If you attempt to convert or upgrade Windows Server Evaluation to a fully licensed edition using the standard command line or the CHANGE KEY GUI, you may encounter errors such as: “The product key you entered didn’t work. Check the product key and try again, or enter a different one.”
Fortunately, there’s a simple solution. You need to change the Windows Server Evaluation edition to a licensed production version of either Standard or Data Center.
- Launch a PowerShell as an Administrator
- Type
dism /online /get-currentedition
and press ENTER - Type
dism /online /get-targeteditions
and press ENTER - Type
dism /online /set-edition:serverstandard /productkey:<KEY-KEY-KEY-KEY-KEY> /accepteula
and press ENTER