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September 4th, 2015 15:00
Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials Product Key
We recently installed a Dell PowerEdge T-110 II server. The operating system is Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials, which was pre-loaded by Dell prior to shipment. When I check the Windows event logs on the server, I see a repeated error indicating that the "installation of the proof of purchase from the ACPI table failed. Error Code 0xC004F057." I have found the relevant Dell technical article that indicates how to replace the temporary OEM product key with the genuine Windows Server product key. Here is my question: Is the Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials product key that I want the one that is on the small silver label on the top of the Dell server? Before going through this process, I want to make sure that I am using the correct permanent Microsoft product key.
Thanks very much for your assistance with this.
skylarking
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September 5th, 2015 02:00
Disclaimer, I don't have a T110 nor use 2012 R2 but i like playing with computers :emotion-1:
As you purchase the PE T-110 II server from Dell with Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials preinstalled, it should already be self activated without requiring user intervention or access to the internet. It's OEM SLP black magic activation :emotion-1:
In a simplistic sence, the Dell OEM SLP product key, which is common on all Dell servers using 2012 Esential R2, is installed and then the Dell OEM SLP licence certificate, which is stored within the BIOS/NVRAM by the factory, is installed within the OS followed by some cross checks between these objects. It all happens during the OEM post OS install process when using OEM (not MS) media. When these cross check are found to be OK, the OS is considered "activated" and in this sence there is no such thing as a temporary product key. There is only an OEM SLP activated OS... using OEM SLP product keys and OEM SLP license certificate...
But presumably you have warranty with the server, so i'd look to Dell support for resolving this activation issue for you.
Now if you install the OS yourself, you can mimic the OEM install activity using 'slmgr.vbs" command to install the license certificate within the OS, to install the OEM SLP product key and thus self activate without internet access. But for such commands to get the required access to the BIOS, they need to run on the real hardware itself. So if you reinstall on a virtual machine you will not have access to the BIOS data and the cross checks used by the SLP mechanism will obviously fail.
You can usually resolve such issues by uninstalling the current product key, installing the product key from the label and peforming an activation. Such can be done via the following commands from an elevated command prompt:
use the product key from the label with the dashes should be OK
But i'd always try and recovery the original OEM SLP product key and note it down before playing around. There are vbs scripts floating around the web that will recovery the product key from your system.
However, i'd look to Dell support first since the server is likely under warranty :emotion-1: