Chiming in on a recurring question people ask about converting server eval to standard while config as a DC. While I've *never* come across a need to do this, I recently picked up a client running 2022 as a DC in eval at 2 different sites with a lot of config put into replication between the two via VPN, each running VM's for SQL (which also replicate remotely) and another 2022 instance for terminal server. Whoever set this up really didn't like Azure (or any cloud services for that matter) as everything is done super old school like we were used to seeing in server 2003-2008 era. The irony here is they HAVE server 2022 standard licenses with 24 cores for the Xeon Gold 6252 servers, along with 50 licenses for server 2022 RDS users, that were clearly never implemented before promoting the sites to DC's. This theory is further reinforced by the fact the VM running 2022 server SQL and 2022 for RDS are activated, because they could be converted to standard as they are not DC's. Insultingly is how backwards this is setup. If anything, as we all know the host should be running server 2022 with no services other than hyper-v, and the VM's should be one for the DC, another for SQL and another for RDS, or perhaps combine the two since the SQL database is tiny and low overhead. Personally I love having the DC in a VM container because it is super flexible to move it between hardware. But there is no budget to reinvent the wheel here as I have learned how much they paid someone to implement this 3 years ago and it would make you laugh for a week, especially when reminded how wrong it is. The guy continued to blow through rearms until they ran out and bailed on them as a client in December. They had another guy and finally myself come in to do an evaluation when the server started rebooting itself randomly after trial countdown lapsed and no rearms left, and I ran MAS Activator to reset the rearm count but I let them know all of this and how they are going to have to rearm on schedule twice a year until they retire the hardware, which is probably a few years away seeing how much they spent on this in 2023. That out of the way, I am offering them two scenarios, but there are actually four possible scenarios if what I'm thinking is possible: 1) Continue running as is and rearm every 180 days. They are *technically* legal as they actually have all the licensing, just not implemented. However, the eval edition offers capability beyond their licenses, like more cores etc, but they are not currently using capability beyond their licensing, so I guess this is a grey area. Naturally, I have already broken the EULA by extending the rearms so... 2) Install a VM of 2022 Standard, activate, promote to DC, demote the host OS running in eval, and spend an enormous amount of time reconfiguring everything that is setup on the host eval as demoting the DC will reset a number of services along with it. Deal with gremlins associated with the new DC such as replication and clients. There are two other options I am testing in my lab. I imaged the SSD of their server and have it running in a VM, which has the unfortunate consequence of issues associated with the VM's that run on the host (if you've run hyper-v's inside a hyper-v you know what I mean.) I've got it mostly running though after configuring the host in the VM for my hardware and getting the networks talking within the VM's. 3) Use MAS 3.10 to convert 2022 eval to standard while running as a DC. Then I could just take this instance and turn it into a VM. No reconfig neccessary and very low labor. 4) Install 2022 fresh on their server as a native host, activate with their license, and use MAS 3.10 to extract the activation tokens. Insert those tokens into their 2022 eval host OS's. Both options are untested, and I plan to test them in simulation to see what happens. I know scenario 4 will break some s**t because while the HWID's will match and show activation, the underlying host OS is still 2022 eval and mismatching in my experience breaks Windows Update and causes winver to report wonky results. (4) is arguably more ghetto than having them rearm the eval twice a year, and it also doesn't improve anything from my typical deployment: I would personally like the DC in a VM but I don't see a smooth way to do that without a lot of legwork (literally between sites) and what I want isn't going to be what this client is willing to pay. I'd like thoughts on scenario 3 and 4 for those that care to answer, especially if you have a hypothetical 5
I would also go for option 3 With a genuine key, this being a business and they already have them But let them know this is not ideal as a setup and that you could fix it when they are ready for it If you can, give them an estimate of the efforts/$ so they know in advance That way, you have a satisfied customer that will be willing to call you again Repeat business !
Excuse my question, but I know very little about computers and I don't know if this has already been answered; also, English is not my native language. Excuse me. If you are currently using TSForge on Windows 10 Home, which still receives free ESU updates in Europe, will the option to migrate to Windows 11 for free through Windows Update disappear, or will it be possible to do so in the future if you choose? Thank you in advance for your response. Best regards.
As far as i know tsforge doesn't block the windows 11 upgrade, you can always perform an ISO upgrade when you want.
Thank you very much for the clarification. I was wondering if installing TSforge would eliminate the option to migrate to Windows 11 in the future. For now, my intention is to stay with Windows 10 as long as possible, but since I haven't used TSforge, I thought I wouldn't be able to migrate to Windows 11 for free if I changed my mind. What I'm unsure about now is whether installing Windows 11 from an ISO allows you to keep your data, files, settings, and applications, or if you have to perform a completely clean installation. Best regards.
Only when (inplace) upgrading will allow to keep all (settings can be tricky, msft tends to set all back to default, by default ).
Code: @echo off TITLE Inserir pasta "Scripts" no install.wim / install.esd... ECHO Verificando privilegios de administrador... reg query HKU\S-1-5-19 1>nul 2>nul && goto :gotAdmin if not "%1"=="am_admin" (powershell start -verb runas '%0' am_admin & exit /b) :gotAdmin PUSHD "%~dp0" CD /D "%CD%" @CLS TITLE Inserir pasta "Scripts" no install.wim / install.esd... reg Query "HKLM\Hardware\Description\System\CentralProcessor\0" | find /i "x86" > NUL && ( set "_wimlib=bin\wimlib-imagex.exe" ) || ( set "_wimlib=bin\bin64\wimlib-imagex.exe" ) setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion echo. echo Crappy Tools by Enthousiast @MDL... echo. echo Inserindo pasta "Scripts" no WIM/ESD sem montar... echo. if exist "install.wim" set WIMFILE=install.wim if exist "install.esd" set WIMFILE=install.esd if not defined WIMFILE ( echo ERRO: Nenhum arquivo install.wim ou install.esd encontrado neste diretorio. pause & exit /b 1 ) if not exist "Scripts\" ( echo ERRO: Pasta "Scripts" nao encontrada neste diretorio. pause & exit /b 1 ) echo Script iniciado em %time% echo Arquivo detectado: %WIMFILE% echo. if "%WIMFILE%"=="install.esd" ( echo Convertendo install.esd para install_temp.wim... %_wimlib% export "install.esd" all "install_temp.wim" --compress=LZX if errorlevel 1 ( echo ERRO: Falha ao converter ESD para WIM. pause & exit /b 1 ) echo Conversao concluida. echo. set WIMFILE=install_temp.wim set CONVERT_BACK=1 ) for /f "tokens=3 delims=: " %%i in ('%_wimlib% info "%WIMFILE%" ^| findstr /c:"Image Count"') do set images=%%i for /L %%i in (1,1,%images%) do ( echo Inserindo scripts na imagem %%i de %images%... %_wimlib% update "%WIMFILE%" %%i --command="add 'Scripts' '\Windows\Setup\Scripts'" if errorlevel 1 ( echo [AVISO] Falha ao inserir na imagem %%i ) else ( echo [OK] Imagem %%i concluida ) ) if defined CONVERT_BACK ( echo. echo Convertendo install_temp.wim de volta para install.esd... if exist "install.esd" del "install.esd" %_wimlib% export "install_temp.wim" all "install.esd" --compress=LZMS --solid if errorlevel 1 ( echo ERRO: Falha ao converter WIM de volta para ESD. echo O arquivo install_temp.wim foi mantido como backup. pause & exit /b 1 ) echo Limpando arquivo temporario... del "install_temp.wim" echo Conversao para ESD concluida. ) echo. echo Script finalizado em %time% pause exit /b
Code: @echo off TITLE Insert "Scripts" folder files into install.wim and install.esd without mounting... TITLE Admin Check... ECHO Checking for admin... reg query HKU\S-1-5-19 1>nul 2>nul && goto :gotAdmin if not "%1"=="am_admin" (powershell start -verb runas '%0' am_admin & exit /b) :gotAdmin PUSHD "%~dp0" CD /D "%CD%" @CLS TITLE Insert "Scripts" folder files into install.wim and install.esd without mounting... rem Detect OS Architecture reg Query "HKLM\Hardware\Description\System\CentralProcessor\0" | find /i "x86" > NUL && ( set "arch=x86" ) || ( set "arch=x64" ) if %arch%==x86 ( set "_wimlib=bin\wimlib-imagex.exe" set "xOS=x86" ) else ( set "_wimlib=bin\bin64\wimlib-imagex.exe" set "xOS=amd64" ) setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion echo. echo Crappy Tools by Enthousiast @MDL... echo. echo Insert "Scripts" folder files into install.wim and install.esd without mounting... echo. echo Script Started At %time% echo. if exist "install.wim" set WIMFILE=install.wim if exist "install.esd" set WIMFILE=install.esd for /f "tokens=3 delims=: " %%i in ('%_wimlib% info %WIMFILE% ^| findstr /c:"Image Count"') do set images=%%i for /L %%i in (1,1,%images%) do ( echo Inserting the scripts folder files in image: %%i %_wimlib% update "%WIMFILE%" %%i --command="add 'Scripts' '\Windows\Setup\Scripts'" >nul ) echo Script finished At %time% pause exit /b In line 42 change install.wim to %WIMFILE% and it runs on install.esd: Code: Crappy Tools by Enthousiast @MDL... Insert "Scripts" folder files into install.wim and install.esd without mounting... Script Started At 0:06:02,81 Inserting the scripts folder files in image: 1 Script finished At 0:06:19,64 Press any key to continue . . .
Hello Windows Server 2012 and Server 2012 R2 have had Year 4 & 5 ESU licenses added to their respective LCUs starting in March 2026. Now these may just be placeholders since ESU is supposed to end with Year 3 in October 2026. But do you plan on adding support to activate these Year 4 & 5 licenses just in case ?
No, i never would use server for desktop use, i prefer to use IoT Enterprise 2021 LTSC (as long as i can service newer windows builds on it) and that last thing i don't comment on, not going to enter that discussion, the server thing already is not my thing.