How to Activate Windows Server 2019 / 2022 Evaluation?
Error: The product key you entered didn’t work. Check the product key and try again or enter a different one. (0xc004f050)
You downloaded and installed the 2019 / 2022 Standard or Datacenter version from Microsoft’s website. Let’s assume that you installed it in your production environment without activation and you need to do activation (e.g., Domain Controller or SQL Server). You will probably get an error like the image below when you want to activate. How do we fix the activation error? In this article I will explain the working solutions.
First of all, a separate product key is required for each Windows Server Evaluation version. Here are the public keys for Windows Server Evaluation 2019–2022 versions (standard and datacenter).
Windows Server Evaluation 2019 Activation Key
Windows Server 2016 Essentials JCKRF-N37P4-C2D82–9YXRT-4M63B
Windows Server 2019 Standard N69G4-B89J2–4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter WMDGN-G9PQG-XVVXX-R3X43–63DFG
Windows Server Evaluation 2022 Activation Key
Windows Server 2022 Standard VDYBN-27WPP-V4HQT-9VMD4-VMK7H
Windows Server 2022 Azure Edition NTBV8–9K7Q8-V27C6-M2BTV-KHMXV
Windows Server 2022 Datacenter WX4NM-KYWYW-QJJR4-XV3QB-6VM33
I will explain the standard version, please customize the process according to your version. Now we open PowerShell as administrator. Then paste the public key with code below for the standard version and press enter.
DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:N69G4-B89J2–4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C /AcceptEula
DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter /ProductKey:WMDGN-G9PQG-XVVXX-R3X43–63DFG /AcceptEula
Change the public key in the DISM command according to your version. After the system does this, there will be a restart request, you can restart as Y/N. Press Y and Enter.
If you install the Data Center key for the standard version, the system will upgrade. Be careful which key you enter to avoid this situation.
Now, This Pc > Properties > Change Product Key: Now you can activate the Evaluation version with your own activation key.
If this solution does not work, you can try the next method.
Solution 2
Open the PowerShell as administrator and let's start steps:
“slmgr.vbs /upk” // for removing windows server evaluation key from system.
“slmgr.vbs /cpky” // for removing windows server evaluation key from registry.
After the license keys are cleared, you need to use Public Activation KMS Key instead of VLCS Activation Mak Key to get from Evaluation mode to Standard Retail mode.
With the “DISM /Online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:N69G4-B89J2–4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C /AcceptEula” command, we switch from Evaluation version to Standard version with the Public Activation KMS Key we have. When the process is finished, it will ask us to restart. When the system restarts, we need to clean the KMS Activation License Keys. For this, we will use the commands we wrote above again.
“slmgr.vbs /upk” // for removing windows server evaluation key from system.
“slmgr.vbs /cpky” // for removing windows server evaluation key from registry.
Now you can activate with your own original key.
“slmgr /ipk YourOwnProductKEY” press enter.
When you complete the activation with the “slmgr /ato” command and reboot, the activation will be completed.
If you haven’t any Windows Server valid activation key then what we can do? There is a temporary solution for this. You can extend the more 180-day trial period. Especially in the LAB environment this scenario very useful.
How to Extend 180-Days Windows Server Evaluation Period?
As you can see license is expired. Now we will open CMD with the administrative privileges.
1- Write: slmgr /dlv (With this code you see detailed license info)
2- Write: slmgr /rearm (reset the trial period) — Restart the server
If I am not mistaken, you can extend the trial period of Windows Server Evaluation versions 6 times. Each time the 180-day trial starts again. This method is legal, but if you do not have to, you should enter your license in production environments.
