7\IDE" StorePID.exe XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX <MPC>
Make sure the key includes dashes and the MPC matches the installed edition and channel.
3. Check key type
For fully offline activation, Static keys work best. Retail or MAK keys often require online validation and can fail offline.
Finding and claiming product keys in Visual Studio subscriptions
Please let us know if you require any further assistance, we’re happy to help.
If you found this information useful, kindly mark this as "Accept Answer".
Hello @Varsha Dundigalla(INFOSYS LIMITED) ,
Those certificates are already installed on the computer and my key is a static one.
Here below you can see that the outputs saying that the certificates were already in the store when I tried to install them.
Best regards,
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(96, 73%, 19%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EST%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Thank you for confirming that the certificates are already installed. Since the certificates are present and still returning PID_ACTION_FAILURE (error 5), this usually indicates that the product key, MPC value, or installation channel does not match the visual studio installation.
Please try the following:
Let me know if you need any further help with this. I will be happy to assist.
If you find this helpful, Kindly mark the provided solution as "Accept Answer", so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.
Hello @Varsha Dundigalla(INFOSYS LIMITED) , @Susmitha T (INFOSYS LIMITED) ,
The MPC is working now. I ran the storepid command with admin rights and the activation worked successfully.
Thanks a lot for your support.
Thank you for your response. We will now proceed with closing the thread as per your confirmation. If you encounter any further issues, please feel free to raise a new thread.
The error code 2 (PID_ACTION_INVALID) indicates that the product key you are using may not be valid for the version of Visual Studio you are trying to activate. The MPC (Microsoft Product Code) for Visual Studio 2022 Enterprise is 09660, and for Visual Studio Professional, it is 09662. However, since you mentioned Visual Studio 2026, it is possible that the MPC has changed or is not yet documented in the available resources.
To resolve this issue, I recommend checking the official Microsoft documentation or support channels for the correct MPC for Visual Studio 2026. If the product key works when activated manually through the IDE, it suggests that the key itself is valid, but there may be a mismatch with the MPC when using StorePID.exe.
For further assistance, consider reaching out to Microsoft support or checking the Visual Studio Developer Community for updates regarding the activation of Visual Studio 2026.
References:
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(172.8, 89%, 26%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3ECC%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It looks like the issue comes from using the wrong MPC for offline activation. StorePID.exe in Visual Studio expects an MPC that matches the offline installation channel, not just the license key itself.
Even though the key works in the IDE portal, the offline tool validates against a specific MPC tied to that installation type. Error PID_ACTION_INVALID usually means the MPC doesn’t match the offline installer.