So no "Try Before You Buy" for Windows 8? Product key REQUIRED on install.

[Steltek]

I figure MS started requiring the key to eliminate the "double install" trick folks were using with upgrade discs to do full installs without a prior version of Windows.

 

[CrimsonWolf]

I wonder if this will kill the double install trick to use an upgrade license to do a clean install on a freshly formatted drive.

 

[Thor86]

This:

MS KMS temp keys for evaluations

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx

 

[ViRGE]

This:

MS KMS temp keys for evaluations

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx

Oh my.😱 I didn't realize those were directly published by MS.

 

[SunnyD]

This:

MS KMS temp keys for evaluations

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx

I don't think those will let you install from a bare install though. Those are for converting an already existing/installed VL KMS Host machine to a KMS client machine (which then gets its GVLK from a KMS Host machine somewhere else on your network).

Been a while since I played with KMS & GVLK though, so I'm not 100% certain.

 

[ViRGE]

No, it lets you use them for a bare install. I had used one of those keys to setup a Win8 VM for testing Server 2012 Essentials.

 

[Dahak]

I haven't personally uses KMS very much either, but it would probably install as Virge said, but to activate it after the 30/60 days it would need a KMS server, so I guess you could use it for a trial, but 99% of the people probably won't know about it / know where to get the key.

 

[SunnyD]

Well I'll be damned. Thanks Thor. That worked.

 

[sygyzy]

Yes, I don't own Windows so it's incredibly convenient to be able to do a fresh install in a VM in order to test something out. I can always get keys from work but that's more work for no gain.

You think that the Windows "trial" feature is there to make your life convenient? This is a sense of entitlement I can't understand. That's like saying I live in Manhattan and don't own a car and I am upset because a few times a year I need to buy something from IKEA and I normally take a new Porsche for a test drive but recently the dealership stopped letting me do it.

 

[Nothinman]

You think that the Windows "trial" feature is there to make your life convenient? This is a sense of entitlement I can't understand. That's like saying I live in Manhattan and don't own a car and I am upset because a few times a year I need to buy something from IKEA and I normally take a new Porsche for a test drive but recently the dealership stopped letting me do it.

No, it's not a sense of entitlement. I'm not some 25yr old brat living at home that thinks Obama's foodstamps are the future and I don't think MS owes me anything at all. I just find it convenient and think that it's in MS' own best interests to make their software as accessible as possible.

As I said in the post that you even quoted, I have access to keys to use for that stuff but it's more work that I would prefer to avoid if I can because I have other, more important things on which to spend my time.

 

[SunnyD]

As I said in the post that you even quoted, I have access to keys to use for that stuff but it's more work that I would prefer to avoid if I can because I have other, more important things on which to spend my time.

Ditto. As I've also pointed out in my previous reply to him, going through the key + now forced activation, if I use my key a handful of times I'm now forced to call Microsoft every time after in order to successfully install the OS. After a handful of phone calls, then I have to fight with them to keep from revoking the key outright.

It has nothing to do with entitlement, and everything to do with ensuring I can do what my job as well as my hobby require of me with as little encumbrance as possible.

 

[Shawn]

This:

MS KMS temp keys for evaluations

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx

This.

Basically, you can use any key you find on the internet to install. You just won't be able to activate. However, it allows you to easily change the product key later to a legit one and not require a reinstall I believe.

 

[Thor86]

Well I'll be damned. Thanks Thor. That worked.

No worries, enjoy.

Server 2012 is pretty nice considering it has Virtualization and High-Availability options out of the box with no additional "optional" licensing. 😉

One thing I hate about it is that they seperated RRAS and NPS, now I have no idea how to make 2012 a NAT router for my "internal" VMs. Guess I have to try and use a Linux based VM for this and hope it works.

 

[SunnyD]

No worries, enjoy.

Server 2012 is pretty nice considering it has Virtualization and High-Availability options out of the box with no additional "optional" licensing. 😉

One thing I hate about it is that they seperated RRAS and NPS, now I have no idea how to make 2012 a NAT router for my "internal" VMs. Guess I have to try and use a Linux based VM for this and hope it works.

I believe you want to add both the Network Policy and Access Services as well as the Remote Access roles. That will give you what you want.

 

[Thor86]

Yes, that was what I "was" going to try, but does it really need to setup DirectAccess for just NAT routing? I can understand the benefits of DA, but I don't personally require it in my lab, so unless there is way to do this without DA implementation, not sure what else other than using a FW VM to bridge an internal vNetwork.