If you’re a normal IT professional and like building test environments before going ahead and activating your copy of window server you might become frustrated when it comes time to activate and it fails. Then you realize “Oh wait, I haven’t switched my OS copy over!” Here is a quick guide to a very common gotcha.
You’ll want to “set” your edition from “evaluation” to “standard” or “datacenter”. To switch these you need to use the following command to move to “standard” from “evaluation”
DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:<insert default product key here> /AcceptEula
The Product keys here are known as default product keys. They are what you use to register that “version” of the OS.
After which, then you can perform a regular activation using the product key you had purchased.
Example Activating Windows Server 2019 Evaluation to Standard:
DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:N69G4-B89J2-4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C /AcceptEula

To see what you can “upgrade” to you can use the following command in an elevated command prompt:
dism /online /get-targeteditions
Below is a list of the product keys available for each operating system:
Operating system | Product key |
---|---|
Windows Server 2008 Standard | TM24T-X9RMF-VWXK6-X8JC9-BFGM2 |
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise | YQGMW-MPWTJ-34KDK-48M3W-X4Q6V |
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter | 7M67G-PC374-GR742-YH8V4-TCBY3 |
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard | YC6KT-GKW9T-YTKYR-T4X34-R7VHC |
Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise | 489J6-VHDMP-X63PK-3K798-CPX3Y |
Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter | 74YFP-3QFB3-KQT8W-PMXWJ-7M648 |
Windows Server 2012 Standard | XC9B7-NBPP2-83J2H-RHMBY-92BT4 |
Windows Server 2012 Datacenter | 48HP8-DN98B-MYWDG-T2DCC-8W83P |
Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard | D2N9P-3P6X9-2R39C-7RTCD-MDVJX |
Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter | W3GGN-FT8W3-Y4M27-J84CP-Q3VJ9 |
Windows 8.1 Professional | GCRJD-8NW9H-F2CDX-CCM8D-9D6T9 |
Windows Server 2016 Datacenter | CB7KF-BWN84-R7R2Y-793K2-8XDDG |
Windows Server 2016 Standard | WC2BQ-8NRM3-FDDYY-2BFGV-KHKQY |
Windows Server 2016 Essentials | JCKRF-N37P4-C2D82-9YXRT-4M63B |
Windows Server 2019 Standard | N69G4-B89J2-4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C |
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter | WMDGN-G9PQG-XVVXX-R3X43-63DFG |
Table from https://docs.ovh.com/gb/en/dedicated/windows-key/
Then to register your “purchased” product key open an elevated command prompt window and enter:
slmgr.vbs -ipk <insert purchased product key here>
Windows 10 Pro Default Product Key
slmgr.vbs -ipk VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
Windows 10 Edition | RTM Generic Key (retail) | KMS Client Setup Key |
Windows 10 Home | YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7 | |
Windows 10 Home N | 4CPRK-NM3K3-X6XXQ-RXX86-WXCHW | |
Windows 10 Home Single Language | BT79Q-G7N6G-PGBYW-4YWX6-6F4BT | |
Windows 10 Pro | VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T | W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX |
Windows 10 Pro N | 2B87N-8KFHP-DKV6R-Y2C8J-PKCKT | MH37W-N47XK-V7XM9-C7227-GCQG9 |
Windows 10 Pro for Workstations | DXG7C-N36C4-C4HTG-X4T3X-2YV77 | NRG8B-VKK3Q-CXVCJ-9G2XF-6Q84J |
Windows 10 Pro N for Workstations | WYPNQ-8C467-V2W6J-TX4WX-WT2RQ | 9FNHH-K3HBT-3W4TD-6383H-6XYWF |
Windows 10 S | 3NF4D-GF9GY-63VKH-QRC3V-7QW8P | |
Windows 10 Education | YNMGQ-8RYV3-4PGQ3-C8XTP-7CFBY | NW6C2-QMPVW-D7KKK-3GKT6-VCFB2 |
Windows 10 Education N | 84NGF-MHBT6-FXBX8-QWJK7-DRR8H | 2WH4N-8QGBV-H22JP-CT43Q-MDWWJ |
Windows 10 Pro Education | 8PTT6-RNW4C-6V7J2-C2D3X-MHBPB | 6TP4R-GNPTD-KYYHQ-7B7DP-J447Y |
Windows 10 Pro Education N | GJTYN-HDMQY-FRR76-HVGC7-QPF8P | YVWGF-BXNMC-HTQYQ-CPQ99-66QFC |
Windows 10 Enterprise | XGVPP-NMH47-7TTHJ-W3FW7-8HV2C | NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43 |
Windows 10 Enterprise G | YYVX9-NTFWV-6MDM3-9PT4T-4M68B | |
Windows 10 Enterprise G N | FW7NV-4T673-HF4VX-9X4MM-B4H4T | 44RPN-FTY23-9VTTB-MP9BX-T84FV |
Windows 10 Enterprise N | WGGHN-J84D6-QYCPR-T7PJ7-X766F | DPH2V-TTNVB-4X9Q3-TJR4H-KHJW4 |
Windows 10 Enterprise S | NK96Y-D9CD8-W44CQ-R8YTK-DYJWX | FWN7H-PF93Q-4GGP8-M8RF3-MDWWW |
Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB | WNMTR-4C88C-JK8YV-HQ7T2-76DF9 | |
Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB N | 2F77B-TNFGY-69QQF-B8YKP-D69TJ | |
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016 | DCPHK-NFMTC-H88MJ-PFHPY-QJ4BJ | |
Windows 10 Enterprise N LTSB 2016 | RW7WN-FMT44-KRGBK-G44WK-QV7YK | QFFDN-GRT3P-VKWWX-X7T3R-8B639 |
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 | M7XTQ-FN8P6-TTKYV-9D4CC-J462D | |
Windows 10 Enterprise N LTSC 2019 | 92NFX-8DJQP-P6BBQ-THF9C-7CG2H | |
Windows Server 2016 Datacenter | CB7KF-BWN84-R7R2Y-793K2-8XDDG | |
Windows Server 2016 Standard | WC2BQ-8NRM3-FDDYY-2BFGV-KHKQY | |
Windows Server 2016 Essentials | JCKRF-N37P4-C2D82-9YXRT-4M63B | |
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter | WMDGN-G9PQG-XVVXX-R3X43-63DFG | |
Windows Server 2019 Standard | N69G4-B89J2-4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C | |
Windows Server 2019 Essentials | WVDHN-86M7X-466P6-VHXV7-YY726 | |
Windows 10 Default Product Keys to be used with OEM Activation 3.0 – for manufacturers
Windows 10 Edition | Generic product key |
Windows 10 Home | 37GNV-YCQVD-38XP9-T848R-FC2HD |
Windows 10 Home N | 33CY4-NPKCC-V98JP-42G8W-VH636 |
Windows 10 Pro | NF6HC-QH89W-F8WYV-WWXV4-WFG6P |
Windows 10 Pro N | NH7W7-BMC3R-4W9XT-94B6D-TCQG3 |
Windows 10 SL | NTRHT-XTHTG-GBWCG-4MTMP-HH64C |
Windows 10 CHN SL | 7B6NC-V3438-TRQG7-8TCCX-H6DDY |
Windows 10 Default Product Keys to be used without OEM Activation 3.0 – for system builders
Windows 10 Edition | Generic product key |
Windows 10 Home | 46J3N-RY6B3-BJFDY-VBFT9-V22HG |
Windows 10 Home N | PGGM7-N77TC-KVR98-D82KJ-DGPHV |
Windows 10 Pro | RHGJR-N7FVY-Q3B8F-KBQ6V-46YP4 |
Windows 10 Pro N | 2KMWQ-NRH27-DV92J-J9GGT-TJF9R |
Windows 10 SL | GH37Y-TNG7X-PP2TK-CMRMT-D3WV4 |
Windows 10 CHN SL | 68WP7-N2JMW-B676K-WR24Q-9D7YC |