When your Windows Server 2022 evaluation shutdown behavior begins abruptly powering down your machine every 60 minutes, your trial period has expired. Microsoft sets the standard evaluation window to 180 days. Once this period lapses without intervention, the operating system initiates an hourly shutdown sequence to alert administrators. You don't have to live with these unexpected power cuts if you are still testing environment configurations. Fixing this behavior involves either extending your evaluation timer or converting your trial bits into a fully licensed retail release.
Understanding why your operating system behaves this way helps prevent sudden production stalls in your test lab. When the 180-day clock hits zero, background service tasks trigger automated shutdowns. Event Viewer logs will show specific licensing event IDs indicating that the grace period expired. Knowing how to check your remaining time and execute the correct administrative commands saves you from endless troubleshooting loops.
Diagnosing Your Evaluation Period Status
Before changing any configuration files or purchasing keys, you need to check the exact status of your current operating system license. Open PowerShell with administrator privileges and run the appropriate query command.
slmgr /dlv
This command opens a Windows Script Host dialog box displaying critical details about your installation. Look closely at the remaining display fields:
- License status
- Remaining Windows grace period
- Remaining SKU grace period
- Notification channel info
If your remaining time shows zero or negative values, your system is actively enforcing the hourly shutdown behavior. You'll also see how many rearm commands you have left. Microsoft typically allows you to reset this grace period a limited number of times, usually up to six total extensions for evaluation builds.
Extending Your Evaluation Period
If you need more time to finish your lab testing before committing to a permanent production license, you can extend the trial period using the built-in Software Licensing Management Tool. Make sure you are logged in as a local administrator or domain administrator with elevated rights.
- Open the Start menu, type
powershell, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator. - Type the rearm command and press Enter:
slmgr /rearm - Wait for the confirmation prompt to appear on your screen indicating success.
- Restart your physical machine or virtual machine immediately to apply the changes.
After the reboot, your evaluation timer resets back to the original 180 days, giving you extra breathing room. Keep in mind that you cannot run this command infinitely. Once you exhaust your available rearm counts, the system will reject further extensions. You can verify Microsoft's official lifecycle documentation on Microsoft Learn for more details on enterprise licensing rules.
Converting Evaluation to a Full Licensed Edition
Labs eventually need to transition into production environments. Trying to use slmgr /rearm forever isn't a sustainable path. When you are ready to make your server permanent, you must convert the evaluation edition into a standard or datacenter edition using a valid product key or KMS client setup key.
Directly applying a retail or volume license key to an evaluation installation often throws an error because evaluation binaries differ slightly from retail binaries. To bypass this restriction, you must use an intermediate deployment path. Run an elevated command prompt and use the deployment image servicing management tool to set your target edition.
Dism /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:VDYBN-27WPP-V4HQT-9VMD4-VMK7H /AcceptEula
This command uses a public Key Management Service client setup key to convert the operating system bits from evaluation to standard. Once the DISM process completes, the system will prompt you for a mandatory reboot. After the machine boots back up, apply your actual organization product key through the regular licensing utility to complete activation.
slmgr /ipk YOUR-OWN-PRODUCT-KEY
slmgr /ato
Common Mistakes During Shutdown Troubleshooting
Administrators often run into avoidable roadblocks when managing evaluation builds. Avoiding these errors saves time and prevents system downtime during maintenance windows.
- Ignoring standard user rights: Running licensing commands from a standard command prompt always results in access denied errors. Always open PowerShell or Command Prompt with explicit administrator elevation.
- Forgetting to reboot: Commands like
/rearmand DISM edition changes alter core registry hives and system files. Changes don't take effect until you perform a complete system restart. - Exceeding rearm limits: Relying on repeated rearm cycles past the allowed threshold leaves you with a dead timer that cannot be reset again. Plan your migration paths early.
- Skipping backups before conversion: Upgrading evaluation bits to standard carries a small risk of package corruption if interrupted. Take a full hypervisor snapshot or system backup before running DISM commands.
For additional deployment guidelines and hardware requirements, consult the official Windows Server documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my server shut down every hour?
Your 180-day trial period has expired. Microsoft designs evaluation builds to shut down automatically every 60 minutes once the grace period ends as a reminder to license or upgrade the system.
Can I convert Windows Server Evaluation directly to Datacenter?
Yes, you can convert an evaluation build to either Standard or Datacenter edition using the DISM tool combined with the appropriate target edition setup key, followed by a system reboot and your permanent product key insertion.
What happens when I run out of rearm commands?
Once you exhaust your maximum allowed rearm attempts, you can no longer extend the evaluation period. You must either perform a clean installation of the retail operating system or successfully convert your current installation using a valid production license key.
Does the rearm command delete my server settings?
No, running slmgr /rearm only resets the licensing grace period timer. Your installed roles, configured features, user accounts, and data files remain completely untouched after the reboot.
