If you need a Windows Server 2016 Free Trial or Evaluation for your use. After installing the Windows Server Evaluation, you will have 180 days to use the full functionality. While using this Evaluation version you may see the current build and the time it will expire. When it expires, the following error code will be prompted “Error Code: 0x80072EE2”. If you need guides on Microsoft Evaluation and Microsoft upgrades you can read these: MSSQL Server evaluation period has expired: How to upgrade SQL Server instance – MSSQL licensing, and how to perform an in-place upgrade from Windows Server 2016 to Windows Server 2019.

Please note that after the grace period of 180 days, Windows Server will start requiring activation and shutting down every time. You may want to see these guides: How to upgrade Windows Admin Center, and how to perform an in-place upgrade for Windows Server 2012 to 2019,

Seamless Upgrade from Windows Server Evaluation to Full Edition

This article should help you if you performing productive tasks in the evaluation version of Windows Server and want to upgrade it to the full Windows Server edition while keeping your data and without the need to completely reinstall the operating system.

After the end of the 180 days you will notice the following event message in the Event Viewer:

Log Name:   ApplicationSource:       WLMSEvent ID:     100Description: The license period for this installation of Windows has expired. The operating system will shut down every hour.

If you also check the lower right corner on the desktop you will see the notification “Windows License is expired”.

if you check the windows activation page you will notice the below image if the Evaluation license already expired.

Use the following command to uninstall the product key.

The article on how to use Software Licensing Management Tool (slmgr) to install and uninstall Windows product key will help you in accomplishing this task.

The product key was uninstalled successfully

If you try to click on the change product key it will not respond. So you will need to clear the product key from the registry. After that try clicking again

Successful Removal of Product Key Using Command from Registry

Removing the Product key from the registry using the below command and coming back successful

This command “slmgr.vbs /ipk enter your product key here” can be used to install new product key that is needed to convert the Evaluation to Full License.

If the product key is valid and you are installing it on the same version of OS then it will be successful else you will receive the below message.

If you run this slui.exe 0x2a 0xC004F069 you will get the Windows activation error description clearly. This error occurs if the license validity interval has expired, or if the license is not signed correctly.

You can use DISM command to confirm the Windows Server Evaluation edition you are currently using so that you will know the upgrade that you need. Open an elevated command prompt and execute the following command:

DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition

You can get the list of Windows Server editions you can upgrade your current version to using the following command:

DISM /online /Get-TargetEditions

I hope you found this blog post How to Upgrade Windows Server Evaluation to Full Version interesting and helpful. In case you have any questions do not hesitate to ask in the comment section.