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Windows Server Preview Build 20344 requesting product key

Brass Contributor

@Mary Hoffman 

Running setup, Windows Server Preview Build 20344 is requesting a product key and no way to continue without entering one.

Previous PK's do not work; how are we supposed to install and test?

PGomersall_0-1619634902092.png

Pete

46 Replies
That is a GVLK key which will not work on this build. The server is not connected to a KMS host so hence the message "I must connect to my organization server." A KMS host will only activate your server if it has been configured to activate Windows Server 2022.
Thank-you. A clean install worked for me.
Yet, some testers, like me, prefer in some situations, like the one I am, to upgrade the current installation, instead of a clean install.
For me, keeping all the files and folders worked. Upgraded directly from windows server. No usb or anything else.
How? I have un-zipped the iso using 7zip. I could not mount it and I could not burn it on a DVD either. I do not want a clean install, the present installation has many things set up already and I do not have the time those days to start from scratch.

@Radu Ilie 

Follow the instructions provide by a reply from Jonathan Kay; about second reply to my original message. This method works for an upgrade.

Pete

@Mary Hoffman 

 

Please provide a working key like most of the March release blog posts did.  I used the one someone else posted above and now am stuck with the "connect to your org activation server" since it seems to have been an Enterprise one.  This is a server I really can't take the time to redo from scratch.  Many thanks!

The "connect to your org activation server" only works on volume media, and only if the server has been configured to activate the latest version. Those keys will not work on this media. The pre-release keys will only work on test-signed builds. The last two builds that were released to Insiders were production-signed, therefore the test keys will no longer work. You can still bypass entering a key on a fresh install.

Good Month, with this activator (disable defender and antivirus option 2) I activate Windows Server 2022 build 20344. https://github.com/abbodi1406/KMS_VL_ALL_AIO

@PGomersall Windows Server 2022 build 20344 activated with the previous mentioned key and this activator as you can see at attachement picture. https://github.com/abbodi1406/KMS_VL_ALL_AIO

So if I already upgraded a server that I really can't afford to rebuild, what do I do?
So if I already did an upgrade am I totally hosed? Sounds like. Really can't afford to rebuild from scratch. Why did you change this and not make it clear in the blog...

You can just keep using it, and update to future builds weekly or monthly, it should be okay without activation. You just won't be able to easily change the personalization settings and you'll probably see an "Activate Windows" watermark at some point in the corner.

@Jonathan Kay 

That's all pretty annoying though...

@007pcservice 

That did the trick, although Defender deleted the .cmd until I defined exclusion folder and put it here. 

Even if you are able to activate somehow, these builds are still pre-release and will not be supported in production. You will not get future security updates offered to you, nor will they install if you try to manually. At some point when the final build is made available publicly, you will need to upgrade.
I wionder if the RTM is close. I taught that the RTM shall come in the fall of 2021, because the name of the OS is Windwos Server 2022.

@Radu Ilie 

I do hope there is more coming.  Not just because my file shares still don't work, but speaking from the perspective of someone who regularly works on standalone Windows servers, I've been a bit underwhelmed with this release so far.  In a lot of ways Server (and its individual components) almost seems forgotten, IE ESC is still in the forefront, and all the current tools released in the past few years isn't included, ie. you have to go manually install Admin Center, Windows Terminal, et al. 

I feel you Kay. It has been said there is nothing happening on this front. The thing why WAC is not part of the OS is a servicing policy.
LTSC does not allow drastic changes. WAC is serviced outside the OS. That's fine with me. I agree there are still some things on the "open issues" list aswell as requests raised here. Unfortunately we have no view on the triage and decision of this triage for some items.