Windows Server - using an eval license for tests only in production environment

Question

Hello there.

I work in a company where we actually have the Windows Server license purchased, however i'm not super experienced Windows Server admin to use it without a problem in a production mode (i think i would not be that much allowed to make some huge changes). So in that case, i would like to have in this company a separate server with proxmox installed on it. And here i would like to have 2 Windows 10 VMs and one Windows Server VM. I would want to use it just for testing purposes only, just for learning, and all of those vms will be without a license key, so i will use it only for the period of the evaluation time they provide.

The problem is - can i do this in such environment without having some law breaking consequences or violating Microsoft Licensing Terms?

Answer 1

An excerpt is below.
Evaluation. For evaluation (or test or demonstration) use, you may not sell the software, use it in a live operating environment, or use it after the evaluation period. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this agreement, evaluation software is provided “AS IS” and no warranty, implied or express (including the Limited Warranty), applies to these versions.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/UseTerms/Retail/WindowsServer2022/DatacenterAndStandard/UseTerms_Retail_WindowsServer2022_DatacenterAndStandard_English.htm

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Answer 2

Hi @Adam Piątek ,

for Windows Server 2016 you can find the licensing terms including the evaluation license terms here:

MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS - MICROSOFT WINDOWS SERVER 2016 STANDARD AND DATACENTER

And here the same for Windows 10 Evaluation: MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS - WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM

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(If the reply was helpful please don't forget to upvote and/or accept as answer, thank you)

Regards Andreas Baumgarten