Change Windows Oem To Retail
I've seen this question asked before, but I couldn't find the proper answer I was looking for in the thread. Is it possible to upgrade from an OEM copy of Windows 10 to a full Retail version, whilst retaining all of the data from the previous install. So if I were to buy a proper Retail. Last updated on August 28th, 2019. Cbrom exe bios. This tutorial contains instructions to convert Windows Server 2016 Evaluation version to Licensed. As you know all Evaluations versions is available for testing for 180 days and after that period you must convert the Evaluation version to Licensed first and to use a valid product key in order to activate Windows Server 2016 (or Server 2019)and use all its. Windows OEM: Windows RETAIL: In OEM Windows 10 any part of the computer can be replaced except the motherboard. As the SLIC (Software Licensing Internal Code) is stored in BIOS if when missing then Windows 10 OEM won’t get activated. We'll look at how to install a license key to transform Windows Server 2019 from the Evaluation version to the retail one.
It is always a good idea to start a new Windows Server 2016 / 2019 installation on a new slate. However, in some instances, you may be working on a site that will force you to upgrade from the current installation to the latest version. Apple catalina os download.
The routines described here apply to the server versions of Windows 2016 and 2019. This article describes moving to Windows Server 2016 / 2019 from different lower server platforms.
The path to the new Operating System (OS) depends on the current system and configurations that you are running.
That being the case, the following terms define activities you are likely to encounter when deploying the 2016 Server.
Installation
The simplest way of installing a new OS to work on your hardware, and get a clean installation, demands that you delete the previous Operating System.
Migration
To move system settings to the new Windows Server using a virtual machine is what we call migration. The process also varies depending on the roles and system configurations already running.
Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade
This feature is new in Windows Server 2016, and its role is to make sure the Administrator can upgrade the Operating System of all nodes running Windows Server 2012 R2 to Windows Server 2016, without interfering with the Hyper-V or Scale-Out File Server workloads.
The feature also helps in reducing downtime, which may affect Service Level Agreements.
License Conversion
Some Operating Systems use releases that allow the conversion of one edition to another without so much struggling.
What you need is a simple command issued alongside a license key, and you end doing the license conversion.
Upgrade
When you want to use the latest software that comes with the newer versions, then you have to do an upgrade.
In-place upgrades mean using the same hardware for installing the new Operating System. For example, you can upgrade from evaluation to retail version or from a volume license to an ordinary retail edition.
NOTE 1: An upgrade will work well in virtual machines if you do not need specific OEM hardware drivers.
NOTE 2: Following the Windows Server 2016 release, you can only perform an upgrade on a version installed using the Desktop Experience (not a server core option).
Change Windows 7 Oem Key To Retail
NOTE 3: If you use NIC teaming, disable it before you perform an upgrade; and when the upgrade is complete, re-enable it.
Upgrade Retail Versions of Windows Server to Windows Server 2016 / 2019
Note the following general principles:
- Upgrading a 32-bit to 64-bit architectures is not possible. Note that all Windows Server 2016 versions are only available in 64-bit.
- You cannot upgrade from one language to another.
- If you are running a domain controller, make sure you can handle the task, or read the following article: Upgrade Domain Controllers to Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012.
- You cannot upgrade from a preview version.
- You cannot switch from Server Core installation to a Server with a Desktop installation.
- You cannot upgrade from a Previous Windows Server installation to an evaluation copy of Windows Server.
Windows 10 Oem
You can read from the table below that shows a summary of Windows Operating Systems available for upgrade. If you are unable to upgrade your current Windows version, then upgrading to Windows Server 2016 is impossible
| Current Windows Edition | Possible Upgrade Edition |
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Per-Server-Role Considerations for Upgrading
It’s important to consider server roles before performing an upgrade.
For example, some server roles are part of the newer Windows versions and may only need additional preparation or actions to get the desired intent.
Converting Current Evaluation Version to Current Retail Version
It is possible to convert the trial version of Windows Server 2016 Standard to a Data 2016 Standard Server or a Datacenter version. The two conversions can be retail versions. You can also convert Windows Server 2016 Datacenter to the retail version.
Before making any conversion attempts to the retail version, ensure that your server is running an evaluation version; you can confirm this by following these steps:
- From the administrator’s command prompt, run
- The evaluation versions will include “EVAL” as the output
- Open the control panel
- Then click on System and Security
- Click on System
- View the activation status found on the activation area of the System page
- Click view details, and you will see more information on your Windows Status
- If your Windows is activated, you will see information showing the remaining time for the evaluation period.
If you are running a retail version, you will see the “Upgrading previous retail versions of Windows Server 2016” message prompting you to upgrade to Windows Server 2016.
In Windows Server 2016 Essentials, the conversion to retail version is possible if you have a retail volume license or OEM key in the command slmgr.vbs
Super writemaster dvd drivers. In case you are running an evaluation version of Windows Server 2016 Standard or Windows Server 2016 Datacenter, the following conversions can help you:
- If the server is a domain controller, it cannot change to the retail version. First, install another domain controller on a server that runs a retail version and remove the AD DS from the domain controller that has the evaluation version.
- Read the license terms
- From the administrator’s command prompt, enter this command to get the current edition:
Note the edition ID, the abbreviation form of the edition name, and then run the following command:
Once you get the ID and product key, the server should restart twice.
You can convert the evaluation version of Windows Server 2016 Standard to the retail version of Windows Server 2016 Datacenter using the same command and product key.
Converting Current Retail Edition to a Different Current Retail Edition
After successful installation of Windows Server 2016, you can run setup to repair the installation using a process called “repair in place” that converts it to a different edition.
In case of Windows Server 2016 Standard, you can convert the system to Windows Server 2016 Datacenter by:
- From the administrator’s command prompt, use the following command to determine the existing edition:
- Run this command to get the ID of the edition you want to upgrade to:
- Note the ID edition, the name of the edition, and then run this command:
- Once you get the ID and product key, the server should restart twice.
Converting Current Retail Version to Current Volume Licensed Version
Once you have Windows Server 2016 running, you can convert it to a retail version, an OEM version, or a volume-licensed version. The edition will not change.
If the starting point was an evaluation version, change it to retail version and then do as follows:
- From the administrator’s command, run this command:
- Insert the appropriate volume license, OEM or retail key instead of <key>
Conclusion
Upgrading Windows Server is a complicated process; therefore, Microsoft suggests that you migrate all roles and settings to Windows Server 2016 to avoid costly mistakes.
I, at Microsoft forums usually encounter a large number of cases related to activation-which include a variety of problems. Some have a pirated copy of Windows(which is either done intentionally or by a PC repair shop), some install a wrong version of Windows during a reinstall, some do a motherboard change hence the PC activation becomes void etc. The case #2 is fairly common, where the user installs a different version of Windows during a clean install(most commonly choosing Windows 10 Home rather than Windows 10 Home Single Language), rather than he has the license for. This also applies to when a user sends a PC for repair to a shop where they install either a pirated copy or a different edition of Windows. I would be discussing this case in this article.
How to install the correct version of Windows
If your Windows is not activated after a clean install and you believe you have a genuine license, first of all run the activation troubleshooter. The activation troubleshooter should tell you what is wrong with your license.
Let us take an example. Here the user has Installed Windows 10 Pro where he has got a license of Windows 10 Home Single Language. The activation troubleshooter would say something like this:
Change Windows Xp From Oem To Retail
In that case, you would have to do a Reinstallation of the correct version of Windows as downgrading editions is not possible. Here are the references for doing a clean install:
How to force Windows 10 Setup media to Install the desired edition
Usually, the installation of the wrong edition of Windows is due to people not knowing that what version license do they have. As they can now know via the troubleshooter, Now, the question here comes that How should you force Windows Setup to install the desired version? The answer is simple, you need to instruct the Setup through a configuration file to install the specific version.
There are a number of cases on this:
- You have a License of Windows 10 Home: To force Windows 10 to install Windows 10 Home during a clean install, you would need to create an ei.cfg file which instructs the setup media to install the mentioned edition and channel. For this do the following steps: (You can also download the file given below and paste it to the sources folder)
- On the USB drive where Windows 10 Setup is, open Sources folder
- Right-click New>New Text document.
- Type in the following:
[EditionID]
Core
[Channel]
Retail - Click File>Save As
- In the file name type in “ei.cfg” (with quotes)
- Here Edition ID means Edition which is Core, Channel is Retail if you purchased it through MS Store.
- You have a License of Windows 10 Home Single Language: This is a pretty common case. To force Windows 10 to install Windows 10 Home SL, you would need to create an ei.cfg file which instructs the setup media to install the mentioned edition and channel. For this do the following steps:
- On the USB drive where Windows 10 Setup is, open Sources folder
- Right-click New>New Text document.
- Type in the following:
[EditionID]
CoreSingleLanguage
[Channel]
OEM - Click File>Save As
- In the file name type in “ei.cfg” (with quotes)
- Here Edition ID means Edition which is Home Single Language, Channel is OEM as Home SL language licenses always are OEM System builder license.
- You have Installed Home but have a license of Windows 10 Pro: In that case, you need not to do a clean install. Go to Settings>Update and Security>Activation and click Change Product key and enter your Windows 10 Pro key.
Download for ei.cfg
You can download these Ei configuration files and paste them into sources folder of Windows 10 Media:
As these are config files, Chrome might mark it dangerous. Please click on Keep in order to download.
So by adding a configuration file to Windows, you can install Windows 10 desired version.
A small note for Windows 10 Home Single Language
As Windows 10 Home Single Language ISOs are not available like Windows 10 Home and Pro, by this method you can create Home Single language Installation media too. This method would also work for doing an inplace upgrade to a more recent version too.
Residing from Chandigarh India, Sumit is a Windows Insider MVP awarded for the first time in 2018. He is also an Independent advisor for Microsoft customers and helps voluntarily as well on the forums.