understanding and troubleshooting evaluation windows version and activation failures on azure vms

Hi ,

when I was working on Azure, I got below scenario.
I have created a VM by using LCS, which was demo env. hence the licensing and all were evaluation.
this URL ( Click Here )says more on demo env license.

so this env gives a period, in my case of 90 days for OS.
so you must activate this or reamr to extend this to a grace period.
 to get grace period follow below.

ReArm, get grace period of 180 days
there are some standard scripts given inside VM to do so under C:\DemoFiles\StartupScripts\Rearm. open command prompt as Admin. then run
rearm.cmd and then activate.cmd . make sure your VM connected to internet.

else run below command in elevated command prompt

slmgr.vbs /rearm

now restart your VM.

now activate it
slmgr.vbs /ato
slmgr.vbs /dlv

if you have any error while doTroubleshooting Windows activation failures on Azure VMsing so, please follow below link....
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/mast/archive/2014/12/23/troubleshooting-windows-activation-failures-on-azure-vms.aspx

you can also activate to MSDN key

MSDN Key
this is very simple, you need to have the respective MSDN version key with you.
to get the version you can run below command in elevated command prompt or power shell
DISM.exe /Online /Get-TargetEditions
this result will help to know, to which edition you can activate.
in my caseI got below, mine is ServerDatacenter

PS C:\Users\Administrator> DISM.exe /Online /Get-TargetEditions Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 6.3.9600.17031 Image Version: 6.3.9600.17031 Editions that can be upgraded to: Target Edition : ServerDatacenter The operation completed successfully

you can get the current version with command DISM.exe /Online /Get-CurrentEdition

not you get your MSDN data center key and run below command
DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula

 

this should show a success message and will ask you for restart and enter Y (make sure you have saved your work)

I got below result

PS C:\Users\Administrator> DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter /ProductKey: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX/AcceptEula   Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 6.3.9600.17031   Image Version: 6.3.9600.17031   Starting to update components... Starting to install product key... Finished installing product key.   Removing package Microsoft-Windows-ServerDatacenterEvalEdition~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.9600.16384 [==========================100.0%==========================] Finished updating components.   Starting to apply edition-specific settings... Finished applying edition-specific settings.   The operation completed successfully. Restart Windows to complete this operation. Do you want to restart the computer now? (Y/N) Y

Hope this will help someone.

 

Regards,

Sudhanshu