Upgrade Server 2019 Essentials to Standard - specified product key could not be validated
Question
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 10:43 PM
We currently have 2019 Server Essentials .. we have purchased a new Windows Server Standard license and we are trying to upgrade in situ.
Have tried this command from both elevated command and also elevated Powershell ..
DISM.exe /Online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEULA
.. error message "The specified product key could not be validated"
This command:
DISM /Online /Get-TargetEditions
.. responds with "ServerStandard"
This command:
dism /online /Get-CurrentEdition
.. responds with "ServerSolution"
The Server Essentials license was purchased from a retailer. The Server Standard license was purchased from a reseller and is VLSC.
Perhaps the current Essentials license needs to be "upgraded" to a Volume License version of Essentials before we can upgrade to Standard?
I am really hoping we can get this dism.exe working and don't have to build a new server and domain .. Any suggestions please?
cheers
mark
All replies (9)
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 1:58 AM ✅Answered | 1 vote
Some have said to try using KMS key
Dism /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /AcceptEula /ProductKey:N69G4-B89J2-4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C
then after conversion (using your new key);
slmgr /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
slmgr /ato
Regards, Dave Patrick ....
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows Server] Datacenter Management
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees, and confers no rights.
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 11:40 PM
The Server Standard license was purchased from a reseller and is VLSC.
Then the TechNet evaluation download caoonot be used. You'll need to download volume distribution media in order to use a volume product key.
https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/servicecenter/Help/Contact.aspx
(please don't forget to mark helpful replie as answer)
Regards, Dave Patrick ....
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows Server] Datacenter Management
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees, and confers no rights.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 1:00 AM
So a couple of things to note here ..
Firstly the command
DISM /Online /Get-TargetEditions
.. responds with "ServerStandard"
Which version of ServerStandard does this mean?
Secondly .. with the purchase of Server Standard the VLSC also shows a copy of Server Essentials .. can the current retail copy be first "upgraded" to that license to make it possible to further upgrade to the VLSC version of ServerStandard?
None of this makes much sense to me so hoping someone can assist .. also will Microsoft refund or transfer a purchase made by mistake as this may have been?
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 1:10 AM
Sorry, misread original. The conversion should work assuming the essentials has been activated.
Regards, Dave Patrick ....
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows Server] Datacenter Management
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees, and confers no rights.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 1:35 AM
The Server Essentials I now realise is OEM version.
Does that mean I can only upgrade to OEM version of Server Standard?
Or could I somehow change the Server Essentials OEM to a VLSC license, then upgrade that?
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 1:45 AM
It should work as long as essentials is activated and new product key is a valid key.
Regards, Dave Patrick ....
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows Server] Datacenter Management
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees, and confers no rights.
Thursday, March 5, 2020 2:00 AM
Hi,
How things are going there on this issue?
Please let me know if you would like further assistance.
Best Regards,
Eve Wang
Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help.
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Thursday, March 5, 2020 3:45 AM
Thanks Dave .. YES that worked - upgrade to KMS key first. Not sure where the /AcceptEula needs to be but I put it at the end of my command string. I also added the Slmgr /upk command to remove the license before applying my own.
It is worth noting the initial command to upgrade to KMS key takes about 30 minutes, it is worth the patience, not to assume there has been a crash. Also to note that I did all these commands from an elevated Command window, but I think you could also achieve the same in a Powershell environment.
Full sequence of commands as follows, including a final DISM command to confirm the new status:
dism /online /set-edition:ServerStandard /productkey:N69G4-B89J2-4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C /AcceptEula
Slmgr /upk
Slmgr /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Slmgr /ato
dism /online /Get-CurrentEdition
Thursday, March 5, 2020 3:47 AM
Glad to hear it helps, you're welcome.
(please don't forget to mark helpful replies as answer)
Regards, Dave Patrick ....
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows Server] Datacenter Management
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees, and confers no rights.