Server 2012R2 > Server 2019 activation issue

[Koldov]

I've done an in place upgrade of one of my VMs (first one) and I've come across a well-known issue (well according to the interwebs)...

 

It's asking to be activated and yet the 'Change Product Key' doesn't actually work!

 

Internet wisdom suggests using an Admin CMD prompt to enter 'slmgr vbs' commands, unfortunately I have a GPO file association to open vbs in notepad.

 

To make it worse CScript/WScript are also both disabled...

 

I've tried regedit, file association, registering etc... but it doesn't seem to want to change!

 

Oh and it appears when using Run and SLUI 4, it cannot be activated by phone (?)...

 

Other than reinstalling the whole OS which I'm not keen on as it very nearly didn't make it (OS upgrade and also VM generation change... plus it's a WSUS and Print Server) , does anybody have ANY other way to activate?

Edited December 19, 2022 by Koldov

[3s-gtech]

Block the GPO inheritance for those policies until you can get it activated and working.

[Koldov]

It was too complicated too block the inheritance unfortunately (the GPO that has those settings is a bit of a monster and also includes Firewall/RDP settings).

 

Apart from lots of hits on the inter webs making it seem like this is a common issue, it seems it might be somehow linked to other issues with Domain Admins and the settings app. I've found there's loads of things I can't do in there but can run the equivalent from Control Panel or even find the relevant exe and using 'run as'...

 

Anyway logged on as local Admin instead and once I'd edited the registry for vbs_auto to open in WScript I could run the slmgr commands.

[milesla]

Hi Koldov.

 

Just create a new GPO that undoes the configs that are restricting you, ensure it applies only to the server in question (Security Filtering), it is enforced. and list it earlier in the inheritance list in GP Manager.

 

Goodluck