Windows Server 2019 Datacenter is a licensed server operating system designed and developed by Microsoft, and it runs on any device that meets the minimum system requirements. You are in the right place if you have already bought a product key and are not sure how to use it. In this article, we take you through the complete download, installation and activation process so you have a simple, reliable way to get the software up and running.
Key information about the Windows Server 2019 Datacenter edition
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Edition offers unlimited server virtualisation alongside advanced features such as Shielded Virtual Machines, Software-Defined Networking and Storage Spaces Direct. Microsoft lets you download the Windows Server 2019 Datacenter ISO file directly from its official website. This server version is available in several languages, in 64-bit only.
How to download the Windows Server 2019 Datacenter ISO
The full Windows Server 2019 Datacenter ISO download is available from Microsoft's official website. Here is how to download the ISO:
- Windows Server 2019 Datacenter download
- On that page, scroll down and click the Download the ISO option.
- On the next page you will see a form: fill it in with your genuine details.
- Once the form is complete, click the “Download now” button.
- On the next page, select your language and the ISO download option.
- The Windows Server 2019 ISO file starts downloading straight away.
Note: downloading the ISO file takes around 30 minutes, but the speed depends on your Internet connection.
Once the ISO file has finished downloading, you can create the bootable drive to install the Datacenter edition of Windows Server 2019. Microsoft lets you install this server version on any physical or remote host. Here is how to create the bootable USB drive:
- Plug a USB drive into a USB port on your computer
- Type CMD in the Start menu search bar
- Then select Open to run the Command Prompt on your device.
- On the next screen, type diskpart in the Command Prompt, as shown in the image below.
- The system will detect the USB drive and show it on screen.
- Next, type list disk and press Enter. The command displays the list of disks.
- Then type select disk <X> and press Enter, where X is the disk number of your USB drive.
- Type clean and press Enter: the command deletes all files on the USB drive.
- To create a new primary partition, type create partition primary and press Enter
- Type format fs=ntfs quick and press Enter to format the partition
- Type active and press Enter to mark the partition as active
- Then type exit and press Enter to quit diskpart
- Open your ISO image and copy all its files to the root folder of the USB drive.
How to install Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
Once your bootable USB drive is ready, you can easily install the software by following these steps:
- Switch on your device and boot from the USB drive.
- Press any key when prompted to start the process.
- Select the language, time and currency format and keyboard input method you need, then click Next.
- Click Install now on the next screen.
- In the next window, select Windows Server 2019 Datacenter (Desktop Experience) from the list and click Next.
Make sure the Desktop Experience version is highlighted before you click Next — the version without it installs Server Core, with no graphical interface.
- Read the terms carefully, tick “I accept the licence terms” and click Next.
- Select Custom: Install the Windows Server operating system only.
- Choose the partition where you want to install Windows Server and click Next.
- Setup will automatically start installing the Datacenter edition of Windows Server 2019.
- Wait for the installation process to finish completely.
- Your device restarts and asks you to enter an administrator password.
- Fill in all the information and continue.
- The system will then take you to the server interface (Server Manager, or Microsoft PowerShell on a Server Core installation).
- Now configure the settings as you wish and manage Windows Server 2019 Datacenter.
How to activate Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
Even once Windows Server 2019 Datacenter is installed, you need to activate it with a valid Windows Server 2019 Datacenter licence key. Here is the activation procedure:
- First, type CMD in the Windows Start menu search bar and click Run as administrator.
- Enter the following command with a valid Windows Server product key (DISM /Online /Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula).
- Press Enter and the command will activate Windows Server 2019 Datacenter automatically.
Note: replace XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX with the Windows Server product key you purchased.
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter system requirements
To install Windows Server 2019 Datacenter, a few basic system requirements must be met. Make sure your device meets the following hardware and software requirements:
Processor: 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor minimum, or faster
Memory (RAM): 512 MB minimum (2 GB for the Server with Desktop Experience installation option); ECC (Error Correcting Code) or similar technology for physical host deployments
Disk space: at least 32 GB
Network adapter: Gigabit Ethernet adapter (10/100/1000baseT PHY/MAC)
Internet: an Internet connection is needed for online activation and Windows Update
Account: a local administrator account (created during setup)
Summary
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter is the most complete edition of the Windows Server 2019 operating system. You can download, install and activate your copy of Windows Server 2019 Datacenter yourself by following the steps above. We hope this complete guide helps you get through the whole download, installation and activation process successfully.