# Need to change product key on W2K12 R2 Data Center?



## Mr Davo (Mar 16, 2009)

Hi All,

A consultant just installed several Windows Server 2012 R2 Data Center virtual machines on some new hardware on behalf of my employer. Unfortunately they did not use an ISO from my employers Microsoft VLSC (Volume License Software Center) downloads page for the Windows Server installations.

The result is a message in Windows Server as follows -










Worse still when I attempt to activate Windows with a viable key (which I have retrieved from the VLSC) I see the message below.










It seems that ISOs from the VLSC are intimately linked to keys from same, or perhaps the consultant used a boxed disk instead of a downloaded ISO.

At any rate I am not in a position to reinstall the operating systems (on multiple VMs) because doing so would be inhibitively expensive and would lead to unacceptable business down time.

Is there another way of changing the product key such as through the use of PowerShell.

Any help here will be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Davo


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## Mr Davo (Mar 16, 2009)

Hi All,

Following on from the above post I attempted to issue the PowerShell commands shown below, but I received an error.










Extended error information is shown below -










Any help with fixing my activation issue will be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Davo


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

1. Welcome to Tech Support Guy

2. The decision is not mine, but that of a Administrator or Moderator of Tech Support Guy
However IMHO the only course of action is either a contact to Microsoft Volume Licensing OR a referral back to the consultant

3. I am unable to see how anyone can help you in this situation other than Microsoft Volume Licensing or the consultant, as the former may activate at their discretion and the consultant will presumably have the means to do so either directly or via Microsoft himself, as he will be able to advise Microsoft what install method was used.

4. Additionally it appears you are already receiving some suggestions here
https://social.technet.microsoft.co...-on-w2k12-r2-data-center?forum=winserversetup

from a Microsoft Windows Server - MVP

5. I have referred your topic for decision as at 2

6. Finally I hope you manage to solve the problem


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## Mr Davo (Mar 16, 2009)

Thanks


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I suspect you now have the answer
I would advise that you refer back to the consultant who installed this edition of Windows Server 2012 R2 - STANDARD version


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