# Windows Server 2025, 2022, 2019 and 2016 evaluation downloads

> Official Windows Server evaluation ISOs and VHDs, the 180-day rules, Hyper-V Server, Server Insider builds, ADK and MDT — plus which version to pick in 2026.

## Server 2025 is the one to start on

Windows Server 2025 (LTSC, build 26100) is in mainstream support until **2029-11-13**, with extended support to **2034-11-14**. If you are building a lab today and nothing forces you back, start here.

- **[Windows Server 2025 evaluation](https://www.microsoft.com/evalcenter/download-windows-server-2025)** (ISO (8 languages) · VHD (en-US); Channel: LTSC, build 26100; Licence: 180-day evaluation; activate within 10 days). English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish. The VHD option is listed for English only.
- **[Windows Server 2022 evaluation](https://www.microsoft.com/evalcenter/download-windows-server-2022)** (ISO · VHD (en-US); Channel: LTSC, build 20348; Licence: 180-day evaluation). Mainstream support ends 2026-10-13, extended to 2031-10-14. Still the safest choice for third-party software that has not certified 2025 yet.
- **[Windows Server 2019 evaluation](https://www.microsoft.com/evalcenter/download-windows-server-2019)** (ISO · VHD (en-US); Channel: version 1809, build 17763; Licence: 180-day evaluation; extended support ends 2029-01-09). Out of mainstream support since 2024-01-09. Keep it only for legacy apps and plan the move.
- **[Windows Server 2016 evaluation](https://www.microsoft.com/evalcenter/download-windows-server-2016)** (ISO · 180-day evaluation; Channel: version 1607, build 14393; Licence: 180-day evaluation; extended support ends 2027-01-12). ISO only — no VHD option. Closest to its end of extended support of the Server line still downloadable here.
- **[Windows Server Insider Preview](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsinsiderpreviewserver)** (ISO · pre-release; Channel: Server vNext preview; Licence: Insider terms; not for production). Separate from the client Insider page. Treat as disposable: hypervisor features and drivers change between builds.
- **[Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2019](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/download-hyper-v-server-2019)** (ISO · free hypervisor; Channel: Standalone hypervisor, last release; Licence: Free; no guest licensing included). Command-line-only free hypervisor. Do not confuse it with the Hyper-V role in Windows Server; the guest OS still needs its own licence.
- **[Windows ADK + WinPE add-on](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/get-started/adk-install)** (Installer kit; Channel: Versioned per Windows release; Licence: Free; deploy Windows images). Needed for WinPE, DISM scripting and MDT. The WinPE add-on is a separate download; match the ADK version to the Windows release you deploy.
- **[Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/mdt/)** (Deployment toolkit; Channel: Legacy; superseded by Autopilot/ConfigMgr; Licence: Free). Still used for on-prem LiteTouch imaging, but new work should use Windows Autopilot or Configuration Manager task sequences.

## What the evaluation actually gives you

- **Full product, time-limited.** Datacenter or Standard, all roles installable; it stops working after the evaluation period.
- **180 days**, and it must **activate over the internet within 10 days** or the server shuts itself down. That is Microsoft's wording on the download page, not an urban legend.
- **ISO and VHD.** Windows Server 2025 offers both, but the VHD option is listed under English only.
- **Eight languages** for 2025: English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish.
- **No product key included.** Evaluation is not a licence; converting a lab to production means buying the edition you run.

> **Caution: Do not put an evaluation into production**
>
> The clock is real: 180 days from install, and a shutdown is not a graceful reminder. Track the expiry date in your lab notes and rebuild from a template rather than trying to extend it.

## Choosing between 2025, 2022, 2019 and 2016

| Version | Reach for it when | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| **2025** | New lab, new app, you want the current role set | Some third-party agents still certify 2022 first |
| **2022** | A vendor requires it, or you need a known-good baseline | Mainstream support ends 2026-10-13 |
| **2019** | Reproducing a legacy app or an old IIS/AD layout | No mainstream support since 2024-01-09 |
| **2016** | A very old app, or an exam lab pinned to 1607 | Extended support ends 2027-01-12 |

A useful rule: match the Server version to the **application**, not to your enthusiasm for new builds. A 2025 host running a 2012-era line-of-business app costs you more in compatibility work than it gains in features.

## Hyper-V Server 2019 is not “free Windows Server”

It is a standalone, command-line-only hypervisor, and 2019 was the last release of that product line. It carries no guest licensing: every VM needs its own Windows licence. It is also not the same thing as enabling the Hyper-V role inside Windows Server — that role is licensed by the host edition (Standard covers two OSEs, Datacenter covers unlimited).

## Deployment kits

**Windows ADK + WinPE add-on** is what you need for WinPE boot images, DISM scripting and MDT task sequences. The WinPE add-on is a separate download and the ADK version must match the Windows release you deploy — a 2022 ADK producing a 2025 image is a supported-source-of-confusion, not a supported deployment.

**MDT** still exists for on-prem LiteTouch imaging. Microsoft's current guidance points new work at Windows Autopilot or Configuration Manager task sequences. Use MDT when you inherit it, not when you are choosing.

## Server Insider builds

The Server Insider Preview page is separate from the client Insider page. These are vNext pre-release builds: hypervisor behaviour, drivers and role features change between builds, and a build can be withdrawn. Treat them as disposable VMs with snapshots, never as the base of a lab you intend to keep.

## After the download

```powershell
Get-FileHash .\WindowsServer2025.iso -Algorithm SHA256
```

Then: create the VM with a VirtIO SCSI disk (load the driver during setup), install, run Windows Update, and only then add roles. A Server that has never been patched is not a fair test of anything.

## Related

- [Windows 11 and Windows 10 ISOs](https://winbook.fyi/en/downloads/windows/)
- [Install Server 2025 evaluation on Proxmox](https://winbook.fyi/en/server/start/eval-install/)
- [Editions and licensing boundary](https://winbook.fyi/en/server/start/editions-licensing/)

## Sources

- [Microsoft Evaluation Center — Windows Server 2025](https://www.microsoft.com/evalcenter/download-windows-server-2025)
- [Microsoft Evaluation Center — Windows Server 2022](https://www.microsoft.com/evalcenter/download-windows-server-2022)
- [Microsoft Learn — Windows Server editions comparison](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/editions-comparison)
- [Microsoft Learn — Install Windows Server](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/install-windows-server)

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Source: https://winbook.fyi/en/downloads/server/