Windows Software Licensing Management Tool and can be accesses via elevated command line using slmgr.vbs.

How to Change Windows Server Key

Windows Software Licensing Management Tool and can be accesses via elevated command line using slmgr.vbs.

 

There are a variety of parameters to use with slmgr.vbs including:

 

/dli (This will show basic license and activation information.)

/dlv (This will show detailed license and activation information.)

/xpr (This will show the current expiration date of the license installed which is most useful when using a KMS key with a local KMS activation server on the network.)

/upk (Be careful with this one as it will uninstall your current license key.)

/cpky (Also be careful with this one as this removes license key information from the registry.)

/ipk *****-*****-*****-*****-***** (This will change your license key to the one entered. If there was no key entered previously this command will also attempt to activate the license based on the license key type.)

/ato (This will force an online activation immediately. This could be useful if you have already entered the new key but was not online with either the KMS server for the network or unable to reach Microsoft’s activation servers.)

When a new installation of Windows Server 2019 that is not accepting the key from the GUI, the /ipk parameter is what we would use. From an elevated command prompt, enter (where the asterisks are your actual license key):

 

slmgr.vbs /ipk *****-*****-*****-*****-*****

 

activate windows server 2019 Microsoft recommends restarting your server following using this command. Doing these in combination should show an activated server from Server Manager on next boot.

 

If it does not, run this from an elevated command prompt:

 

slmgr.vbs /ato

 

It will likely give you an error with a reason why it wasn’t able to activate using the provided

 

Regards,

 

Kon Belieu

Partner

Kon@cxit.com   |  513-575-3500


4440 Lake Forest Dr., Suite 102B, Cincinnati, OH  45242

 

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