When installing windows sever 2012 R2, It always asks to enter product key to activate windows.

There is no skip option in this screen, like other windows sever installations.

Is this always a must that we need to enter Product key or the final release of OS will have skip option enabled too?

Thanks..

Try a 'generic' volume license key to install. aka GVLK

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx

Then activate with slmgr with your regular key.

slmgr.vbs -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Thank you.

Let me frame my question properly.

I want to install without activation key and activate it later. Skip activation option is not available when i try to install windows 2012 R2.

Is this expected behavior ?

Will skip activation be available in final customer release?

Screenshot attached.

Edited November 25, 201312 yr by srihariram

Put that GVLK key in your unattend.xml - see the example here on how to do it.

            <UserData>                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>                <FullName>maxXPsoft</FullName>                <Organization>Se7en_UA</Organization>                <ProductKey>                    <Key>xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx</Key>                    <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>                </ProductKey>            </UserData>

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/139572-ask-your-seven-xml-here/

or you can mount your install.wim with DISM and use the set-productkey command (with the GVLK) so that it stops asking during installation.

Dism /Image:C:\test\offline /Set-ProductKey:12345-67890-12345-67890-12345

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh825157.aspx

Edited November 27, 201312 yr by MrJinje

Thank you.

Actually, i dont want to give any product key in answer file and want to activate it later.

There are two ISO's present in msdn subscriber download for windows 2012 R2.

When i use en_windows_server_2012_r2_x64_dvd_2707946.iso, there is no skip option in Activation screen.

And when i use en_windows_server_2012_r2_vl_x64_dvd_2979250.iso, skip Activation is present.

Same answer file is used in both cases.

Any idea what is the difference between both ISOs?

thanks..

The second one is a volume license copy that actually explains it all.

The second one is a volume license copy that actually explains it all.

in other words they used dism to set-productkey inside the iso (yes probably the same GVLK key).

and fyi, using the generic key does not activate you. It merely allows you to bypass the prompt during installation, which I think was the point of your question. You will still be required to enter your real key later for activation.

Actually, i dont want to give any product key in answer file and want to activate it later.

You can't. See above. Microsoft has removed that ability and now you must enter a GVLK or a real key just to install. Get used to it.

Edited November 29, 201312 yr by MrJinje

Thank you.

Will include GVLK keys and try..

or you could just add this to the sources folder

EI.cfg

[Channel]Retail[VL]0

Junior,

I am guessing you are trying to script or image an unattended or "Light Touch" or "Zero Touch" build? In other words you are trying to utomate the instll of Windows right?

If yes, then I highly recommend that you should purchase a Volume License and build a KMS Server. That way, you don't even have to worry about customising the PID key and the KMS server will automatically activate your Windows clients after they get domain joined. That is actually the whole point of what somebody referred to as the "generic" PID key which is actually KMS Client PID key. Your KMS server which has the KMS Server PID key will automatically search for clients on your domain and keep them activated on a recurring schedule.

Might be a bit overkill for you but it is defintely a winner!