If you have installed Windows Server 2016 StandardEvaluation or DatacenterEvaluation (you can download it here after signup) to try the features of the new version of MSFT server platform, you have 180 days to test it. During this period, all features of Windows Server 2016 are available to you. After the trial period is over, the system starts to ask for activation and turns off every hour. The notification Windows License is expired is shown on your desktop. If you have found nothing better to do than to run productive tasks on the evaluation Windows Server 2016 version and want to upgrade it to full Windows Server edition, while keeping your data and without any need to completely reinstall the system, this article is for you.
If you try to specify the KMS key or the Retail/MAK activation key for the RTM version in the Evaluation edition, the following warning appears: “This edition cannot be upgraded”. But not everything is so sad.
Let’s make sure that you are using the evaluation edition. Start the command prompt with the administrator privileges and run the following command:
DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition
Get the list of editions you can convert your current Eval edition to:
DISM /online /Get-TargetEditions
As you can see, now we have ServerStandardEval edition, and it can be upgraded to the following Windows Server 2016 editions: ServerDatacenter or ServerStandard.
Using the public KMS key for Windows Server 2016, upgrade your Eval edition to Retail version of Windows Server 2016 Standard:
dism /online /set-edition:ServerStandard /productkey:WC2BQ-8NRM3-FDDYY-2BFGV-KHKQY /accepteula
DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter /ProductKey:CB7KF-BWN84-R7R2Y-793K2-8XDDG /AcceptEula
After you run this command, wait for it to finish (in some cases it may take several hours !!!). After that restart your server and make sure you have full Standard edition installed.
winver.exe
If you have got a KMS server in your network, you can use it for activation with the following commands:
slmgr /ipk WC2BQ-8NRM3-FDDYY-2BFGV-KHKQY
slmgr /ato
Or you can enter the MAK / Retail key and activate your OS online or by phone.
Here are some restrictions of these conversion means:
- You can convert only the full GUI version of Windows Server. Server Core or Nano Server can’t be converted this way.
- You cannot upgrade a server with a role of a domain controller (Active Directory Domain Services role). You must uninstall this role first.
9 comments
Why can’t the GUI method be made to function correctly?
Today you can upgrade Windows Server edition only through CLI. Maybe this will be fixed in the next Windows Server build (1803)….
Your screenshot shows ‘Removing Package..10%’ (set-edition) and your next instruction is to restart machine AFTER the command has been ‘run’. Does this mean immediately, at 10%, or waiting for completion?
Ah, my machine was waiting on 10% for ages (hence the question), but it has finally completed (typical MS progress bar!). I will continue to post this in case someone else has the same doubt (perhaps you could alter the step to say to wait until it completes/100%).
Also, thank you. It appears to have worked for me (virtual machine for eductional purposes).
Would you expect the same procedure to work for Server 2012?
Of course, you need to wait for the complete of dism /online /set-edition command. Only after that you must reboot the server.
Thanks for your comment. I updated the description in the article.
In Windows Server 2012, you can also perform the upgrade correctly, but you need to use the appropriate GVLK key.
Can I convert the cmd version? I bought the standard edition to learn but got it in cmd mode.
Thank you very much, this saved a lot of work after a project was fully implemented over an evaluation version by a contractee and I got the job to activate it; somehow, this time, the Microsoft phone support was not able to find anyone who knew this solution, at least in time, and your article worked quite well.
Thanks. Very useful.
It´s so frustrating 🙁
I installed the 2016 datacenter core eval version (14393.0.161119-1705). After we bought the retail keys it´s not possible to convert to the full version and I have to reinstall everything (Server Cluster with Storage Spaces Direct). Lost three days work only because MS has WRONG informations on their site.
This information is wrong:
“For releases of Windows Server 2016 prior to 14393.0.161119-1705.RS1_REFRESH, you can only perform this conversion from evaluation to retail with Windows Server 2016 that has been installed by using the Desktop Experience option (not the Server Core option). Starting with version 14393.0.161119-1705.RS1_REFRESH and later releases, you can convert evaluation editions to retail regardless of the installation option used.”
Source:https://docs.microsoft.com/de-de/windows-server/get-started/supported-upgrade-paths#span-data-ttu-id26ee3-165konvertieren-einer-aktuellen-evaluierungsversion-in-eine-aktuelle-verkaufsversionspanspan-classsxs-lookupspan-data-stu-id26ee3-165converting-a-current-evaluation-version-to-a-current-retail-versionspanspan
DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition
ServerDatacenterEvalCor
DISM /online /Get-TargetEditions says this version can´t be converted.
Even with the current newest eval version it´s not possible to concert the datacenter core version!