Interested in evaluating Server 2008 but don’t have ready access to a Server 2008 installation DVD or ISO file? One option might be to download a free VHD (Virtual Hard Drive) from Microsoft. You can get a VHD from the following location:
This will run on Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1, and will let you explore the features of Server 2008 to your heart’s content. By the way, it’s Enterprise Edition, and you can download either the “full” version or the Server Core version. Just make sure you have a fast connection: the files are in the gigabyte range.
If you do have a Server 2008 DVD, you may prefer doing an install and simply not providing a product key. This gives you 60 days to play with the product, but you can “re-arm” the eval with the command “slmgr -rearm” and get another 60 days. You can actually re-arm the eval up to 3 times, giving you the equivalent of about 8 months of playtime.
Recent posts:
Server Core Pricing Controversy
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