ESU - how to change from free to the paid option after the free option was taken by mistake

Question

How to you change the "free" option of the ESU programme to the paid version??

Answer 1

Hi @Liz !

If you accidentally enabled the free ESU entitlement (via Azure or Azure Arc) but actually need the paid ESU program, you cannot simply switch the entitlement in place. You’ll need to remove the free activation and then apply the paid ESU key.

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Steps to move from Free ESU to Paid ESU

1. Check the current ESU activation

      slmgr /dlv
   

• Look for the ESU key type. If it shows Azure‑based entitlement, that’s the free option.

2. Uninstall the free ESU key

      slmgr /upk <last-5-digits-of-key>
   

• This removes the currently installed ESU key.

3. Obtain the paid ESU MAK key

• Purchase through Microsoft Volume Licensing or a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP).
• You’ll receive a Multiple Activation Key (MAK) for ESU.

4. Install and activate the paid ESU key

      slmgr /ipk <your-paid-ESU-key>
      slmgr /ato
   

5. Verify activation

      slmgr /dlv
   

• Confirm that the ESU key now shows as a paid MAK activation.

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Please note that:

• Free ESUs are tied to Azure/Azure Arc verification. On‑premises or disconnected servers require the paid MAK keys.
• You cannot stack free and paid ESUs on the same machine. Only one entitlement can be active at a time.
• For larger environments, consider using Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) to deploy and track ESU MAK activations.

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I hope this helps! If you find my answer is useful, please mark this as final answer to your question