Windows Server 2025 / How to Download the Evaluation ISO and Prepare a Virtual Machine

Download the Windows Server 2025 evaluation ISO from Microsoft Evaluation Center, then attach it to a virtual machine's DVD drive to begin installation. Check the download source, operating system language, evaluation conditions, and VM boot configuration before starting setup.

Download the official evaluation ISO

1. Open the Windows Server 2025 Evaluation Center download page and follow the registration and download steps shown.
2. Select ISO format and an available language. A virtual hard disk (VHD) download is a different format from the ISO used for a fresh installation in this lab.
3. Save the file on the host and verify that the download has completed, rather than selecting a temporary partial download.
4. Record the file name and source, and keep the ISO in a stable location where it can be reused for additional VMs.

Use a language offered on the official page. If your preferred language is unavailable, do not assume a file from another site is equivalent. With an English ISO, follow the English installation labels and management tool names. Note any differences between the language of your reference material and the actual interface.

Understand the evaluation conditions

The official download page specifies a 180-day evaluation period. It also states that evaluation installations must be activated over the internet within the first 10 days to avoid automatic shutdown. If your lab is isolated, plan a controlled connection for activation and updates, then restore the intended network isolation.

After installation, check the guest's activation status and remaining evaluation period. Completing a lab with evaluation media does not establish a right to keep using that installation indefinitely in production.

To display detailed licensing information for the installation, run the following inside the installed guest operating system. Running it on the host checks a different Windows installation.

slmgr.vbs /dlv

Keep product keys and activation information out of public screenshots. The reported activation information does not replace the license terms applicable to the media and your intended use.

Create an installation VM in Hyper-V

This example assumes Hyper-V is already available on a supported host. With another virtualization product, use the corresponding settings for the same purpose. Microsoft's Hyper-V VM creation guide explains the wizard and its options.

1. Open Hyper-V Manager, select the host, and choose New → Virtual Machine.
2. Choose a descriptive name such as WS2025-DC1 and check available space in the selected storage location.
3. For a new Windows Server 2025 lab, confirm support and select Generation 2. Do not treat the VM generation as a setting you can simply switch after installation.
4. Allocate enough startup memory for installation and select the isolated lab switch. If you have not designed the network yet, you can initially leave the adapter disconnected.
5. Create a new virtual hard disk and check its path and capacity. Do not select an existing disk containing work data as the installation target.
6. Choose to install from a bootable image file, select the downloaded ISO, and review the wizard summary before finishing.

Check boot settings and resources

In the VM settings, verify the virtual DVD drive's ISO path and confirm that the firmware boot order permits starting from installation media. If a Generation 2 VM fails to boot, first check the attached image and its appropriate firmware configuration rather than immediately disabling Secure Boot.

Check the virtual CPU allocation, memory, and available disk space. A guest disk with a large advertised capacity can still fail during installation or updates if the host lacks physical free space. Distinguish the official hardware requirements from illustrative resource allocations for a learning environment.

The VM name and the guest's computer name are separate. Naming a VM WS2025-DC1 in Hyper-V Manager does not automatically name the installed Windows computer DC1. Set the operating system's name separately after installation.

Troubleshoot a missing installation screen

• Only network boot appears: check the ISO connection and DVD boot order. Make sure you did not miss a brief prompt to press a key to boot from the media.
• No bootable image is found: check the ISO path, completed download, and VM boot mode. Moving the ISO on the host can leave the DVD drive pointing to an old path.
• Setup stops partway through: check actual host memory and storage capacity as well as the guest's configured resources.
• The language or edition is unexpected: verify the ISO and image selection before continuing.

This stage is complete when Windows Server Setup opens in the VM connection window and you are ready to install onto the new lab disk. Before committing to installation, you can shut down the VM and correct its configuration.