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Hello,
I can't find any confirmed nor official document about what happens when the grace period for activation of Windows Server [2016, 2019] has expired? What are the limitations [besides nagging messages here and there]? I'm asking purely technically - I'm aware of licensing limitations and so on. Does anybody knows or can point me an official documentation?
Cheers,
Marcin Winiarczyk
All replies
Hello,
I can't find any confirmed nor official document about what happens when the grace period for activation of Windows Server [2016, 2019] has expired? What are the limitations [besides nagging messages here and there]? I'm asking purely technically - I'm aware of licensing limitations and so on. Does anybody knows or can point me an official documentation?
Cheers,
Marcin Winiarczyk
it depends if evaluation or retail or volume licensed, the behaviour varies, the reference may help for VL
//docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/tn-archive/dd979803[v=technet.10]
Don [doesn't work for MSFT, and they're probably glad about that ;]
- Proposed as answer by Wednesday, July 22, 2020 12:44 PM
Hi,
When installed Windows 2019 gives you 180 days to use. After that time in the right bottom corner, you will be greeted with message Windows License is expired and your Windows Server machine will start shutting down. You can start it up again, but after a while, another shutdown will occur. Your only options are to activate now or enter reduced functionality mode.
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Best regards,
Sylvia
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- Edited by sylvia_chenMicrosoft contingent staff Thursday, July 23, 2020 7:50 AM
Hi,
Just checking in to see if the information provided was helpful.
if yes, you may mark useful reply as answer, if not, welcome to feedback.
Best regards,
Sylvia
This "Windows Server General Forum" Forum will be migrating to a new home on Microsoft Q&A, please refer to this sticky post for more details.
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- Edited by sylvia_chenMicrosoft contingent staff Monday, July 27, 2020 8:14 AM
Hello,
The behavior you mention only applies to Evaluation media when it expires, this is not the same behavior when a machine is simply not activated. Even what you state has errors in the behavior.
non-Eval media does not restart every hour when the license is expired...
Eval media once it's expired, has to go through the transmog process before it can be activated.
Reduced functionality mode has long been removed from Windows so you should not be using that term.
Thanks, Darrell Gorter This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
- Proposed as answer by Dave PatrickMVP Monday, July 27, 2020 3:10 PM
Thanks for your correction.
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- Edited by sylvia_chenMicrosoft contingent staff Tuesday, July 28, 2020 1:39 AM