Bypassing DNS and ISP Blocking Using DoH and Alternatives in Microsoft-Activation-Scripts

Microsoft-Activation-Scripts (MAS) provides built-in DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) workarounds, including browser-based DoH activation and curl.exe with the --doh-url flag, to bypass ISP-level blocking of the get.activated.win domain.

Microsoft-Activation-Scripts (MAS) is an open-source Windows and Office activation toolkit distributed via the get.activated.win domain. When Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or DNS resolvers filter this domain, users can bypass these restrictions using DNS-over-HTTPS methods documented in the repository's README.md. This guide explains the technical implementation of bypassing DNS and ISP blocking using DoH and alternatives in MAS based on the official source code at massgravel/Microsoft-Activation-Scripts.

Understanding the Blocking Mechanism

The activation workflow relies on downloading payloads from get.activated.win, a domain frequently targeted by DNS filters and government blocklists. When standard UDP-based DNS resolution fails due to ISP-level filtering, the script cannot retrieve the necessary activation components stored in MAS_AIO.cmd and related activator files. The repository addresses this by implementing encrypted DNS resolution that operates outside the local resolver chain.

Method 1: Browser-Based DNS-over-HTTPS

The simplest approach documented in README.md (line 41) involves enabling DoH directly in your web browser to resolve the activation domain before executing the script.

Configuring DoH in Chrome and Edge

1. Open Settings → Privacy and security → Security.
2. Scroll to Use secure DNS and toggle it on.
3. Choose Custom and enter https://1.1.1.1/dns-query.

Once enabled, navigate to the MAS download page; the browser resolves get.activated.win through Cloudflare's encrypted endpoint, bypassing local DNS restrictions. After downloading, you can execute the script normally even if your system's DNS remains filtered.

Method 2: Command-Line DoH with curl.exe

For automated deployments or when browser configuration is unavailable, MAS supports forcing DNS resolution through Cloudflare's DoH endpoint using curl.exe with specific parameters, as documented in README.md (line 22).

The Standard vs. DoH-Enabled Commands

Normal execution fails when DNS is blocked:

irm https://get.activated.win | iex

DoH-forced fallback bypasses DNS blocking:

iex (curl.exe -s --doh-url https://1.1.1.1/dns-query https://get.activated.win | Out-String)

How the DoH Fallback Works

The --doh-url https://1.1.1.1/dns-query parameter instructs curl.exe to resolve the hostname through Cloudflare's DNS-over-HTTPS service rather than the system's default DNS resolver. This encrypts the DNS query end-to-end within the HTTPS connection, preventing ISPs from intercepting or blocking the domain lookup. The response payload is captured, converted to a string via Out-String, and passed to iex (Invoke-Expression) for immediate execution, mirroring the functionality of the standard irm (Invoke-RestMethod) pipeline.

Key Source Files Supporting DNS Bypass

The MAS repository implements these network resilience features across several critical components:

• MAS_AIO.cmd: The primary All-In-One batch wrapper located in MAS/All-In-One-Version-KL/MAS_AIO.cmd that orchestrates the activation workflows and menu systems.
• README.md: Contains the official DoH documentation and fallback commands at lines 22 and 41, providing user guidance for bypassing DNS filters.
• Troubleshoot.cmd: Located in MAS/Separate-Files-Version/Troubleshoot.cmd, this diagnostic utility checks DNS reachability, flushes the DNS cache, and reports network status to identify blocking issues.
• Online_KMS_Activation.cmd: Found in MAS/Separate-Files-Version/Activators/Online_KMS_Activation.cmd, handles KMS server connections using the same encrypted resolution paths when available.
• HWID_Activation.cmd: Located in MAS/Separate-Files-Version/Activators/HWID_Activation.cmd, performs hardware-based Windows activation and relies on the same network infrastructure for license verification.

Summary

• Microsoft-Activation-Scripts distributes its payload via get.activated.win, a domain frequently blocked by ISP-level DNS filters and national firewalls.
• Browser-based DoH: Enabling secure DNS in Chrome or Edge with https://1.1.1.1/dns-query allows the script download even when standard DNS resolution fails.
• Command-line bypass: Using curl.exe -s --doh-url https://1.1.1.1/dns-query forces resolution through Cloudflare, bypassing local DNS restrictions before piping to iex.
• Source implementation: The README.md file documents both methods at specific line references, while MAS_AIO.cmd and supporting activators in the MAS/Separate-Files-Version/Activators/ directory implement the core functionality.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) and why does MAS use it?

DNS-over-HTTPS encrypts DNS queries within HTTPS traffic, preventing ISPs from viewing or blocking specific domain requests. MAS utilizes DoH to ensure users can always reach get.activated.win even when traditional DNS resolution is filtered or hijacked by network providers, maintaining access to the activation scripts stored in the repository.

Which curl.exe flag forces DoH resolution in MAS?

The --doh-url flag followed by a DoH endpoint URL (such as https://1.1.1.1/dns-query) forces curl.exe to resolve hostnames through the specified encrypted DNS service rather than the operating system's default resolver. This flag is the core mechanism used in the MAS fallback command to bypass ISP blocking.

Can I use alternative DNS resolvers besides Cloudflare?

While the MAS documentation specifically references Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 endpoint, any standards-compliant DoH provider (such as Quad9 or Google DNS) can technically be substituted in the --doh-url parameter, provided the service supports the DNS-over-HTTPS protocol and returns valid A records for the activation domain.

Where is the DoH bypass documented in the MAS source code?

The primary documentation resides in README.md at the repository root, specifically around lines 22 and 41, where the fallback curl.exe command and browser-based DoH instructions are detailed for users experiencing connectivity issues. The Troubleshoot.cmd file additionally implements diagnostic checks for these network conditions.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}