how to transfer Windows Server 2019 license to new hardware

Question

For my home lab, I purchased a Windows Server 2019 Essentials license and installed on a Dell Optiplex 7070 desktop. It is a retail license, "slmgr.vbs -dli" confirmed "RETAIL channel".

In any case, for my home lab, I am changing things around, I don't need a Windows Server for a while, so I want to "de-license" the Dell desktop, save the license to be used in the future. When I reinstall the Windows Server in the future, I may put it on a VM or a different computer.

Can someone explain how to remove the Windows license from the computer? Also, can someone confirm that the license will be usable for another computer in the future?

Answer 1

Hello CTNY

To transfer your Windows Server 2019 license to a new hardware, you need to first deactivate the license on the current hardware. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Type "slmgr.vbs /upk" and press Enter. This will uninstall the product key from the current computer.

Once you have deactivated the license, you can use it on another computer in the future. However, please note that you can only use the license on one computer at a time. If you want to use the license on a different computer, you will need to deactivate it on the current computer first.

Best Regards,

Hania Lian

Answer 2

Thanks for the answer. In case I want to preserve the config of the current state, can I make a recovery disk onto a USB stick, then restore to a different computer in the future? This will also transfer the license to the new box?

Answer 3

Hello ctny

If you want to preserve the configuration of your current Windows Server installation, you can create a system image backup and save it to a USB stick. However, restoring this backup to a different computer may not work as the hardware configuration may be different, which can cause compatibility issues.

Regarding the license transfer, it depends on the type of license you have. If you have a retail license, you can transfer it to a different computer as long as it is only installed on one computer at a time. If you have an OEM license, it is tied to the original computer it was installed on and cannot be transferred to a different computer.

Best Regards,

Hania Lian

Answer 4

I forgot to deactivate my key before re-installing Windows Server 2019 on the same machine. Now i get the error that the product key does not work and the error 0xc004f050. Any hints?

Answer 5

If the old server is in not workable condition? How we Deactivate?