Windows Server 2019 license recovery

Question

I have a server machine HP ProLite (F087AAD7-6794-4D07-9D59-7BE9F01328CE) which crashed with original license key and have restored the functionality how can i recover the license key ?

Answer 1

Hello stephen wanduka, thank you for posting in the Microsoft Q&A community.

When dealing with enterprise hardware such as HP servers, Windows Server licenses generally fall into specific distribution channels. The most common scenario is an OEM license tied directly to the hardware. In these cases, the product key is either digitally injected into the motherboard's BIOS/UEFI firmware, or it is physically affixed to the server chassis via a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker. Alternatively, if your organization purchased the license separately, it may be a Volume or Retail license.

If the license was injected into the motherboard at the factory, you can extract the digital product key directly from the firmware. To do this, right-click the Start menu, select Windows PowerShell (Admin), and execute the following command:

(Get-CimInstance -ClassName SoftwareLicensingService).OA3xOriginalProductKey

If a 25-character product key is returned, this is your original embedded license, and you can safely use it to activate the OS.

If the command returns a blank output, your server likely uses HP's OEM or Reseller Option Kit (ROK) licensing, which relies on a physical Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker. I recommend physically inspecting the top, side, and rear panels of the server chassis. For rack-mounted servers, you may need to slide the unit forward to check the top cover. Look for a Microsoft sticker containing a 25-character product key.

As an alternative, if the license was purchased through a corporate volume licensing agreement instead of being bundled with the hardware, it will not be attached to the physical server. Your IT administrator can retrieve the key via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center by navigating to Billing > Your products > Volume licensing > Downloads & keys.