March 29, 2024
2019 07 10 8 10 34 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key
When you try to activate Windows server 2019 from evaluation version, do you always get an error message "the product key you entered didn't work. Check the product key and try again, or enter a different one. (0x80070490)"? Today, I am going to show you how to install license key to activate Windows Server 2019 from Evaluation version. Let's follow steps to activate your windows server 2019 (it also can be use for activating Windows Server 2016). Note: you cannot use slmgr /ipk command with VLSC MAK key or Retail to activate evaluation edition server directly.

When you try to activate Windows server 2019 from evaluation version, do you always get an error message “the product key you entered didn’t work. Check the product key and try again, or enter a different one. (0x80070490)”?

Today, I am going to show you how to install license key to activate Windows Server 2019 from Evaluation version. Let’s follow steps to activate your windows server 2019 (it also can be use for activating Windows Server 2016).

Note: you cannot use slmgr /ipk command with VLSC MAK key or Retail to activate evaluation edition server directly.

  1. Login to Windows Server 2019.
  2. Open Settings and then select System.

    040319 2339 HowtoActiva1 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

  3. Select About and check Edition.

    040319 2339 HowtoActiva2 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

  4. If it shows Windows Server 2019 Standard or others non-evaluation edition, you can activate it without reboot.
  5. Don’t use GUI to activate it, you will get error message most of time.

    040319 2339 HowtoActiva3 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

  6. Run command prompt or PowerShell as administrator.
  7. Type following command.
    slmgr /ipk your_product_key
    
  8. It will pop up Windows Script Host window and shows “install product key xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxx successfully. Click OK to close the window.

    040319 2339 HowtoActiva4 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

  9. Type following command to activate license key.
    slmgr /ato
    
  10. It will pop up Windows Script Host window and shows “Activating Windows ®, ServerStandard edition (xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxx).. Product activated successfully”. Click OK to close the window.

    040319 2339 HowtoActiva5 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

  11. That’s it, you have already activated your server without reboot.
  12. But when you check your server edition and it shows Windows Server 2019 Standard Evaluation, you need more steps to activate it and need to reboot server.

    040319 2339 HowtoActiva6 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

  13. You cannot use slmgr command to install product key(Retail or VLSC MAK key) to evaluation edition server, you will get error message “Error:0xC004F069 On a computer running Microsoft Windows non-core edition….”

    040319 2339 HowtoActiva7 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

  14. To upgrade evaluation edition server to standard (or Datacenter) edition, you cannot use VLSC MAK key, you will got error message “Error 1168 the specified product key could not be validated……”

    040319 2339 HowtoActiva8 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

  15. You need a KMS clent setup key and use DISM command to upgrade Edition from evaluation edition to standard (or Datacenter) edition
  16. You can check the KMS Client activation keys as link (Key Management Services (KMS) client activation and product keys for Windows Server and Windows | Microsoft Docs)
  17. Type following command to upgrade evaluation edition to standard (or Datacenter) edition.

    Standard Edition:

    DISM /Online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx /AcceptEula
    

    Datacenter Edition:

    DISM /Online /Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter /ProductKey:xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx /AcceptEula
    

    2019 07 10 8 10 34 300x201 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

  18. Click Y and restart the server. if you own VLSC MAK license not retail, you need to following steps to install your VLSC MAK key and activate for your server.
  19. Login the server after reboot.
  20. Run command prompt or PowerShell as administrator,
  21. Type following command.
    slmgr /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX (your VLSC MAK key)
    
  22. It will pop up Windows Script Host window and shows “install product key xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxx successfully. Click OK to close the window.

    040319 2339 HowtoActiva10 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

  23. Type following command to activate license key
    slmgr /ato
    
  24. It will pop up Windows Script Host window and shows “Activating Windows ®, ServerStandard edition (xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxx).. Product activated successfully”. Click OK to close the window.

    040319 2339 HowtoActiva11 - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

  25. That’s it, you have already change product key from Retail key to VLSC MAK key and activated your server without reboot.

Hope you enjoy this post.

Cary Sun

Twitter: @SifuSun

Web Site: carysun.com

Blog Site: checkyourlogs.net

Blog Site: gooddealmart.com

ca16fbd3199de5f66b829b87082fb970?s=80&d=retro&r=g - How to Activate Windows Server 2019 Evaluation Edition with VLSC MAK key or Retail key

Author: Cary Sun

Cary Sun has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in data center and deployment solutions. As a Principal Consultant, he likely works closely with clients to help them design, implement, and manage their data center infrastructure and deployment strategies.
With his background in data center solutions, Cary Sun may have experience in server and storage virtualization, network design and optimization, backup and disaster recovery planning, and security and compliance management. He holds CISCO CERTIFIED INTERNETWORK EXPERT (CCIE No.4531) from 1999. Cary is also a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP), Microsoft Azure MVP, Veeam Vanguard and Cisco Champion. He is a published author with several titles, including blogs on Checkyourlogs.net, and the author of many books.
Cary is a very active blogger at checkyourlogs.net and is permanently available online for questions from the community. His passion for technology is contagious, improving everyone around him at what they do.

Blog site: https://www.checkyourlogs.net
Web site: https://carysun.com
Blog site: https://gooddealmart.com
Twitter: @SifuSun
in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sifusun/
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