- Windows Server 2012 Trial Key
- Windows Server 2012 Enterprise Price
- Windows Server 2012 Enterprise Serial Key
- Windows Server 2012 Enterprise Product Key
- Windows Server 2012 Enterprise Shutdown Procedure
If you've found yourself here, I'm guessing that you're an administrator or other IT person in charge of the Windows Server environment at your company.
I'm also guessing that you may be fearing for your job right now, thanks to the fact that you need to reinstall Windows Server but you can't find the product key.
Fear not, my tech friend. So long as Windows Server is still installed, even if it's not working but still on a network accessible drive, you're probably in luck.
Several special tools, called key finder programs, are designed to extract the encrypted Windows Server product key that's stored in the Windows Registry. A few of these programs can even do so remotely.
Windows Server 2016 Activation. Product key group KMS can be hosted on Windows editions activated by this KMS host. Windows 8.1 Enterprise Windows Server 2012. While completing a Server 2012 setup I went to activate the OS and kept getting errors. Window luckily show you the last set of characters in the activation ke Change Windows Server 2012 Product Key - Spiceworks. Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter. Product Key: W3GGN-FT8W3-Y4M27-J84CP-Q3VJ9 Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials. Product Key: KNC87-3J2TX-XB4WP-VCPJV-M4FWM Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard. Product Key: D2N9P-3P6X9-2R39C-7RTCD-MDVJX. This Key Only For Installation. Server 2012 r2 standard server 2012 r2 datacenter key server 2012 r2 license key server 2012 r2 datacenter windows server 2012 datacenter.
Please read through my Key Finder Programs FAQ and Windows Product Keys FAQ if you're unfamiliar with product keys with Microsoft's products.
The following procedure should only take a few minutes and works well to find lost product keys from installations of Windows Server 2012, Server 2008, Server 2003, including R2 versions. These steps also work for Windows 2000 and Windows NT.
How to Find Windows Server Product Keys
- Download Belarc Advisor. If you've ever used a system audit/information tool before then you'll be familiar with how Belarc works. If not, don't worry, it's not at all complicated.Other key finders may work for your Server version of Windows as well, but I know Belarc very well and have tested it myself in Windows Server environments. See my List of Free Key Finder Tools if you want to look at other options, including ones that work remotely which Belarc does not do.
- Install Belarc Advisor. It's a small program and shouldn't adversely impact any other programs or services you're running on your Window Server computer.
- Run Belarc Advisor and wait while the analysis completes. This might take several minutes or longer, especially if you're on a slower server.
- Locate the Windows Server product key in the Software Licenses area of the results that Belarc displays, which you may have noticed is inside a browser window.
- Your Windows Server key will be a 25-character, alphanumeric code, in 5 sections of 5 characters, as in xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx.The only exception to this is the Windows NT product key, which is only 20 characters long and looks like xxxxx-xxx-xxxxxxx-xxxxx.
- Record your valid Windows Server product key in your existing technology audit documentation or somewhere else where you and your team won't lose it.
Additional Help Finding Windows Server Keys
If Belarc Advisor wasn't helpful, you're of course welcome to try other product key finders, assuming they list the Windows Server version you're using as a supported operating system.. not all of them do.
Beyond that, I'd recommend contacting your Microsoft sales representative, assuming you or your company have one. They may be able to provide you a copy of your original key, or even give you a new one.
If you don't have a sales rep at Microsoft, you may have luck requesting a replacement key from Microsoft directly.
While you probably don't want to hear the last idea, it's usually a fool proof one - buy a new copy of Windows Server and use that new product key.
Learning has never been so easy!
While completing a Server 2012 setup I went to activate the OS and kept getting errors. Window luckily show you the last set of characters in the activation key (so how they were not even close to what they were suppose to be.
The odd thing was that windows did not allow me to change the key from any of the GUI's
Windows Server 2012 Trial Key
So out came the Powershell..
Windows Server 2012 Enterprise Price
2 Steps total
Step 1: Clear The Current Key
Open Powershell with admin rights then enter:
slmgr -upk (this removes the current Product Key)
Step 2: Add The New (or Correct Key)
Now that the key is cleared you can either stay in Powershell and enter the new key with the following:
slmgr -ipk XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX (with the X's of course being the Key )
or
Go the the activation GUI and you will now be able to enter a Key
There you have it! Quick, simple and it gets the job done
Windows Server 2012 Enterprise Serial Key
19 Comments
Windows Server 2012 Enterprise Product Key
- Macemolan Feb 25, 2013 at 06:14pmThanks for Sharing! Windows 8 has the exact same issue I don't know why Microsoft thought it would be a good idea to remove the ability to type in a new key via the GUI. What a pain in the butt!
- Sonoralitefoot_tech Feb 25, 2013 at 06:46pmI also had this issue when installing 2012. At the time I did a quick Google search and discovered that it didn't have the correct key. Used the Power-shell commands and put in the correct key and kabooom. it worked! Its crazy the GUI doesn't let you enter a different key.
- HabaneroTwon of An Feb 27, 2013 at 04:00amGreat! Glad it isn't too different from previous versions.
- JalapenoMze_Geek Mar 7, 2013 at 08:11pmWorks great! Used on one of my 2012 servers. Add on question: how do I reveal a product key?
- ChipotleThe Immortal Aug 23, 2013 at 10:05pmThank you! This helped.
It seems that Microsoft if heading toward phasing out the GUI for servers. It probably won't be too long before you won't have a choice for a GUI or core install - you'll just get a core install with PowerShell to do everything. - HabaneroSW-Desperado Jan 11, 2014 at 02:52pmthanks Brad - great and simple! I agree this was a dumb way of MS to manage this though
- SonoraEuler4121 Jan 28, 2014 at 02:34pmWorks fine on windows 2012 data center edition, thank you
- JalapenoBiotech Feb 14, 2014 at 05:12pmThank you so much, great tip and worked like a charm.
- Pimientosharonbarnard Feb 21, 2014 at 09:20pmI did run the PS command slmgr -upk to remove the activation key but when I tried to enter the key I was given by our tech team, I received an error.
The error gave me a command that lets me get to the GUI to enter the product key.
If you run the PS command 'slui.exe', the GUI will open with a button that says 'add product key' - Jalapenooutsourceitmx Jun 18, 2014 at 11:38pmThis worked just as you said! Great work, thank you!
- SonoraVanya8080 Jul 4, 2014 at 04:12pmHi, you can bring up the GUI to change the product key by typing 'slui 3' in the Run window..Detects and analyzes Windows security environment. It turns your personal computer into a business PC, a productive workstation, an entertainment center, a game title machine, or a computing PC that is scientific.Scans and removes spyware using meaning that is up-to-date to prevent spyware, hackers, and hijackers from installing harmful programs on your PC. • Defends PC security with extra protection.
- Pimientosys2k6862 Oct 6, 2014 at 07:49pmfor those who are interested in doing through GUI. Open 'Server Manager', click 'Local Server' from the left panel. In the 'Properties' window look for 'Product ID' click the blue hyper link. It will open 'Windows Activation' where you can enter new product key and activate.
- PimientoRobert7193 Aug 17, 2015 at 03:07pmI ran across some different directions when activating a 2012 R2. I was having some issues with the above solution so hopefully the below directions will help some other poor soul out there at some point.If you are having issues with activating your installation, here is an alternative solution:
1. From an elevated command prompt, determine the current edition name with the command 'DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition'. Make note of the edition ID, an abbreviated form of the edition name.
Then run 'DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula', providing the edition ID and a retail product key. The server will restart twice. - Thai PepperDan8422 Oct 6, 2015 at 03:12pmAwesome. Thanks. Just what I needed to get this going.
- PoblanoWade H Nov 12, 2015 at 01:14pmJust had to use this method to make it eat my Open License up from the EVAL of 2012R2 Thanks so much!!! it Worked!Robert7193 Aug 17, 2015 at 9:07amI ran across some different directions when activating a 2012 R2. I was having some issues with the above solution so hopefully the below directions will help some other poor soul out there at some point.If you are having issues with activating your installation, here is an alternative solution:
1. From an elevated command prompt, determine the current edition name with the command 'DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition'. Make note of the edition ID, an abbreviated form of the edition name.
Then run 'DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula', providing the edition ID and a retail product key. The server will restart twice.
Windows Server 2012 Enterprise Shutdown Procedure
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