Windows Server 2012 generations product keys compatibility

Question

In my student years, I got several [legal, of course! :-)] WS2012 product keys and disk images, of several generations and editions:

1. original generation
2. R2 generation
3. "R2 With Update" generation
   • Essentials
   • Foundation
   • Storage Server
   • Standard
   • Datacenter

What I would like to know is this:

• can I use any/all of my 2012-original and R2 keys with their respective R2-With-Update disk images? if yes but not all, then which ones?
• can I use any/all of my 2012-original keys with their respective R2 disk images? if yes but not all, then which ones?

Of course, I`m also curious to know whether or not the later keys are also backwards compatible -- i.e. R2WU keys with R2 and original, and/or R2 keys with original -- but this is not nearly as important as the preceding questions [in bullet-points]. ;-)

FYI, I already found windows-server-2012-r2 and Windows_Server_2012_R2_Licensing_Datasheet.pdf and Windows_Server_2012_R2_Remote_Desktop_Services_Licensing_Datasheet.pdf and WindowsServer2012R2_Licensing_Guide.pdf, but I didn`t find what I was looking for in any of that.

Cheers!

-- Abe

Answer 1

@Abe ​
Hi,

1. Yes, you can.
2. No.
   Licenses have downgrade right.
   Buy keys are not backward compatible. You need to get the correct key for the actual product you are installing.
   https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/archive/blogs/licensing/downgrade-rights-explained
   If you need a definite answer you'd better contact your reseller or a trained Microsoft licensing specialist regarding your licensing questions.

Hope above information can help you.

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Answer 2

Thanks for answering, but it`s still not 100% clear and fully answered.

1. Yes, you can.

so... I can use all of my 2012-original and R2 keys with their respective R2-With-Update disk images?

2. No.

so... I can not use any of my 2012-original keys with their respective R2 disk images?

While it`s not technically impossible for both of the preceding to be simultaneously the case, it does seem unlikely.

This is NOT a question about "downgrading".

contact your reseller or a trained Microsoft

My "reseller" was DreamSpark, Microsoft`s "solution" at the time for college students to get free legal Microsoft software from Microsoft.

Answer 3

Hi,
You can use your keys with their update disk image.
You cannot use 2012-original keys with their respective R2 disk images, they're different versions.