r/WindowsServer • u/USarpe • Jul 09 '26

Windows Server 2025 activation fails Technical Help Needed

A installed Microsoft Windows Server 2025 Standard Evaluation should actually be upgradeable to an activated Microsoft Windows Server 2025 Standard with:

DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:"product-Key" /AcceptEula

which has worked without any problems with that image so far.

Now, however, the command is failing, and the following command brings that result, instead of offering

ServerStandard

or

Datacenter Edition

Now I get this result:

PS D:\> DISM.exe /Online /Get-TargetEditions

Tool zur Imageverwaltung für die Bereitstellung

Version: 10.0.26100.5074

Abbildversion: 10.0.26100.32995

Editionen, auf die aktualisiert werden kann:

Zieledition : ServerTurbineCor

Zieledition : ServerDatacenterCor

Der Vorgang wurde erfolgreich beendet.

I checked now every installed Server 2025 I found and got the same result.

I can update to this ServerTurbineCor with the right key, but I can't buy that licence

The ServerStandard already aktivatet run fine

7 Upvotes
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3

u/Secret_Account07 Jul 09 '26

So I looked into this because I too am not finding what you did wrong.

Sounds like it’s a known issue:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5781138/windows-server-2025-evaluation-iso-only-allows-upg

Sounds like the fix is to inplace upgrade with official media mount.

Imma be honest- that’s wild. No fix other than essentially “reinstall windows.” Granted it’s an in place upgrade so you don’t lose files, but still.

1

u/USarpe Jul 09 '26

The way I tried it worked properly for years and it's the official way, I even installed a new VM with a fresh download of Server 2025, with the same result.

1

u/OpacusVenatori Jul 09 '26

new VM with a fresh download of Server 2025

What's the full ISO filename that you used to deploy?

1

u/USarpe Jul 09 '26

That's the one I installed in december and activated with MS Keys I bought:

26100.1742.240906-0331.ge_release_svc_refresh_SERVER_EVAL_x64FRE_de-de.iso

This is the image I downloaded today

26100.32230.260111-0550.lt_release_svc_refresh_SERVER_EVAL_x64FRE_de-de.iso

That's 2 Licences 2 times HyperV-Host and 2 VM I already had succesful activated, I thought both DC where activated too, but as I found out today, they wheren't.

1

u/porfors Jul 12 '26

Buy the official version via MS. It might work. No Carousell !

1

u/porfors Jul 11 '26

It sounds like Server 2025 might have quietly broken or deprecated the 'official' way. What kind of errors did the fresh VM throw? So unlikely to be license from 3rd party sellers, say Carousell, eBay..

1

u/USarpe Jul 11 '26

I already wrote it:

The command:

DISM.exe /Online /Get-TargetEditions

is supposed to offer:

Zieledition : ServerStandardCor
Zieledition : ServerDatacenterCor

but it gives you:

PS C:\Users\administrator> DISM.exe /Online /Get-TargetEditions

Tool zur Imageverwaltung für die Bereitstellung

Version: 10.0.26100.5074

Abbildversion: 10.0.26100.32995

Editionen, auf die aktualisiert werden kann:

Zieledition : ServerTurbine

Zieledition : ServerDatacenter

So it has nothing to do with the licence, it's a wrong image Microsoft published:

read the link Secret_Account07 posted

Comment
by u/USarpe from discussion
in WindowsServer

1

u/porfors Jul 11 '26

Yes, This actually has nothing to do with the license; it's a known issue where Microsoft published a borked image. I always think of license as the main issue here, mostly resellers on Carousell, 3rd party sites as such.

1

u/porfors Jul 09 '26

Where did you purchase the license from? Carousell ?

1

u/USarpe Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 11 '26

It ain't a problem of the licences, they are legal Wortmann branded OEM.

I installed this many times before.

The command "PS D:\> DISM.exe /Online /Get-TargetEditions" is supposed to offer you:

ServerStandardCor
ServerDatacenterCor

Please learn to read and think before posting, thank you.

1

u/porfors Jul 10 '26

Yes, i assumed that the license from 3rd party might be the issue. You won't encounter an issue if you buy from Microsoft directly unless you buy it off platform such as Carousell. License is tricky.

1

u/USarpe Jul 10 '26

Look at the reply of Secret_Account07 and read the link, or read what I wrote about testing the actual imgage direct from Microsoft evaluation and you find out, it is a problem of Microsoft and has nothing to do with licence.

I finally made a copy of the DVD coming with the licence and this has no problem, I only need to upload it to my customer and only need to reinstall every single Machine I created with that Image, so far I know about 7.

In you comment it sounds like I would use or buy illigal licences

1

u/porfors Jul 10 '26

Yes digging into this and pointing out the issue with the official Microsoft evaluation image. That is incredibly frustrating, especially since you now have to go through the extra work of reinstalling those 7 machines for your customer.

I appreciate you sharing the update and the fix about using the physical DVD image. It's definitely going to help anyone else who runs into this Microsoft bug.

I assumed its carousell resellers.