Re: Change SBS 2003 R1 Std. Product Key

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To my knowledge, it cannot be done. I'm confused though, you said you could obtain the retail media by using a retail key. So...why aren't you using your retail key?!?

I'll be honest, in the scheme of things, 15 hours seems long for an SBS install. OTOH, I'd rather spend 15 hours installing the product *right* instead of risking countless more hours down the road fixing problems caused by a workaround. So with that in mind, you have two options:

1) Buy SBS. You'll get a new retail key you can use, and you can buy it with SA and you'll have the ability to move to SBS2k8 as hardware and budget permits. It'll save you the re-install.

2) Contact the vendor and try to get media for your system. You'll have to do the re-install, and OEM licensing can be weird. They may not give it to you at all as you weren't the purchaser of the server.

Either way, you need to get legal, which right now it doesn't sound like you are.

Good luck,

-Cliff

<craig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:3f71c9c8-8c9f-4d26-bd23-d9ee558a75c3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi All,

I have searching for an answer for days but to no avail.

Here is the situation. I purchased a second hand server with a SBS
2003 Std. OEM COA attached to the side of the machine, however, I did
not recieve any media with the purchase. I literally searched for a
month to find installation media before deciding that I would
circumvent the issue by installing the software using a retail media
(which I could obtain, using a retail key).

I have now painted myself into a corner. I am attempting to change the
key to the OEM version, and surprise surprise, I can't do it. The
server has been setup and load testing and ready to put into
production, but I can't get it to activate and I'm running out of
activation days.

I've been on the phone to Microsoft countless times and the standard
response is "You can't do it, you'll need to contact the manufacturer
for the recovery disc and re-install".

Please, please, please, guru's of the world, enlighten me and save a
poor IT guy 15 hours installing again from scratch!!!

Any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Craig.

.

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