Windows Server 2025

Windows Server 2025 is Microsoft's server operating system for file sharing, Active Directory, web hosting with IIS, Remote Desktop Services and Hyper-V virtualization. Microsoft's newest Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) server release. It shipped in November 2024, with mainstream support until November 2029 and extended support until November 2034.

Key features

• In-place upgrade: a direct upgrade path from Windows Server 2012 R2 and later
• Security: Credential Guard on by default on eligible hardware, built-in Windows LAPS and OpenSSH
• Active Directory: delegated Managed Service Accounts (dMSA) and support for a larger database page size
• SMB over QUIC now in Standard and Datacenter for secure file access without a VPN
• Hyper-V: GPU partitioning, dynamic processor compatibility and workgroup clusters
• Storage: faster NVMe performance plus native deduplication and compression on ReFS
• Desktop experience: the Windows 11 interface, Windows Terminal and WinGet

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 2022, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016 or the Windows Server category. Every Microsoft product is on the brand page.

1. Finish installing Windows Server 2025 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).