Really Confused about Win Server Activation

[tonyM]

I recently purchased an still shrinked box of Windows Server 2008 Standard.

I am upgrading a server from 2003 to 2008 (hardware and tools here are all 32-bit).

 

It Installed in a snap (on a nice big clean drive). Then I realized the clock was ticking on activation.

 

I have tried two options concerning activation.

 

[ACTIVATE WINDOWS ONLINE]

Click the button, wait 1 minute and I recieve

 

Windows Activation Error   Code 0x8007232B

  Description:   DNS name does not exist

 

(my research finds lots of talk about KMS Host servers, but I'm unsure if/how that might

apply to a lone machine in my office used to run vmware)

 

So, the other choice is,

[CHANGE PRODUCT KEY]

 

I enter the key taken from the nice plastic box, 25 chars, and after about

a minute it tells me,

"The Product key you have entered does not appear to be valid"

 

****, they have me coming and going.

 

Is there someone out there that can shed light on this, please?

 

tonyM

[MagicAndre1981]

run slui.exe 4 to open phone activation if the online activation fails.

[tonyM]

Yes, contacting MS directly by phone was inevitable, but as feared,
completely useless. Putting aside the language difficulties
and hours wasted I still cannot Activate my brand new OS.

My shrink-wrapped package came with 2 dvds (32-bit and R2 64 bit) and
on the inside of the packaging is affixed the usual MS product key label.

All persons I spoke to said Yes, this is a valid product key and the sku-xx looks good.

The last person I spoke too was confident that this key was showing
to him as explicitly an R2 key and that "the best I can suggest is you obtain a valid
Vista key at your local retailer" and that should work.

What the heck is going on here????

I do believe this was a valid MS packaged box. There is no hint otherwise.

Naturally, I am already very tempted to revert to server 2003.

Any thoughts?

tonyM

[MagicAndre1981]

google offline for PID checker tools, they tell you which Version/edition your key is for.

[MrMaguire]

Windows Server 2008 Standard shouldn't require KMS activation, only Datacenter I'm pretty sure.

 

If this copy came from eBay I'd be wary of the possibly of it being counterfeit. The quality of fakes has definitely improved in recent years.

[submix8c]

Ahem...

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/existing-customers/product-activation-faq.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/activation/existing-customers/product-activation.aspx

 

I believe Andre meant "online" PID checker. Whoever said "Vista key" is way off. Provided that *is* a valid key (it's on a COA, right?) then you could also use this to clear it completely out then re-enter it (maybe...).

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/d54b284b-670b-47c9-b675-6ca31760ce9b/change-product-key-server-2008-r2-64bit

These still apply (AFAIK) even if not KMS -

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn502540.aspx

 

SLUI.EXE should work *unless* (perhaps) you got hold of an OEM install/key.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/no-option-for-activate-windows-by-phone-when/8292de20-d729-4cce-9222-af29d8d8c018

[MagicAndre1981]

no I mean offline PID checker, I would never trust online tools.

[submix8c]

??? I tend to agree. An Offline Pid Checker is fine (and preferable) but I find only one so far (not "lots").

You posted the same thing as above here:

http://www.computerbase.de/forum/showthread.php?t=1206137

It seems to be referenced in sever German sites. Google

"windows 7" offline "pid checker"

and it'll jump up right away. I might recommend using a "reloadable" OS and disconnecting from the internet ("Offline") while using, although it seems to be trustworthy (paranoia and all...).

 

Edit - Thx, Andre, for the hint. I really wasn't aware that one existed for higher versions of OS's.

Edited January 31, 2015 by submix8c