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Abe-8844 avatar image
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Abe-8844 asked ·

Windows Server 2012 generations product keys compatibility

In my student years, I got several [legal, of course! :-)] WS2012 product keys and disk images, of several generations and editions:

  1. original generation

  2. R2 generation

  3. "R2 With Update" generation

  • Essentials

  • Foundation

  • Storage Server

  • Standard

  • Datacenter


What I would like to know is this:

  • can I use any/all of my 2012-original and R2 keys with their respective R2-With-Update disk images? if yes but not all, then which ones?

  • can I use any/all of my 2012-original keys with their respective R2 disk images? if yes but not all, then which ones?

Of course, I`m also curious to know whether or not the later keys are also backwards compatible -- i.e. R2WU keys with R2 and original, and/or R2 keys with original -- but this is not nearly as important as the preceding questions [in bullet-points]. ;-)

FYI, I already found windows-server-2012-r2 and Windows_Server_2012_R2_Licensing_Datasheet.pdf and Windows_Server_2012_R2_Remote_Desktop_Services_Licensing_Datasheet.pdf and WindowsServer2012R2_Licensing_Guide.pdf, but I didn`t find what I was looking for in any of that.

Cheers!

  • Abe

















windows-serverwindows-server-2012
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JennyFeng-MSFT avatar image JennyFeng-MSFT ·

@Abe-8844
Hi,

Just checking in to see if the information provided was helpful.

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3 Answers

JennyFeng-MSFT avatar image
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JennyFeng-MSFT answered ·

@Abe-8844
Hi,
1. Yes, you can.
2. No.
Licenses have downgrade right.
Buy keys are not backward compatible. You need to get the correct key for the actual product you are installing.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/archive/blogs/licensing/downgrade-rights-explained
If you need a definite answer you'd better contact your reseller or a trained Microsoft licensing specialist regarding your licensing questions.

Hope above information can help you.

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Abe-8844 avatar image
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Abe-8844 answered ·

Thanks for answering, but it`s still not 100% clear and fully answered.



1. Yes, you can.

so... I can use all of my 2012-original and R2 keys with their respective R2-With-Update disk images?



2. No.

so... I can not use any of my 2012-original keys with their respective R2 disk images?



While it`s not technically impossible for both of the preceding to be simultaneously the case, it does seem unlikely.




This is NOT a question about "downgrading".



contact your reseller or a trained Microsoft

My "reseller" was DreamSpark, Microsoft`s "solution" at the time for college students to get free legal Microsoft software from Microsoft.







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JennyFeng-MSFT avatar image JennyFeng-MSFT ·

@Abe-8844
Hi,

We have not get information from you for several days.

If the reply is useful for you, please accept as answer. It will be helpful to other members who have same questions.
If you have any other confuse, please reply to us directly.

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JennyFeng-MSFT avatar image
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JennyFeng-MSFT answered ·

Hi,
You can use your keys with their update disk image.
You cannot use 2012-original keys with their respective R2 disk images, they're different versions.

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