Evaluation Versions and Upgrade Options for Windows Server 2012

Applies To: Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2

This document summarizes key information about evaluation versions of Windows ServerВ® 2012, including where to obtain them, the limits on their use, and how to convert them to full retail versions. It also summarizes the supported upgrade paths from previously licensed retail versions of Windows Server to Windows Server 2012.

Evaluation versions of Windows Server 2012

Fully functional time-limited evaluation versions of Windows Server 2012 are available for the following editions:

Windows Server 2012 Standard

Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

Windows ServerВ® 2012 Essentials

These evaluation versions are 64-bit only and can be installed with the Server Core option or the Server with a GUI option. For more information about these installation options, how to convert between them, and how to use the new Minimal Server Interface and Features on Demand, see https://technet.microsoft.com//library/hh831786.

For all editions, you have 10 days to complete online activation, at which point the evaluation period begins and runs for 180 days. During the evaluation period, a notification on the Desktop displays the days remaining the evaluation period (except in Windows Server 2012 Essentials). You can also run slmgr.vbs /dlv from an elevated command prompt to see the time remaining.

Where to find evaluation versions

You can get evaluation versions by the following methods:

Windows Server 2012 Standard; Windows Server 2012 Datacenter: from the TechNet Evaluation Center (https://technet.microsoft.com/evalcenter/hh670538.aspx). These editions are also available as pre-created VHDs for use in virtualized environments.

Limits of evaluation versions

All evaluation versions are fully functional during the evaluation period, although booting to Safe mode is not available. The Windows Server 2012 Standard and Windows Server 2012 Datacenter editions come with the activation key pre-installed. After the 180-day evaluation period elapses, the server warns you in various ways depending on the edition:

Windows Server 2012 Standard; Windows Server 2012 Datacenter:

The following warning appears on the Desktop: Windows License is expired

When you log on to Windows, you are prompted with the following options:

The system shuts down every hour.

The only updates that can be installed are security updates.

Event ID 100 from source WLMS “The license period for this installation of Windows has expired. The operating system will shut down every hour.” appears in the Application log.

Windows Server 2012 Essentials: you receive warnings on the Desktop and on the dashboard, but the server does not shut down.

Converting evaluation versions of Windows Server 2012 to full retail versions

Most evaluation versions can be converted to full retail versions, but the method varies slightly depending on the edition. Before you attempt to convert the version, verify that your server is actually running an evaluation version. To do this, do either of the following:

From an elevated command prompt, run slmgr.vbs /dlv; evaluation versions will include “EVAL” in the output.

From the Start screen, open Control Panel. Open System and Security, and then System. View Windows activation status in the Windows activation area of the System page. Click View details in Windows activation for more information about your Windows activation status.

If you have already activated Windows, the Desktop shows the time remaining in the evaluation period.

If the server is running a retail version instead of an evaluation version, see the “Upgrading previous licensed versions” section of this document for instructions to upgrade to Windows Server 2012.

For Windows Server 2012 Essentials: You can convert to the full retail version by entering a retail, volume license, or OEM key in the command slmgr.vbs.

If the server is running an evaluation version of Windows Server 2012 Standard or Windows Server 2012 Datacenter, you can convert it to a retail version as follows:

If the server is a domain controller, you cannot convert it to a retail version. In this case, install an additional domain controller on a server that runs a retail version and remove AD DS from the domain controller that runs on the evaluation version. For more information, see https://technet.microsoft.com/library/hh994618.aspx.

Read the license terms.

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: /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula, providing the edition ID and a retail product key. The server will restart twice.

For the evaluation version of Windows Server 2012 Standard, you can also convert to the retail version of Windows Server 2012 Datacenter in one step using this same command and the appropriate product key.

Upgrading previous retail versions of Windows Server to Windows Server 2012

The table below briefly summarizes which already licensed (that is, not evaluation) Windows operating systems can be upgraded to which editions of Windows Server 2012.

Note the following general guidelines for supported paths:

In-place upgrades from 32-bit to 64-bit architectures are not supported. All editions of Windows Server 2012 are 64-bit only.

In-place upgrades from one language to another are not supported.

In-place upgrades from one build type (fre to chk, for example) are not supported.

If the server is a domain controller, see https://technet.microsoft.com/library/hh994618.aspx for important information.

Upgrades from pre-release versions of Windows Server 2012 (such as the Release Candidate) are not supported. Perform a clean installation to Windows Server 2012.

Upgrades that switch from a Server Core installation to the Server with a GUI mode of Windows Server 2012 in one step (and vice versa) are not supported. However, after upgrade is complete, Windows Server 2012 allows you to switch freely between Server Core and Server with a GUI modes. For more information about these installation options, how to convert between them, and how to use the new Minimal Server Interface and Features on Demand, see https://technet.microsoft.com/library/hh831786.

If you do not see your current version in the left column, upgrading to this release of Windows Server 2012 is not supported.

If you see more than one edition in the right column, upgrade to either edition from the same starting version is supported.

If you are running:

You can upgrade to these editions:

Windows Server 2008 Standard with SP2 or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise with SP2

Windows Server 2012 Standard, Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

Windows Server 2008 Datacenter with SP2

Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

Windows Web Server 2008

Windows Server 2012 Standard

Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Standard with SP1 or Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Enterprise with SP1

Windows Server 2012 Standard, Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Datacenter with SP1

Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

Windows Web ServerВ 2008В R2

Windows Server 2012 Standard

Per-server-role considerations for upgrading

Even in supported upgrade paths from previous retail versions to Windows Server 2012, certain server roles that are already installed might require additional preparation or actions for the role to continue functioning after the upgrade. The following table summarizes these considerations.

Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS): Active Directory domains can be upgraded by upgrading the operating system of existing domain controllers or by replacing existing domain controllers with domain controllers that run Windows Server 2012. For more information, see Deploy Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) in Your Enterprise (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=262195).

Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS): For more information, see Upgrading from ADAM to AD LDS (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=186351).

Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)

For more information about upgrading AD FS from Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2012, see https://technet.microsoft.com/library/jj647765.aspx

Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS)

You can perform an in-place upgrade from either Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2012. After completing upgrade of your operating system for any servers running the AD RMS server role, you will need to run the AD RMS Upgrade wizard to upgrade your AD RMS cluster and ensure consistency. Otherwise, your AD RMS cluster might not be in a consistent state. The only other consideration when upgrading that you should be aware of when upgrading from these versions of the Windows Server operating system is that if the Windows Internal Database (WID) was previously selected for use to support your AD RMS database needs, that configuration will block your upgrade to Windows Server 2012 and require you to take additional steps. To unblock your upgrade to Windows Server 2012 you must first uninstall the AD RMS server role and migrate the existing WID instance to a SQL Server instance. For more information, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=229299.

File and Storage Services

After you upgrade a Windows Server 2008 R2-based server that has DFS Management installed, you must reinstall the DFS Management Tools on the server. To install the DFS Management Tools, run the following Windows PowerShell cmdlet as an administrator: Install-WindowsFeature RSAT-DFS-Mgmt-Con

You can also use the Add Roles and Features Wizard in Server Manager. On the Features page of the wizard, expand Remote Server Administration Tools, expand Role Administration Tools, expand File Services Tools, and then select the DFS Management Tools check box.

Shut down and save all virtual machines prior to starting upgrade. For additional information, see https://technet.microsoft.com/library/hh831531

Print and Document Services

Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) was a role service in Windows Server operating systems prior to Windows Server 2012 that enabled you to use a computer as an IPv4 or IPv6 router, as an IPv4 network address translation (NAT) router, or as a remote access server that hosted dial-up or virtual private network (VPN) connections from remote clients. Now, that feature has been combined with DirectAccess to make up the Remote Access server role in Windows Server 2012. For information about migration from Windows Server 2008 R2 and other versions prior to Windows Server 2012, see https://technet.microsoft.com/library/hh831423.aspx

Remote Desktop Services

Windows ServerВ® 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services role services cannot be migrated to Windows Server 2012, however an existing Windows Server 2008 R2 RD Session Host server deployment can be integrated into a Windows Server 2012 RDS deployment. The Windows Server 2012 RD Web Access can be configured to point to an existing Windows Server 2008 R2 RD Session Host server farm. Desktops and RemoteApp programs published on the Windows ServerВ® 2008 R2 RD Session Host server farm can be accessed from a Windows Server 2012 RD Web Access server.The Following steps need to be completed in order to add an existing Windows ServerВ® 2008 R2 RD Session Host server farm to a Windows Server 2012 Remote Desktop Services deployment:

Populate the TS Web Access Computers Security Group.

Configure Windows Server 2008 R2 Session Host servers with the right certificate to sign RDP files.

Pointing a Windows Server 2012 RD Web Access server to a Windows ServerВ® 2008 R2 RD Session Host server farm.

Volume Activation Services

With Active Directory-based Activation, you do not need an additional host server; your existing domain controllers can support activation clients, with the following limitations:

Active Directory-based Activation cannot be configured on read-only domain controllers.

Active Directory-based Activation cannot be used with non-Microsoft directory services.

AD DS must be at the Windows Server 2012 schema level to store activation objects. Domain controllers running earlier versions of Windows Server can activate clients after their schemas have been updated using the Windows Server 2012 version of Adprep.exe. For more information, see What’s New in Active Directory Domain Services Installation and Removal.

No functionality has been removed or changed. Web applications that work in IIS 7.0 run normally in IIS 8.0.

Converting existing Windows Server 2012 versions

At any time after installing Windows Server 2012, you can run Setup to repair the installation (sometimes called “repair in place”) or, in certain cases, to convert to a different edition.

You can run Setup to perform a “repair in place” on any edition of Windows Server 2012; the result will be the same edition you started with.

For Windows Server 2012 Standard, you can convert the system to Windows Server 2012 Datacenter as follows: 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: /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula, providing the edition ID and a retail product key. The server will restart twice.

For Windows Server 2012 Essentials, you can run Setup and convert it to Windows Server 2012 Standard by providing the appropriate retail license key.

Installing Windows Server 2012

Applies To: Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2

This document provides information about installing the Windows Server 2012 operating system, including any known issues that you may need to work around before starting an installation. It also provides information that you can use to troubleshoot problems that may occur during the installation. For information about serious known issues that you may need to work around after installation is complete, see the release notes, available at the same location as this document.

Setup works in several stages. You will be prompted for some basic information, and then Setup will copy files and restart the computer. Setup concludes by presenting a menu for Initial Configuration Tasks, which you can use to configure your server for your specific needs.

Preinstallation information

System requirements

The following are estimated system requirements for the Windows Server 2012. If your computer has less than the «minimum» requirements, you will not be able to install this product correctly. Actual requirements will vary based on your system configuration and the applications and features you install.

Processor

Processor performance depends not only on the clock frequency of the processor, but also on the number of processor cores and the size of the processor cache. The following are the processor requirements for this product:

• Minimum: 1.4В GHz 64-bit processor

The following are the estimated RAM requirements for this product:

• Minimum: 512 MB

Disk space requirements

The following are the estimated minimum disk space requirements for the system partition.

Minimum: 32 GB

Be aware that 32 GB should be considered an absolute minimum value for successful installation. The system partition will need extra space for any of the following circumstances: If you install the system over a network. Computers with more than 16 GB of RAM will require more disk space for paging, hibernation, and dump files.

Other requirements

You also need to have the following:

Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution monitor

Keyboard and MicrosoftВ® mouse (or other compatible pointing device)

Internet access (fees may apply)

Important information for x64-based operating systems

Ensure that you have updated and digitally signed kernel-mode drivers for Windows ServerВ 2012

If you install a Plug and Play device, you may receive a warning if the driver is not digitally signed. If you install an application that contains a driver that is not digitally signed, you will not receive an error during Setup. In both cases, Windows Server 2012 will not load the unsigned driver.

If you are not sure whether the driver is digitally signed, or if you are unable to boot into your computer after the installation, use the following procedure to disable the driver signature requirement. This procedure enables your computer to start correctly, and the unsigned driver will load successfully.

To disable the signature requirement for the current boot process:

Restart the computer and during startup, press F8.

Select Advanced Boot Options.

Select Disable Driver Signature Enforcement.

Boot into WindowsВ® and uninstall the unsigned driver.

Before you start Setup

Before you install Windows Server 2012, follow the steps in this section to prepare for the installation.

Disconnect UPS devices. If you have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) connected to your destination computer, disconnect the serial cable before running Setup. Setup automatically attempts to detect devices that are connected to serial ports, and UPS equipment can cause issues with the detection process.

Back up your servers. Your backup should include all data and configuration information that is necessary for the computer to function. It is important to perform a backup of configuration information for servers, especially those that provide network infrastructure, such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers. When you perform the backup, be sure to include the boot and system partitions and the system state data. Another way to back up configuration information is to create a backup set for Automated System Recovery.

Disable your virus protection software. Virus protection software can interfere with installation. For example, it can make installation much slower by scanning every file that is copied locally to your computer.

Provide mass storage drivers. If your manufacturer has supplied a separate driver file, save the file to a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive in either the root directory of the media or the amd64 folder. To provide the driver during Setup, on the disk selection page, click Load Driver (or press F6). You can browse to locate the driver or have Setup search the media.

Be aware that Windows Firewall is on by default. Server applications that must receive unsolicited inbound connections will fail until you create inbound firewall rules to allow them. Check with your application vendor to determine which ports and protocols are necessary for the application to run correctly.

Supported upgrade paths

The table below briefly summarizes supported upgrade paths to Windows Server 2012. For more details on upgrade paths, important caveats to upgrade, and additional information about evaluation versions, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=260917.

If you do not see your current version in the left column, upgrading to this release of Windows Server 2012 is not supported.

If you see more than one edition in the right column, upgrade to either edition from the same starting version is supported.

If you are running:

You can upgrade to these editions:

Windows Server 2008 Standard with SP2 or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise with SP2

Windows Server 2012 Standard, Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

Windows Server 2008 Datacenter with SP2

Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

Windows Web Server 2008

Windows Server 2012 Standard

Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Standard with SP1 or Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Enterprise with SP1

Windows Server 2012 Standard, Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Datacenter with SP1

Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

Windows Web ServerВ 2008В R2

Windows Server 2012 Standard

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