Sep 26, 2010. If you are trying to use an evaluation copy of Windows Server 2008 R2 (WS08R2), the following information will come handy. You don't have to provide the product key for WS08R2 evaluation version but you have to activate it within 10 days. The 10-day activation can be extended five (5) times by using the. I had a downloaded copy of Server 2008 R2 that I had previously used for testing. That machine was retired. However, I am setting up a test environment and need to load Server 2008 R2 on 2 machines. I want to use the trial version right now, until my test is successfull, and than one will move under a. Nov 28, 2011 Problem: When you download and install Windows Server 2008 R2 (with or without SP1) 180 days trial software, it prompts for activation within 10 days of. If I can reinstall, I might use VMs to learn about Windows Server- not holding any data or running any app (i.e. Joining domains, playing with GPOs, etc.). I expect that an attempt to change the license key after activation, to another Eval license key, would result in the new key being immediately set to 'used'.
My home desktop PC still has Windows XP SP3 installed and used as primary. I installed Windows Server 2008 R2 – 180 days trial version as a secondary OS in a partition in Nov. 2011 for a test purpose, and actually could not keep using it since Jan. 2012. Definitely, the trial period was expired. Today, I was trying to install Windows Server 2012 virtual labs to follow “Windows Server 2012 Hyper-v courses from MVA, but I could not install the virtual labs due to Windows XP is not supported and not a best OS for keep going. Therefore, I decided to extend the evaluation period and reactive the Windows Server 2008 R2 for another 180 days as following steps.
1) Open Command Prompt 2) Type slmgr.vbs -dli, and then press ENTER to check the current status of your evaluation period. 3) License Status shows it is expired 4) To reset the license period, type slmgr.vbs –rearm, and then press ENTER. 5) Restart the computer 6) After rebooting, activate the license. It will be activated again and valid for another 180 days as below image. 7) To verify the license status again, Open Command Prompt, Type slmgr.vbs -dli, and press ENTER.
It will display expiration date as below.
I'm trying to activate windows 2008 server SP2 today since the activation trial is done. I do not have an internet connection with this server so I can not activate online, and with the other servers in this farm I've been able to run the slmgr -ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx and then it would open up the activate by phone method and we would just activate that way. I say again, I don't have an internet connection so I can not do the online activate. If I do the slui 4 it brings up the activation window but show me other ways to activate is still greyed out. I've disabled the NIC on this Hyper-V server and I still can not get the other way to activate to show up. Anyone have any ideas?
This computer is one of my AD servers so. It being in notification mode kind of sucks.