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Just finished building out a VM on an ESXi host 5.1. I already have 2 vms running on it, one is Windows Server 2012 (not R2) evaluation with 132 days left, and the other is a Windows Server 2012 R2 VM with 125 days left.

Now, our client needs a new Server 2012 R2 vm, so I went ahead and built out a new one with the same iso as the previous Server 2012 R2 vm. Once I booted to the desktop for the first time, the Evaluation period was expired?

So I thought maybe the iso files (downloaded directly from Microsoft) have a 1 use only setting or something on it because I wasn't asked to input a license key on any of the Evaluation iso's. So I downloaded a brand new iso, and the exact same thing happened, evaluation is expired notification on the desktop.

For the record, the build is 9600, and I downloaded them from here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dn205286.aspx

Anybody know what's going on? The client's getting new VLKs for the new servers soon, but they need the new servers now.

3 Answers 3

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As of Windows Server 2012 the installation no longer has a "trial license" built into it, previous versions of Windows had evaluation license keys built into the image. Now Windows must connect to the Internet to grab a trial license.

  • If the server is connected the first time it boots, it will automatically connect and grab a license before the user even realizes this is a requirement.
  • If it cannot connect to the Internet then it will report and unlicensed status and start the hourly reboot annoyance.
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  • Yes this was it. Since this was a vm, it first had to look for the network using virtual NICs, so the license wasn't grabbed automatically. Once I ran patches and rebooted, the 180 days message on my desktop appeared.
    – Carlo71
    Aug 21, 2014 at 15:20
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You have to read about the licensing below

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/briefs/virtual-licensing.aspx

For every clone/every instance, Windows needs to be re-activated.

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  • Actually I figured out what was going on. You see, Windows has to connect to the internet so it can communicate with Microsoft to have its evaluation period activated. I just noticed i"m having networking issues with this VM, and I'm positive that's what's happening. I'll report back.
    – Carlo71
    Jul 17, 2014 at 5:46
  • Fixed my networking issue, but still shows up as expired. I did a slmgr.vbs command, and it shows that it's licensed, but the desktop still shows up as expired. I am stumped.
    – Carlo71
    Jul 17, 2014 at 19:56
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I am not an expert but found a solution to my problem. all my new VMs reports licensed expired and i followed step 2 and worked.

  1. machine with no internet administrator command prompt: slmgr /rearm shutdown -r

will give you 10 days grace period

  1. machine with internet will do automatically if not- i. check your network settings ii. copy settings from known VM which has internet access iii. once activated you can remove internet access

you are required to connect internet for all cloned VMs to activate evaluation product, otherwise follow

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