How To Install and Activate Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter for free

In this blog we will be installing Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter in Vmware Workstation Pro. Also we will be activating the server from a trial version to a full version.

Lets Get Started…

The following is the list of prerequisites you need to have before installing the windows server

1. Any Operating System (Windows, Linux, Mac, etc..)
2. Virtualization should be enabled in the OS.
3. Vmware Workstation Pro(Paid) or Virtual Box(Free)
4. Windows Server 2012 ISO file
5. Stable Internet Connection

Installing the Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter

1. Open Vmware Workstation (we will be using workstation 16 pro here) and Click on “Create a New Virtual Machine”

2. Select the “Typical” option to install the Virtual Machine in a few simple steps. If you are not a beginner you can go with “custom” as well. Then click “Next”.

3. Browse and select the Windows Server 2012 ISO file and click “Next”.

4. Select “Microsoft Windows” as the Guest Operating System and select the version as “Windows Server 2012”. Then click “Next”

5. Type the name of the Virtual Machine (Ex: Windows Server 2012 or any name you like). Browse and select the location of the Virtual Machine. Then click “Next”.

6. Allocate disk space for the Virtual Machine (60 GB is recommended but you can allocate less space if you are low on storage). Select “Store virtual disk as a single file” and click “Next”.

7. Click “Finish” to create and start the Virtual Machine.

8. The Virtual Machine will now start. Click “Next”.

9. Simply click on “Install Now”.

10. Select the version you want to install. We will be selecting “Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter Evaluation”. Then click “Next”.

11. Accept the license agreement and click “Next”.

12. Select “Custom: Install Windows only(advanced)”.

13. Select the disk and click “Next”.

14. The windows Installation will begin. Keep patience and wait for it complete.

15. Once the installation is completed, a settings screen will open up. Enter your desired strong password and click “Finish”

16. You can now login to your new system using the Administrator credentials. Press “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” to sign in

17. Enter the password and press Enter.

18. Once you login to the system, restart the machine first. Then you will be able to see a screen like this.

19. But here as we can see a text “ Windows License valid for 180 days Build 9600” located at the bottom right corner of the screen. Which means the license will expire after 180 days:(…

So lets now try to activate the windows and convert it to full version (that will never expire) from trial version.

To do so, follow the below steps carefully.

1. Open PowerShell .

2. Execute the below command to list the editions to which the server can be upgraded to. So we will be upgrading the server to “ServerDatacenter” as mentioned in the Target Edition.

DISM /online /Get-TargetEdition

3. Execute the following command to upgrade the server to a new edition and type “y” for yes to restart the server after the upgrade.

DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter /ProductKey:W3GGN-FT8W3-Y4M27-J84CP-Q3VJ9 /AcceptEula

4. Finally after the restart, login to the system again. And now you should see that the server has been upgraded to a full version and there is no expiry time written like before.

5. Congratulations, your Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter (Full Version) is ready to use.

Hope you found this post interesting.

Thank You:)

See you in the next blog…