Om du vill installera R2 på en befintlig Windows Server 2003 krävs det att du har samma licensnyckel (PID) på din nuvarande installation som på den R2 du skall installera (vilket man saknar i minst 9 fall av 10). Vid olika nycklar krävs det en uppgradering vilket kan ställa till en del i problem med bl.a. drivrutiner och andra register ändringar som skett efter 2003 installationen.

En "full-lösning" som fatiskt är rätt snygg 🙂 är att byta ut den befintliga 2003 nyckeln till R2 nyckeln:

To change you’re current PID:

1.      Click Start, and then click Run.

2.      In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.

3.      In the left pane, locate and then click the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrent VersionWPAEvents.

4.      In the right pane, right-click OOBETimer, and then click Modify.

5.       Change at least one digit of this value to deactivate Windows. This is key, modify the first one to AA, make sure you know what it was originally – you will need it in for step 12. Leave regedit open.

6.       Click Start, and then click Run.

7.       In the Open box, type the following command, and then click OK. %systemroot%system32oobemsoobe.exe /a

8.       Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows, and then click Next.

9.       Click Change Product key.

10.   Type the new product key (I would use the new R2 key) in the New key boxes, and then click Update. When you get to the previous window, close product activation.

11.   Return to regedit. In the left pane, locate and then click the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrent VersionWPAEvents. If not currently open.

12.   Change the first digits back to what you noted in step 5.

13.   Close regedit.

14.   Click Start, and then click Run.

15.   In the Open box, type the following command, and then click OK. %systemroot%system32oobemsoobe.exe /a

16.   This time it should say you are already activated, click OK.