Hi all,

Current situation:

For a customer we have currently Windows Server 2008 Standard edition installed.
Because of the main application that grows and runs on pure memory usage, we need to upgrade to a Windows Server 2008 Enterprise edition, for upscaling the servers allowed memory. 

With a view to the future, we discussed to order a Windows Server 2012 version.
Microsoft describes that there is also a downgrade option with a downgrade kit included in the Windows Server 2012 package. (This means we can also install Windows Server 2008 Enterprise with a downgrade key included in the Windows Server 2012 License downgrade kit).

Microsoft provided topics/description:

http://www.microsoft.com/oem/en/licensing/sblicensing/pages/downgrade_rights.aspx#fbid=NiM-L3w3bke
http://www.microsoft.com/OEM/en/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/what_to_do_downgrade_rights.aspx#fbid=NiM-L3w3bke

Should we do a clean-install of 2012 server and then perform a downgrade to 2008 Enterprise?
Is there a possibility to upgrade to 2008 Enterprise without the clean-install using the downgrade key?

Desired situation:

We want to purchase the 2012 Server license with downgrade kit/key. 
We want to upgrade the system from 2008 Standard to 2008 Enterprise edition with the 2012 Server license with downgrade kit/key.
The most important of my question is, we don't want to do a clean-install, we definitely need an upgrade with the downgrade key using DISM for example, is this possible?

• Edited by Ruud-Jan Theuws - Seachange 19 hours 48 minutes ago

If you got it via vlsc, just get the 2008r2 ent key from there and use it. If you buy a retail kit, you can use a 2008r2 retail kit you have to make the downgrade.

Please contact them for future question and if you need an actual key for your downgrade.

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