So, I'm an old dog trying to learn new tricks - the newest trick being to install Server 2012 R2 Standard with Hyper-V role. After a bit of fumbling around (good story for another time) I have managed to make it to the point of installing the OS onto the virtual machine I created. Sweet. My understanding from extensive internet research is that I should now use an ISO image of Server 2010 R2 (an ISO of the Evaluation Copy it seems being universally suggested), for installing the OS to the virtual machine and then subsequently change the license key to my OEM license key using theslmgr -rearm command. OK, if that is correct I can deal with it. But I have top get it installed first. I have downloaded the following ISO from Technet:
9600.16384.WINBLUE_RTM.130821-1623_X64FRE_SERVER_SOLUTION_EN-US-IRM_SSSO_X64FRE_EN-US_DV5
The setup installation starts up fine, but immediately presents a prompt screen for entering the product key. Huh? I thought evaluation copies did not require a product key to perform the installation. It will not accept my OEM product key, so I am stumped. Do I have the wrong ISO? I did try a couple of other copies/versions, but they conk out because Windows generates errors saying something to the effect that they are not the right version for the SCSI Synthetic Adapter. So is there maybe some other ISO's I should be trying? Or, is there some place I am supposed to request a key for the ISO eval copy I have? And, if at some point I am able to get the evaluation copy installed, is my thinking correct about using my OEM key used to activate the physical host to change the evaluation installation into a regular installation? Or, should be burning an ISO of my OEM installation disk to install from and use my OEM key directly to activate that when doing setup to the VM?