Convert Windows Server Evaluation to Retail

Microsoft allows Windows Server Evaluation to be upgraded to a full retail Standard or Datacenter edition. This can be done quite easily through some simple command line prompts.

Note that the following restrictions apply:

• You can upgrade to the same or higher edition of Windows Server. For example, ServerStandardEval can be upgraded to ServerStandard or ServerDatacenter
• If NIC Teaming is configured on the server, it must be disabled before upgrading.
• It is not recommended to convert a host with the AD domain controller role. You must first demote DC to a member server. This requires the domain to have at least one additional DC to which you can move FSMO roles.

Step 1: Getting Started

Go ahead and open the command prompt. Our first step is to ensure that we're currently running an evaluation version of Windows Server.

DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition

You should see the following: [Insert Image Here]

Step 2: Get Target Editions

Then, list the editions of Server that we're eligible to upgrade to:

DISM /online /Get-TargetEditions

[Insert Image Here]

Step 3: Set Target Edition

You'll be presented with "Target Editions". These are editions that we can upgrade to.

In this case, we are going to upgrade the Evaluation edition to the Standard Retail version of Windows Server. Find and copy your retail license, and then run the following command:

dism /online /set-edition:ServerStandard /productkey:xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx /accepteula

Now, restart and if successful, you should be presented with the following:

[Insert Image Here]