Windows | To extend a Windows Server evaluation license for another 180 days

To extend a Windows Server evaluation license for another 180 days, you can use the built-in Software Licensing Management Tool via an administrator command line.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator:

    • Click the Start menu, type cmd or PowerShell, right-click the application, and select Run as administrator.

2. Check your current license status (optional):

    • Run the command below to check your remaining trial days and how many rearms you have left:powershell

slmgr -dlv

Use code with caution.

3. Execute the rearm command:

    • Run the reset command to add 180 days to your evaluation period:powershell

slmgr -rearm

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(Note: You can also use slmgr /rearm).

4. Restart the server:

    • Reboot your computer or virtual machine for the changes to take effect:powershell

Restart-Computer

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    • Or restart manually through the Windows Start menu.

5. Confirm the extension:

    • After the reboot, open PowerShell as Administrator and run slmgr -dli or slmgr -dlv to verify that the expiration date has reset.

Windows | To change the default RDP port (3389) on Windows Server 2025 Datacenter

 To change the default RDP port (3389) on Windows Server 2025 Datacenter, you must update the Windows Registry, allow the new port in the Windows Firewall before restarting services, and then restart the Remote Desktop service.

Step 1: Change the Port in the Registry

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Microsoft Learn Guide.

2. Navigate to the following registry path:

    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp

3. Locate the PortNumber value in the right-hand pane and double-click it.

4. Select Decimal under Base.

5. Change the value from 3389 to your desired custom port number (for example, 23389 or another port between 49152–65535) and click OK.

Step 2: Create a New Windows Firewall Rule

Crucial: Create the new firewall rule before restarting the service to avoid locking yourself out. You can configure this via PowerShell or the GUI:

• PowerShell (Administrator): Run New-NetFirewallRule for both TCP and UDP using your custom port number.

• GUI (firewall.cpl): Go to Advanced settings > Inbound Rules > New Rule, select Port, specify TCP/UDP and your new port, choose Allow the connection, and complete the wizard.

Step 3: Restart Remote Desktop Services

Restart the service or reboot the server to apply changes:

• PowerShell: Run Restart-Service TermService -Force or perform a system reboot.

Step 4: Verify and Connect

• Verify: Check that the new port is listening via netstat -ano | findstr :<your-port>.

• Connect: Use Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc) by appending the port to your server's IP address (e.g., SERVER-IP:23389).