I have a virtual machine i'm trying to use that runs windows 2003 server. When i log on to the VM it says that i need to activate before it will let me continue. I have legitimate Windows 2003 Server licenses and these keys don't work with the win2003 on the VM since the VM must be for a different strand of Win2003 (i.e. My licenses are Win2003SE and Win2003SER2 and this VM may be a VLK or some such.)

I want to 'upgrade' the VM machine to my legit version of win2003, and i thought i would be able to do this by booting off my win2003 dvd and doing a repair/re-install. The only options though a repair through recovery console, which i don't think does what i want, or install fresh. When i point it at the existing partition it warns that it isn't good to install two windows on same partition and that it will delete the existing \windows and that non of my profiles, logins, stuff will survive but maybe mydocuments will.

I need the existing install to survive i just want to convert it to my windows version. Does any one have any ideas on how I should go about doing this?

Note: i do not know what strand of Win2003 the VM is, and i don't have the install disk for it.

Humm.. do you have access to MSDN Subscriber download? If so the best way is just to just different license keys for that. Otherwise, you can't really change/upgrade/ downgrde Windows that way unfortunately, as you've already discovered.

AFAIK there are 5 versions of windows 2003:
1 Web Edition
2 Storage Server (only available for OEM that makes NAS drives etc)
3 Standard Edition (R2)
4 Enterpise Edition (R2)
5 Datacentre Edition (R2 only available for special OEM only).

With my MSDN Subscription (Universal level), I can only get 3 and 4. The rest are out of reach. I'm not even sure how you'd check that unless it tells you on the login screen?. I'm guessing yours is probably Enterprise Edition.

Edit: You might be able to right click on the "My Computer" icon on your desk top and select "properties". When I did it on mine it tells me:

System:
Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Standard Edition
Service Pack 1

That's one way of finding out what version you're using I guess. But I don't think it'll help you much though.

last edited by Opec at 21:17:58 26/Sep/06

I don't think he can do anything after logging on until he completes the activation wizard

I don't suppose you can get around the activation issue with a hacked WAS service or something?

Strange IIRC when setting up Windows 2003 I could skip the Windows Activation part until the setup is completed. I definitely know you couldn't skip the putting in Serial number part.

I think he's talking about the grace period for activation being over, 30 days or whatever it is. At that point, I think it locks you in a login/activation loop unless you actually activate it.

Yep grace period appears to be over.

my issue isn't so much enterprise vs standard edition as it is MSDN vs VLK vs home user licensing. My keys don't work on whatever licensed version of windows the image was made. It may have been MSDN or it may be something else.

It's been very hard to google for, since everything points to trojaned hacks for cracking xp new genuine test, which isn't what i need to do. There's been some talk of sysprep and other tools, but i don't see how these apply since i can't log on to the box. it won't let me do anything until activation is completed.

where would i find a hacked was service?

Didn't mean to imply I knew that one existed, I was just musing more than anything. It'd be weird if no-one had hacked whatever protocol the activation applet uses to talk to MS and come up with a service that makes that applet think it's been given the nod by MS - people are usually pretty quick to try and stick it to the MS man :)

Check out the MS newsgroups (news.microsoft.com), they are a helpful bunch and very quick to respond. Failing that you might need to call MS support and ask if it's possible to change over.

The VBScript on this KB article may work according to some people - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328874/

Magic Jellybean allows you to change the CD key used on installation.

We have the same problem with the Direct Action packs... in it you get a Retail/OEM copy, then you also get an OPK (OEM Preinstallation Kit), which have different serials.

For XP, we end up with XP, XPSP1, XPSP2, XP-OPK, XPSP1-OPK, XPSP2-OPK, all of which need different serials. Same kind of deal for 2k3 Server Web/Server Std etc.

It works in windows XP, not sure about 2003 Server but have you tried logging in in safe mode?

At least if you can get in there you can copy data off, or maybe apply a "Fix" to stop the activation.