When you try to upgrade Windows Server 2019 Evaluation version to a licensed full version using a MAK volume license key you may receive below error message.
Error 1168
The specified product key could not be validated.
Check that the specified product key is valid and that it matches the target edition.
To fix this first you have to install a KMS client key using DISM command line tool. Keys are available on https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/kmsclientkeys (Get your respective key from “Windows Server LTSC/LTSB versions” section)
Now open CMD or PowerShell with administrative privileges and execute below command.
DISM /Online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:N69G4-B89J2-4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C /AcceptEula
For more details on “Set-Edition” option follow the article in here.
Once the above command is successfully executed you will prompt for restart the server. Restart the server and execute the below command to install the new MAK key which is available on Volume Licensing Service Center.
slmgr /ipk <product key>
slmgr /ato
Now the Windows Activation should have completed successfully.
Worked well, Thanks
Thank you!
You Sir, know your craft very well! Thank you very much, worked like a charm. 🙂
Thank you soooooo much,
You make my day!
Hello,
This is exactly what was needed for me !!
Many thanks !
Bertrand
Have been working with MS support for 2 days and got no resolution. However, this helped me to activate the server instantly. Thanks much.
This may not work for MAK keys. Just resolved it with the following:
Server 2019 Activation Error: Run “slui.exe 0x2a 0xC004F069” to display the error text
I was trying to activate Server 2019 Standard in a virtual machine this weekend, and on trying to enter the license key I got an error code of “0x80070032″ which wasn’t very helpful. This led onto trying to use slrmgr -ipk to install the license key, which also failed with ” On a computer running Microsoft Windows non-core edition, run ‘slui.exe 0x2a 0xC004F069’ to display the error text””
This can be worked around by using two DISM commands.
Open an elevated command prompt, and type (or copy) DISM.exe /Online /Get-TargetEditions
Then enter DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:ENTER-YOUR-SERIAL-KEY-HERE /AcceptEula (use key from below table if this is a MAK/Volume license key)
It may get stuck on the 10% mark for a few
Use one of the below keys first:
Windows Server 2019
Product GVLK
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 Server 2019 Azure Core FDNH6-VW9RW-BXPJ7-4XTYG-239TB
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Semi-Annual Channel (v.1809) 6NMRW-2C8FM-D24W7-TQWMY-CWH2D
Windows Server 2019 Standard Semi-Annual Channel (v.1809) N2KJX-J94YW-TQVFB-DG9YT-724CC
Windows Server 2019 ARM64 GRFBW-QNDC4-6QBHG-CCK3B-2PR88
Windows Server 2016
Product GVLK
Windows Server 2016 Standard Semi-Annual Channel (v.1803) PTXN8-JFHJM-4WC78-MPCBR-9W4KR
Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Semi-Annual Channel (v.1803) 2HXDN-KRXHB-GPYC7-YCKFJ-7FVDG
Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Semi-Annual Channel (v.1709) 6Y6KB-N82V8-D8CQV-23MJW-BWTG6
Windows Server 2016 Standard Semi-Annual Channel (v.1709) DPCNP-XQFKJ-BJF7R-FRC8D-GF6G4
Windows Server 2016 ARM64 K9FYF-G6NCK-73M32-XMVPY-F9DRR
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 2016 Cloud Storage QN4C6-GBJD2-FB422-GHWJK-GJG2R
Windows Server 2016 Azure Core VP34G-4NPPG-79JTQ-864T4-R3MQX
WNCYY-GFBH2-M4WTT-XQ2FP-PG2K9
Finally reboot and enter your purchased key:
– Enter key via GUI
or
– slmgr.vbs /ipk
– slmgr.vbs /ato
But when I try with the GUI interface it works
Muchas gracias, funcionó perfectamente. Suerte.
That was hard to find on the web but easy fixed. Thanks a bunch!
Thanks!!!!! This saved both me and my user’s day!
As Alex said, this was hard to find. I have been on the phone with two separate Microsoft support reps, and both told me to format the system disk and reinstall Windows 2019 from scratch. “The only way to activate an evaluation edition” they told me.
They wouldn’t even listen to me when I referred to their own web site saying “When you complete your evaluation, you can convert your evaluation versions to retail. ” (from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-2019). They told me “that only works sometimes”. Oh dear;-)
Struggling for whole day, got this blog and license activate in 20 minutes.
Thanks
Work for me!
Thanks so far, but what does
“It may get stuck on the 10% mark for a few” mean ?
A few hours, days, server generations ?
Still waiting for hours to switch to 10.1%.
May this be interrupted without problems ?
RyanL… I can’t thank you enough for the answer you posted. You are helping a lot of users like myself that are having the same issues. Thank you for taking the time to type out your answer in here, you never know how many people can be beneficiated by your post.
Thank you and keep up the good work!
great done
Hi has anyone done this on a domain controller without demoting it.