Veteran sysadmins might recognize that the "i---" sometimes refers to a specific key or a Developer Edition key that was erroneously labeled as Enterprise.
: If the server is already installed, you can sometimes use PowerShell to retrieve the key from the Windows registry, though this primarily works if it was entered manually. Edition Upgrades
🛠️ How to Locate an Installed SQL Server 2012 Product Key
Because the string is encoded in a digital product ID format, a specialized PowerShell script is required to decode the binary data back into the standard 25-character alphanumeric format. Method 2: Inspecting Installation Media i--- Sql Server 2012 Enterprise Edition Product Key
Unlike consumer retail software, the product key for corporate SQL Server environments serves specific logistical purposes:
If you still have access to the original installer folder or the network share from which SQL Server was deployed, look for a file named DefaultSetup.ini inside the x64 or x86 subfolders. Open it with Notepad, and you will often find the PID pre-configured:
Choose and type or paste your 25-character Enterprise Edition key. Veteran sysadmins might recognize that the "i---" sometimes
Are you currently running on or a virtualized cluster ?
Are you performing a or recovering an old one ? Do you have access to a Volume Licensing account?
SQL Server 2012 Standard: uninstalling evaluation, installing VL Are you performing a or recovering an old one
Select "Enter the product key" and input your 25-character code. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.
An unauthorized instance cannot receive support from Microsoft engineers during critical database corruption events or system outages.
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