Windows Server 2019 should be downloaded from the Microsoft Evaluation Center.
Choose:
Windows Server 2019 — 64-bit ISO
The Microsoft Evaluation ISO contains Windows Server 2019 Standard and Datacenter installation options.
The Evaluation installation is initially time-limited.
After installation, follow the conversion instructions below and use your purchased key to convert it to the appropriate full edition.
IMPORTANT — Read Before Installation
If you purchased:
Windows Server 2019 Standard
Install the appropriate Windows Server 2019 Standard Evaluation edition.
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
Install the appropriate Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Evaluation edition.
Make sure you select the correct:
- Edition
- Server Core / Desktop Experience option
Microsoft does not support every possible conversion between editions.
For example, Datacenter Evaluation cannot be converted down to Standard.
Always check the supported target editions before applying your key.
Activation & Evaluation Conversion Instructions
Step 1 — Download Windows Server 2019
Download the Windows Server 2019 64-bit ISO directly from the official Microsoft Evaluation Center.
Create your installation USB/DVD or mount the ISO in your virtual machine.
Step 2 — Install Windows Server 2019
During installation, select the correct edition for your purchase.
For example:
Windows Server 2019 Standard Evaluation
or
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Evaluation
Choose Desktop Experience if you want the traditional Windows graphical interface.
Complete the Windows Server installation.
Step 3 — Open Command Prompt as Administrator
After installation:
Open Command Prompt or PowerShell with Administrator privileges.
Step 4 — Check Your Current Edition
Run:
DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition
An Evaluation edition will normally contain Eval in its edition name.
For example:
ServerStandardEval
or
ServerDatacenterEval
Step 5 — Check Available Target Editions
This step is extremely important.
Run:
DISM /online /Get-TargetEditions
Windows will display the editions your current installation can officially be converted to.
Do not continue until the edition you purchased appears in this list.
For Windows Server 2019 Standard, look for:
ServerStandard
For Windows Server 2019 Datacenter, look for:
ServerDatacenter
Step 6 — Convert Windows Server 2019 Standard
If you purchased Windows Server 2019 Standard and ServerStandard appears as an available target edition, run:
DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula
Replace:
XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
with the product key supplied with your order.
Step 7 — Convert Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
If you purchased Windows Server 2019 Datacenter and ServerDatacenter appears as an available target edition, run:
DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula
Replace:
XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
with your provided product key.
Step 8 — Restart the Server
DISM will process the edition conversion.
Once completed, restart the server when requested.
Step 9 — Verify the Edition
After restarting, open Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator and run:
DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition
The system should now report the full edition without Eval.
For example:
ServerStandard
or
ServerDatacenter
Step 10 — Check Activation
You can check the Windows activation status using:
slmgr.vbs /dlv
or:
slmgr.vbs /xpr
Your Windows Server 2019 Standard or Datacenter installation is now ready to use.
Important Conversion Notes
⚠️ Always run this first:
DISM /online /Get-TargetEditions
Do not assume that an installed Evaluation edition can be converted to any other edition.
⚠️ Datacenter Evaluation → Standard is not supported
If you installed Windows Server Datacenter Evaluation but purchased a Standard key, you generally need to perform a fresh installation of the correct Standard edition.
⚠️ Keep the installation type consistent
Microsoft places restrictions on converting between Server Core and Desktop Experience installations.
Select the installation type you actually need during the initial Windows Server setup.
⚠️ Active Directory Domain Controllers
Microsoft states that an Evaluation installation acting as an Active Directory Domain Controller cannot be converted directly from Evaluation to retail using this process.
Perform the conversion before promoting a new Evaluation installation to a domain controller.