Windows server standard 2022 product key activation | error: the product key was already used!

Soroush Kodeiri 31 Reputation points
2022-06-17T20:35:29.263+00:00

Hi,

I have a Windows server 2022 standard host with two VMs installed in its Hyper-v (both VMs are Windows server 2022 as well).
I successfully activated the product key on the host(the machine with Hyper-v) and also on one of the VMs but when trying to activate the product key on the second VM, I get an error that" We can't activate Windows on this device because the product key was already used on another device". As per Microsoft, I should be able to activate all the three Windows servers with one single product key.
So I wonder if you have any idea why this is happening and what's the resolution for that?

Thank you,

Windows Server
Windows Server
A family of Microsoft server operating systems that support enterprise-level management, data storage, applications, and communications.
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Accepted answer
  1. Dave Patrick 425.8K Reputation points MVP
    2022-06-17T20:39:27.073+00:00

    Are you using licensed installation media (not evaluation)? Is it a domain controller? What channel is the product key (OEM, retail, volume)?

    2 people found this answer helpful.

2 additional answers

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  1. Dave Patrick 425.8K Reputation points MVP
    2022-06-17T21:02:44.447+00:00

    When you use evaluation media (and assuming a retail channel product key) you'll need to convert evaluation to full

    Dism /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx /AcceptEula  
    
    2 people found this answer helpful.

  2. Pam Kimmons 11 Reputation points
    2023-02-08T17:15:14.6033333+00:00

    We didn't use eval media. We used the iso from volume license. We have always used the AVMA keys for the guests on the 2 windows standard hyper-v machines. It worked for one, but not the other. Does standard only come with 1 vm now?

    1 person found this answer helpful.