Activate Windows Server 2012 Licence

Question

Hi,

I don´t know how to activate a Windows Server 2012 licence. I was required to call a phone number in which there is a bot. I am not able to do it online, on the portal. It gives me an error.. how should I proceed?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi Mayte Cernuda Castro,

How is your issue going? Has it been resolved yet? If it has, please consider accepting the answer as it helps others sharing the same problem benefit too. Thank you :)

VP

Answer 2

Hi Mayte Cernuda Castro,

Your inability to activate Windows Server 2012 online typically occurs because legacy operating systems struggle to communicate with modern activation servers, often throwing network connection errors like 0x80072F8F due to outdated security protocols. To resolve this, you must complete an offline telephone activation using the native licensing interface located at C:\Windows\System32\slui.exe. You can easily launch this by pressing the Windows key, typing slui 04, and pressing Enter to generate a unique Installation ID based on your hardware configuration.

You do not need to struggle with the automated voice menus to finish this process. When you dial the toll-free number displayed on your screen using a smartphone, the Microsoft system will offer to send an SMS text message containing a secure link to a mobile self-service portal. This link provides a clean visual interface where you can enter your Installation ID quietly and efficiently. The portal will then generate a Confirmation ID that you simply type into the empty blocks in your server's activation wizard to permanently authenticate your license.

Hope this answer brought you some useful information. If it did, please hit “accept answer”. Should you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.

VP

Answer 3

For Windows Server 2012 that cannot be activated online and is asking for telephone activation, proceed with offline activation using the Windows Activation Wizard.

Since online activation fails and the phone bot is not working in this case, use the telephone activation flow but complete it through the Product Activation Portal instead of speaking to the bot:

1. On the Windows Server 2012 machine, start the telephone activation wizard:
   • Press Windows key, open Search, type SLUI 04, and run it.
2. In the wizard, select the correct country/region.
3. The wizard will display the installation ID and (normally) a phone number.
4. Instead of calling, go to the Product Activation Portal from a device with internet access:
   • Use the link provided in the documentation: Product Activation Portal.
5. Sign in with a supported account type (personal Microsoft account, work or school account, Microsoft Entra ID, or Azure Government tenant account).
6. In the portal, follow the workflow for activating a perpetual Microsoft product:
   • Use the installation/activation information shown in the Server 2012 telephone activation screen.
7. The portal will return a confirmation ID.
8. Enter the confirmation ID back into the telephone activation wizard on the Windows Server 2012 machine to complete activation.

If activation over the internet is blocked by a proxy using Basic authentication, telephone/portal activation is the documented workaround.

---

References:

• Product activation for Windows - online & Microsoft Support Product Activation Portal
• Windows activation or validation fails with error code 0x8004FE33
• Activate Microsoft perpetual products using the Product Activation portal