Windows Server 2019

Windows Server 2019 is Microsoft's server operating system for file sharing, Active Directory, web hosting with IIS, Remote Desktop Services and Hyper-V virtualization. An LTSC release from October 2018. Mainstream support ended in January 2024 and extended support keeps security updates coming until January 2029. A good fit when your applications require 2019 or you want to match existing infrastructure.

Key features

• Windows Admin Center for browser-based server and cluster management
• System Insights for capacity and performance forecasting
• Storage Migration Service to move off old file servers
• Windows Subsystem for Linux and Windows container support for Kubernetes
• Microsoft Defender for built-in malware protection
• Storage Replica now in Standard as well (with limited capacity)

Standard or Datacenter?

• Standard suits physical or lightly virtualized servers. A fully licensed server gets rights to run two virtual machines (operating system environments).
• Datacenter suits heavily virtualized environments with unlimited virtual machines, plus features found only in this edition such as Storage Spaces Direct, shielded virtual machines and software-defined networking.

Under Microsoft's licensing terms Windows Server is licensed per core, with a minimum of 16 cores counted per server. Every user or device that connects to the server also needs a Client Access License (CAL), and Remote Desktop Services needs RDS CALs on top.

License and delivery

The key activates once on a single server. If you reinstall the server from scratch after activation, the same key cannot be used again, so activate it after setup and drivers are done. Use the key within 24 hours of delivery. Each option shows its delivery type, and prepared delivery usually takes 5 to 60 minutes.

For other releases see Windows Server 2025, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2016 or the Windows Server category. Every Microsoft product is on the brand page.

1. Finish installing Windows Server 2019 from Microsoft's installation media and make sure the edition (Standard or Datacenter) matches the option you bought.
2. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
3. Enter the key from your order with slmgr /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.
4. Activate with slmgr /ato. Check the status with slmgr /xpr.
5. If the Evaluation edition is installed, first convert it with DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:KEY /AcceptEula (ServerDatacenter for Datacenter).