Upgrading Windows Server 2012R2 Essentials to Windows Server 2019R2 Essentials

 

Why only upgrade to Server 2019? Because this is the last year you can upgrade 2012.  If you would like to upgrade to 2024 you have to do it in TWO Steps.

Preparation:

Take a screenshot of your ipv4 settings.

Backup everything (Bare metal backup, image backup)

Do not forget:

My update stalled at 90 to 91 percent for several hours.  Please alot 24 hours for the upgrade to complete.

Software Differences:

OEM is used for new installs. Not OEM is used for upgrades.

The in-place upgrade

1. Put the software on a stick. (Rufus to make the stick bootable)

2. Run setup from within the admin profile after you logged into the Windows 2012 R2 server.

3.  If you get an error because of NicTeaming, puts two network apdapters together for loadbalancing (remove…we do not need it to update the server)  https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/Configure-NIC-teaming-in-Windows-Server

4. If you get an error because of the active directory in the powershell (as admin)

Run

Run adprep /forestprep. Schema admins, enterprise admins, and domain admins
Run adprep /domainprep. Domain admins

 5. Click continue, installation will proceed slowly to 90/91 percent and then it looks like it is stuck, but it is not.  Here is the point were you let it run for 24 hours and not look at it.  It should be done by then.