Windows Server 2016: Converting Evaluation to Licensed Version

To upgrade Windows Server Evaluation to a full version, you need to use the public KMS (GVLK) key for Windows Server 2016. The conversion is performed via the command prompt using the built-in DISM tool. For example, to upgrade your Eval edition to the Retail version of Windows Server 2016 Standard, use the command:

dism /online /set-edition:ServerStandard /productkey:WC2BQ-8NRM3-FDDYY-2BFGV-KHKQY /accepteula

If you specify your retail or MAK key instead of a public GVLK key in the DISM command, an error will appear:

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.

Always use the Microsoft GVLK key when upgrading the Windows Server edition. You will later replace it with your own product key.

After you run this command, wait for the message Command completed successfully (in some cases it may take several hours!!!). After that restart your server and make sure you have a full Standard edition installed.

winver.exe

To upgrade Windows Server 2016 Eval to the Datacenter edition, you need to use another GVLK key. The command will look like this:

DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter /ProductKey:CB7KF-BWN84-R7R2Y-793K2-8XDDG /AcceptEula

If a KMS server is deployed in your local network (What is Volume KMS activation?), you can use it to activate your Windows Server OS with the following commands:

slmgr /ipk WC2BQ-8NRM3-FDDYY-2BFGV-KHKQY (this is the GVLK key for Windows Server 2016 Standard, another product key is used for Datacenter, it is listed above)
slmgr /ato

If there is no KMS server, you can specify your MAK or Retail product key for Windows Server and activate the OS as usual: via the Internet or by phone.

Remove the current key:

slmgr.vbs /upk
slmgr.vbs /cpky

Enter your MAK or retail product key:

slmgr.vbs /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

Activate a Windows Server instance:
slmgr.vbs /ato

Windows Server 2019: Upgrade Evaluation to Full Version

To convert Windows Server 2019 EVAL to a full edition, you need to use the GVLK (KMS) keys for Windows Server 2019. You can upgrade Windows Server 2019 edition the same way.

Convert Windows Server 2019 Evaluation to Windows Server 2019 Standard:

dism /online /set-edition:ServerStandard /productkey:N69G4-B89J2-4G8F4-WWYCC-J464C /accepteula

In order to convert Windows Server 2019 Evaluation to Windows Server 2019 Datacenter edition:

dism /online /set-edition:ServerDatacenter /productkey:WMDGN-G9PQG-XVVXX-R3X43-63DFG /accepteula

Confirm the command, restart the server. After rebooting, make sure your Windows Server Eval edition is converted to full retail.

Windows Server 2022: Converting Evaluation to the Retail Edition

Although the official RTM version of Windows Server 2022 has not yet been released, Microsoft has already published the public KMS client setup keys (GVLKs) for this OS version.

The command to convert Windows Server 2022 Evaluation edition to Standard:

dism /online /set-edition:serverstandard /productkey:VDYBN-27WPP-V4HQT-9VMD4-VMK7H /accepteula

Convert eval instance to Windows Server 2022 Datacenter:

dism /online /set-edition:serverdatacenter /productkey:WX4NM-KYWYW-QJJR4-XV3QB-6VM33 /accepteula

Possible DISM errors:

• The current edition cannot be upgraded to any target editions — you are trying to convert the Datacenter edition to Standard. This upgrade way is not supported;
  There is an unofficial way to downgrade Windows Server edition from Datacenter to Standard.

• Error: 50. Setting an Edition is not supported with online images — Most likely, your server has an Active Directory Domain Controller role (AD DS) deployed. Converting of Windows Server edition on a DC is not supported;
• This Windows image cannot upgrade to the edition of Windows
that was specified. The upgrade cannot proceed. Run the
/Get-TargetEditions option to see what edition of Windows you can
upgrade to — the error appears if you try to convert Windows Server Evaluation Datacenter to Standard. You cannot upgrade Eval Datacenter to Standard. You need to convert the ServerDatacenterEval edition to ServerDatacenter. Specify the KMS key for Windows Server Datacenter edition in the DISM command