Kindly first tell what Edition you installed as EVALUATION and what edition the LICENSE is of ?

check out the discussion through the link below and also you should try PHONE ACTIVATION if you already have a product key, its more INSTANT rather than waiting here for comments.

For more information, visit the link below ":
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w8itproinstall/thread/35de7d1c-ba3d-4e9e-91a6-0a68fd149ccd/

Check your region & time settings first and than go to RUN and follow the method below.

Method 1: Use the telephone to activate Windows
Open the Windows Activation Wizard to use the automated telephone system and activate Windows. To open the wizard, click Start, click Run, type SLUI 04, and then click OK.

I think I am toast.  This evaluation version is a Domain Controller.  If I read tunerML link right I have to install server 2012 on a different server demote the evaluation server from a AD  DS and then try to get the evaluation 2012 server to activate with a new license.  

Does any one have the steps to remote AD DS from 2012 server???

thanks for the quick response.

Did you ever get this resoved, I have the exact same issue?

Hi there - I've just posted on my blog a way to do this, that should work in many instances to get around this problem. Pulled my hair out for hours when I first hit this snag with activating evaluation copies of 2012 with purchased licenses, and the process was easier in Win 2008 R2. Good luck! :)

http://mutterances.com/windows-server-2012-evaluation-convert-activate-to-fully-licensed/

Ok, Here is the solution. If you have installed the eval version and want to change that version to a regular version all you have to to do is this.

Use the cd or connect to the ISO of the full version and run the setup of server 2012 standard. Then when asked choose the upgrade option that allows you to keep existing file structure. The install will begin and will take about an hour or so. Then it will reboot a few times and everything is now ready to go. I had to setup my static ip address again and then activated it and that was it.

Fair enough - although that is quite a Heath Robinson way of doing it, as the two commands I've detailed should have you sorted in about 2 minutes. Also, upgrades can go wrong (especially with things like DCs), so it removes that risk.

This said, you were probably really stuck when you used that method, and if it did the trick that's great! :)

Yes, I wish this would have been on here 2 months ago. I would have been a happy camper. I should note that the server I did used my solution on was a vm that I had a snaphot of prior to trying my solution so if it failed I could easily revert.

Good move - always a winner to have a fall back :) I was having the same problems as you at the time, very infuriating! All the best :)

hello,

i have the same problem but when i lauch SLUI 04 but the person tell me that it's not possible to activate an eval version...

i have tried all solution you give but i still have an error 50 after an DSIM.

thank for your response

I am also having same issue. I found through multiple forums and Microsoft's articles that if the server with evaluation version is a Domain Controller then we must install additional Domain Controller and then transfer all FSMO roles to the ADC and then demote AD from the server where evaluation version is installed. After that we have to convert the evaluation version to retail version of the server using DISM command with OEM product key.
Command:
DISM /online /set-edition:ServerStandard /productkey:xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx /AcceptEula

This will convert the evaluation version to retail version and then activates the windows with OEM license. After that we have to promote DC and transfer back the FSMO roles back to the previous server and if you do not want to keep ADC, demote the additional server or keep it as ADC for further use.

But I am wondering that, there should be some way to convert the edition and activation process offline because I used to activate windows 7 offline with backing up few files and product key. Stopping the sppsvc service, replacing the backedup files and restarting the sppsvc service. Using slmgr.vbs to install the product key. Likewise there should be some ways to convert and activate server os too.