When an environment evolves (growth, mergers, different needs) you have might very well have resource needs above and beyond the limits of the original Windows edition that was installed. Scaling out might not the right (or possible) solution you so scale up is alternative option. Today with Windows Server 2008 R2 this is very easy. However, again and again I see people resorting labor intensive and often tedious solutions. Some go the whole 9 yards and do a complete clean install and migration. Others get creative and do a custom install with the windows media to achieve an in place upgrade. But all this isn’t needed at all. Using DISM (Windows Edition-Servicing Command-Line Options) you can achieve anything you need and every role, feature, app on your server will remain in good working condition. Recently I had to upgrade some standard edition Hyper-V guest servers to the enterprise edition to make use of more than 32 GB of RAM. Another reason might be to move from Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition to Data Center Edition for hyper-v host to make use of that specific licensing model for virtual machines.
Please note the following:
- You can only do upgrades. You CANNOT downgrade
- The server you upgrade cannot be a domain controller (demote, upgrade, promote)
- This works on Standard, Enterprise edition, both full & core installations.
- You cannot switch form core to full or vice versa. It’s edition upgrade only, not for switching type of install.
This is how to find the possible target editions for your server:
C:\Windows\system32>DISM /online /Get-TargetEditions Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Image Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Editions that can be upgraded to: Target Edition : ServerDataCenter Target Edition : ServerEnterprise The operation completed successfully.
So I went to Enterprise Edition by executing this process takes some time but is painless but for one reboot.
C:\Windows\system32>Dism /online /Set-Edition:ServerEnterprise /ProductKey:489J6-VHDMP-X63PK-3K798-CPX3Y Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Image Version: 6.1.7600.16385 Starting to update components... Starting to install product key... Finished installing product key. Removing package Microsoft-Windows-ServerStandardEdition~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.7601.17514 [==========================100.0%==========================] Finished updating components. Starting to apply edition-specific settings... Restart Windows to complete this operation. Do you want to restart the computer now (Y/N)?
You either use a MAK key (if you don’t have a KMS server) or the default key for your volume license media. When you have KMS in place (and the matching server group KMS key A, B, or C) the activation will be done automatically and transparent for you. Standard trouble shooting applies if you run into an issue there.
These are the public keys for use with a KMS server:
- Windows 7 Professional – FJ82H-XT6CR-J8D7P-XQJJ2-GPDD4
- Windows 7 Professional N – MRPKT-YTG23-K7D7T-X2JMM-QY7MG
- Windows 7 Enterprise – 33PXH-7Y6KF-2VJC9-XBBR8-HVTHH
- Windows 7 Enterprise N – YDRBP-3D83W-TY26F-D46B2-XCKRJ
- Windows 7 Enterprise E – C29WB-22CC8-VJ326-GHFJW-H9DH4
- Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC Edition – FKJQ8-TMCVP-FRMR7-4WR42-3JCD7
- Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter – 74YFP-3QFB3-KQT8W-PMXWJ-7M648
- Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise – 489J6-VHDMP-X63PK-3K798-CPX3Y
- Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems – GT63C-RJFQ3-4GMB6-BRFB9-CB83V
- Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard – YC6KT-GKW9T-YTKYR-T4X34-R7VHC
- Windows Web Server 2008 R2 – 6TPJF-RBVHG-WBW2R-86QPH-6RTM4
Don’t worry this is public information (KMS Client Setup Keys), these will only activate if you have a KMS server and the to key make that KMS server work.
Either way there is no need for reinstall & migration or upgrade installation in for a simple upgrade scenario So do your self a favor and always check if you can use DSIM to achieve your goals!
I just wanted to say thank you. I’ve been looking for this information for months (even asked Microsoft/Dell reps, and they said it couldn’t be done)! The only real challenge performing this, was that none of our MAK’s worked and we don’t have a KMS server. I had to use one of the public keys, then re-activate with our MAK license after the system completed and rebooted. I now have a working Windows 2008R2 Enterprise server that can actually see all 48MB of RAM!!!
I have problem about terminal service, RDP not working after online upgrade using DISM.
Here is my resolution :
1. Run this command as administrator
SLMGR / REARM
2. Reboot Server
3. then re-activate with my company key, and reboot Server again.
4. RDP Working again ^_^
Good article! Just upgraded my server with no issues!! Thanks.
THANK YOU!!!!
You’re most welcome.
Excellent, was stuck in the 4GB only mode for a while till I found your slmgr /rearm.
Yay, all good now, have the key entered and it seems to be showing the full 128GB of RAM. Will do one more reboot later just to be sure
Hi,
You won a beer
Thanks a lot !
Thx & Cheers!
I’ve Exchange 2010 already installed on Windows 2008 R2 standard edition, now we are having requirement to implement DAG and to implement DAG we have to upgrade from Windows 2008 R2 Standard to Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise.
if you use this method to upgrade edition, does it going to impact any Exchange services?
Thanks
Sorry, afaik this is not supported by the Exchange group. Don’t know if yiu can make it work but it’s not supported. Clean install on the other server is the way to go. Move mailboxes over and than install your original server over and voila, two DAG nodes at the ready.
Good luck!
hi
can i upgrade hyper-v server & Additional domain controller server…….
Hi, as stated in the blog post you cannot use this on a domain controller. Hyper-V should work.
Anyway to upgrade a HPC server to DataCenter????
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Image Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Current edition is:
Current Edition : ServerHpc
The operation completed successfully.
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Image Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Editions that can be upgraded to:
(The current edition cannot be upgraded to any target editions.)
The operation completed successfully.
Not that I know off.
Thanks for this great information.
Can you confirm that this method will support upgrading Windows Web Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard? I’ve confirmed that DSIM reports on the web machine that ServerStandard is a potential target.
You’re welcome.
If DISM reports that it’s a better confirmation than I can give. If it’s not possible it will just throw an error, not blow up the server, so you should be good to go.
Hi This method will support Physical server ??
Actually i have Windows server 2008 R2 Standard would like to upgrade to Enterprise.
Yes, physical or virtual makes no difference for this.