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120 Evaluation - How to purchace a license RRS feed

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    I put the 120-day Evaluation version on a "beige box" that i have and i was wondering how to upgrade/purchase a license.  The only links that I can find are for purchasing a hardware version like the HP box.

    Thanks,

    -Mike Behrens-
    Friday, January 9, 2009 6:52 PM

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    It's not possible to purchase a license by itself. The evaluation software includes a "time bomb" built into the operating system, which will progressively disable the server when the evaluation period runs out. There is no way to disable this time bomb.

    You can, however, buy a system builder package from e.g. Amazon or NewEgg, and use it to perform a server reinstallation. This will preserve the data in your shares and your backups. You'll have to recreate users, reinstall add-ins, reconfigure security, and re-do any OS customizations and reinstall software installed outside the console (if you've done any of that).
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Friday, January 9, 2009 7:09 PM
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    It's not possible to purchase a license by itself. The evaluation software includes a "time bomb" built into the operating system, which will progressively disable the server when the evaluation period runs out. There is no way to disable this time bomb.

    You can, however, buy a system builder package from e.g. Amazon or NewEgg, and use it to perform a server reinstallation. This will preserve the data in your shares and your backups. You'll have to recreate users, reinstall add-ins, reconfigure security, and re-do any OS customizations and reinstall software installed outside the console (if you've done any of that).
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Friday, January 9, 2009 7:09 PM
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    Thanks.  That answers two questions in one for me.

    Amazon and NewEgg each show two versions and i can't figure out the difference.  Can you comment on this too?

    Microsoft Windows Home Server OEM with URP1 by Microsoft Software (DVD-ROM - Aug 1, 2008) (Windows Vista / XP)
    Buy new: $239.99 $99.99

    Microsoft Windows Home Server OEM by Microsoft Software (DVD-ROM - April 3, 2008)
    Buy new: $239.99 $169.99


    Thanks Again

    -Mike Behrens-

    Friday, January 9, 2009 7:39 PM
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    Buy the less expensive one. Microsoft lowered the price on the system builder package a couple of months ago, but some vendors have old stock which they want to sell at a profit.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Friday, January 9, 2009 8:08 PM
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    That's what it looked like, but I needed someone to affirm my thought.  It didn't make since that the one with Power Pack One would cost less.

    I think I am going to buy it soon, before I get everything too customized.

    Thanks again Ken.


    -Mike Behrens-
    Saturday, January 10, 2009 5:05 AM
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    Behrens said:

    ... before I get everything too customized. ...

    I feel I have to warn you that the more heavily customized your server, the more painful you will find recovering from server issues to be. If, for example, your OS is corrupted (as may happen for no known reason on any computer, running any operating system) on a basic server with little customization, it's not a big deal to refresh it with a server reinstallation. If you install a lot of software, and tweak the OS extensively, then it may become extremely painful, to the point where you'll be unwilling. Since server reinstallation is the only reasonable way to fix some issues with WHS, I recommend against trying to use your server as "Windows Server 2003 R2 Lite." :) In addition, the more software you install and the more tweaking you do, the more likely you will have issues with your server. Leaving the server (more or less) alone to do it's thing is your best protection against problems with the server. :)
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Saturday, January 10, 2009 1:47 PM
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