Windows Server 2012 Essentials: Installing, upgrading, activating

Discussion in 'Windows Server' started by 100, Oct 12, 2012.

  1. 100

    100 MDL Expert

    May 17, 2011
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    #1 100, Oct 12, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
  2. anarchist9027

    anarchist9027 MDL Expert

    Oct 30, 2010
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    SLIC 2.2 or 3.0; whatever it is needs to be exploited already. Its driving me nuts :wallbash:
     
  3. Sayonara0

    Sayonara0 MDL Novice

    Aug 1, 2009
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    How to do OOBE and regedit - where and when? Can you explain that?
    I had to do something like that when installing WHS 2011 on a 64 GB SSD, had to create a USB stick with a cfg.ini file :

    [WinPE]
    ConfigDisk=1
    CheckReqs=0
    WindowsPartitionSize=MAX
     
  4. Sayonara0

    Sayonara0 MDL Novice

    Aug 1, 2009
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    Thank you! I will try and let you know later!
     
  5. Sayonara0

    Sayonara0 MDL Novice

    Aug 1, 2009
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    It worked without error notification...
     
  6. derausgewanderte

    derausgewanderte MDL Senior Member

    Jul 21, 2009
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    #7 derausgewanderte, Oct 29, 2012
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2012
    thank you for the write-up. hope there is land in sight for oem:slp keys.
    cheers

    edit: so according to the ms link if you install all addins before the upgrade they will work after. just can't install new ones. they are looking into this and it might be fixed soon. leaving the only "downgrade" the media stream capability. But only devices not supporting silverlight are affected.

    I've installed this in vmware and it's running fine with your instructions.

    For the real world scenario I've got a ds key for standard and I should be able to set everything up in trial mode and then upgrade to permanently activate with the ds key on standard, right?
    thanks again
     
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  7. Asxetos

    Asxetos MDL Novice

    Jun 7, 2008
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    Just making sure...

    Is this possible?

    Install Server 2012 Essentials --> install all add-ins --> upgrade Essentials to Standard --> upgrade Standard to Datacenter
    and still have the dashboard etc functionality?
     
  8. derausgewanderte

    derausgewanderte MDL Senior Member

    Jul 21, 2009
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    just reporting back that the upgrade in the vm worked smoothly. trial to kms activated Server Standard. Will try the real world scenario next and switch from my WHS2011 to this.
    thanks again for the write-up
    cheers
     
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  9. jayrock

    jayrock MDL Novice

    Aug 11, 2009
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    I'm curious: Apart from Storage Spaces, is there any other advantage that you see compared to WHS2011?

    This one worries me: Some add-ins cannot be installed after upgrading from Windows Server 2012 Essentials to Windows Server 2012 Standard, see first post.

    I'd refrain from the method described here until more information about this limitation is available.
     
  10. derausgewanderte

    derausgewanderte MDL Senior Member

    Jul 21, 2009
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    #12 derausgewanderte, Nov 3, 2012
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2012
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  11. Winchester

    Winchester MDL Novice

    Nov 10, 2012
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    Just so I've gotten this all straight:

    * You can install Server 2012 Essentials, use the 180-day trial key, and then upgrade to Standard with a Dreamspark/Website Spark key.
    * Doing so will keep most of the Essentials functionality, with the main exception of the Media Server stuff
    * Without upgrading to Standard, I will not be able to use Hyper-V

    If the above is all true:

    1. Have Microsoft said anything one way or the other regarding whether disabling the Media Server on upgrade is intended behavior, or a bug to be fixed?
    2. Are there any decent alternatives to the Essentials services available?
    3. Will the language packs for Windows 8 work on Server 2012, Standard or Essentials? (I've noticed that there is a Swedish version of Server Essentials on MSDN, but it's not gone wild yet...)

    Thanks a bunch!
     
  12. sprtfan

    sprtfan MDL Novice

    Nov 28, 2012
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    #14 sprtfan, Dec 12, 2012
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2012
    What exactly will be lost as as part of the media server feature not working once upgraded to standard? Will remote web access still work? I don't need streaming but want to be able to access files while I'm gone.




    found the answer to my question in another thread. It looks like remote web access is part of the media server feature and will not work after the upgrade.
     
  13. inTerActionVRI

    inTerActionVRI MDL Expert

    Sep 23, 2009
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    #15 inTerActionVRI, Dec 16, 2012
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2012
    Server Install Disc: Windows Server 2012 Essentials (x64) - DVD (Portuguese-Brazil)
    ISO|Portuguese-Brazil|Release Date: 10/9/2012
    Download 4160 MB
    File Name: pt_server_install_disc_windows_server_2012_essentials_x64_dvd_1022289.iso
    Languages: Portuguese-Brazil
    SHA1: 3C2522487E0D53D01039126587CD0B354324FAB7


    I waiting for this iso image.

    Can you please, post the direct link for msdn image?

    Sorry for my english.
    Thanks.
     
  14. redroad

    redroad MDL Guru

    Dec 2, 2011
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    Trial version but I think there is a Xdelta file to convert to MSDN on this forum which will give you hash identical to the MSDN retail untouched ISO
     
  15. redroad

    redroad MDL Guru

    Dec 2, 2011
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    #20 redroad, Feb 13, 2013
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2013