Sign in
Microsoft.com
 
Microsoft
 
 
 

locked
Can't purchase a license key? RRS feed

 > 

  • Question

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    I called MS Support to ask how to order Windows Home Server since my 30 day (not 120 day as advertised!) free trial is expiring soon.  I had to explain what the product was and point him to the WHS pages on the MS web site.

    I did find WHS on Tiger Direct's site, but it doesn't say which Power Pack it is.  And now I'm reading here that I'll need to reinstall PP1 and upgrade from there?

    Please explain again why I can't simply purchase a key to activate the WHS software I downloaded a month ago.
    Saturday, February 20, 2010 8:20 PM

Answers

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    I called MS Support to ask how to order Windows Home Server since my 30 day (not 120 day as advertised!) free trial is expiring soon.

    The 120-day trial is no longer available and is no longer advertised as such on the MS WHS website.

    I had to explain what the product was and point him to the WHS pages on the MS web site.

    I did find WHS on Tiger Direct's site, but it doesn't say which Power Pack it is.  And now I'm reading here that I'll need to reinstall PP1 and upgrade from there?

    You would need to do a Server Reinstallation (which only wipes the OS partition).  See the FAQ post:  How do I upgrade from the evaluation/trial to a full copy of WHS? for details.

    Please explain again why I can't simply purchase a key to activate the WHS software I downloaded a month ago.
    Because there is a time-bomb hard-coded into the eval.
    Saturday, February 20, 2010 8:50 PM
    Moderator

All replies

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    I called MS Support to ask how to order Windows Home Server since my 30 day (not 120 day as advertised!) free trial is expiring soon.

    The 120-day trial is no longer available and is no longer advertised as such on the MS WHS website.

    I had to explain what the product was and point him to the WHS pages on the MS web site.

    I did find WHS on Tiger Direct's site, but it doesn't say which Power Pack it is.  And now I'm reading here that I'll need to reinstall PP1 and upgrade from there?

    You would need to do a Server Reinstallation (which only wipes the OS partition).  See the FAQ post:  How do I upgrade from the evaluation/trial to a full copy of WHS? for details.

    Please explain again why I can't simply purchase a key to activate the WHS software I downloaded a month ago.
    Because there is a time-bomb hard-coded into the eval.
    Saturday, February 20, 2010 8:50 PM
    Moderator
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Thanks for the response.  I do appreciate the help and info, I'm just disappointed in Microsoft's handling of this eval.  It feels like Microsoft hasn't decided whether they really want to sell this product to end users or not.

    Question: I booted from my OEM installation disk per the instructions for Server Reinstallation.  It failed to recognize my System disk, even though the currently installed Trial version boots from it.  It is a standard 160G PATA EIDE drive.  Should this drive need additional drivers?

    Thanks.
    Thursday, February 25, 2010 4:38 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Thanks for the response.  I do appreciate the help and info, I'm just disappointed in Microsoft's handling of this eval.  It feels like Microsoft hasn't decided whether they really want to sell this product to end users or not.

    Question: I booted from my OEM installation disk per the instructions for Server Reinstallation.  It failed to recognize my System disk, even though the currently installed Trial version boots from it.  It is a standard 160G PATA EIDE drive.  Should this drive need additional drivers?

    Thanks.
    It shouldn't.  Are you sure you have all of the cables plugged in securely?  When you boot from the DVD, exactly what do you see on-screen?
    Friday, February 26, 2010 12:07 AM
    Moderator
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Just to state the obvious, OEM means it isn't marketed towards end-users. Thus the HP MediaServers, Acer's, etc :)
    Friday, February 26, 2010 1:46 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Yes, yes, yes. but the trial software is aimed at non-OEM end users.  Are we supposed to be so impressed after installing it on our own hardware that we upgrade to one of the HP or Acer boxes?
    Saturday, February 27, 2010 9:57 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Yep, something was (is) funky with my somewhat ancient hardware. I'm using a VIA VT8366 motherboard.  The installer found the primary System drive after I disconnected the slave hard drive.  I reconnected the slave drive after that and the reinstall proceeded normally.

    Everything had been connected and was running the PP3 Trial fine, but the installer refused to recognize the disks until I disconnected the slave drive.  Both drives are newish PATA 160G disks on an 80-conductor cable with correct master and slave jumper settings.  Go figure.

    Aside from my hardware weirdness, the WHS reinstall was pretty effortless. But clicking through all the Windowa Updates, add-in reinstalls, and various configurations seems like an unnecessary ordeal.

    Thanks for the advice.  Hope this info is helpful.
    Sunday, February 28, 2010 12:22 AM