That error
0xC004F069 during
slmgr /ipk almost always means
the product key you’re entering does not match the Windows Server edition/channel that’s installed in the VM (for example: Standard vs Datacenter, Retail/OEM vs Volume, or you installed an
Evaluation edition).
Also,
an OEM key that came with a physical Dell server typically won’t activate a VM the way you expect. Even if your
license rights allow running 2 VMs (Windows Server Standard licensing does),
activation still needs a key/method that matches the guest OS (often Volume MAK/KMS, or AVMA if the host is Datacenter).
1) First: confirm what edition is installed inside the VM
Inside the
VM, run these in an elevated Command Prompt:
Code:
DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition
DISM /online /Get-TargetEditions
slmgr /dli
Please paste the output here (you can redact partial key data).
If you see “Eval” (Evaluation)
Example:
ServerStandardEval or
ServerDatacenterEval
Then you must
convert the VM to a non-eval edition before it will activate:
Code:
DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula
shutdown /r /t 0
(Use
ServerDatacenter instead of
ServerStandard if that’s what your key actually is for.)
After reboot:
slmgr /ato
2) If it’s NOT evaluation: it’s likely the wrong key for the installed edition
Common cases:
- VM installed as Datacenter, but key is Standard (or the reverse)
- VM installed from Volume License media, but you’re using an OEM key (or vice‑versa)
Fix: Either install the VM with the correct edition ISO, or use a key that matches the VM’s installed edition/channel.
3) Important licensing/activation note for Hyper‑V + OEM
- Windows Server 2019 Standard licensed on the host (all cores) gives rights for up to 2 Windows Server VMs if the host OS is used only to run Hyper‑V.
- But activating those VMs with the same OEM key often fails, because OEM activation is tied to the physical machine and isn’t intended to be reused in guests.
The “normal” ways people activate the VMs are:
- Volume Licensing (MAK or KMS) for the guests, or
- AVMA (Automatic VM Activation) only if the Hyper‑V host is Windows Server Datacenter (Standard host does not provide AVMA)
Quick question (so I can give the exact fix)
1) What does
DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition show in the VM (does it include
Eval)?
2) Is your Hyper‑V host OS
Server 2019 Standard or Datacenter?
3) Are you trying to use the
Dell OEM key inside the VM (the one that activates the physical server)?
Reply with those details and I’ll tell you the exact activation path (convert edition vs correct key type vs AVMA/MAK/KMS).