How to upgrade from Hyper-V Server 2008 R2

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Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Microsoftceased supportfor Windows 7 earlier this year. Not only that, butWindows Server2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is also being discontinued.

That being said, users are forced to migrate to Windows 10, andWindows Server 2012respectively.

The discontinuation ofMicrosoft Server2008 and 2008 R2 means that those of you still usingHyper-V Server2008 R2 will also have to upgrade at some point.

While the upgrade isn’t mandatory, you will be exposed to security threats if you do not accept it.

UnlikeMicrosoft Server2008, upgrading a Hyper-V Server is a bit more complicated, meaning that an in-place upgrade is impossible.

Thus, and the only way to upgrade is to install a new copy of the operating system.

Note:This installation will remove all your virtual machines from the console, so backing up all of your virtual machines is recommended.

How do I upgrade from Hyper V Server 2008 R2?

For starters, you should move the virtual machines to a new host that is running the version of Hyper-V Server that you want to use. Once all the guest machines have been moved, then you should reinstall the first machine.

However, if you need to upgrade in place then you will need to follow the steps below:

Since backing up Hyper-V is so important, might as well use a tool that is good at it!

Once everything is backed up and relocated, you install Hyper-V Server by wiping the server and installing a new copy. There is no upgrade path.

Basically, you back up all of your data, and once you’ve installed Hyper-VServer 2012or later, you just copy back the data you backed up.

While this workaround may be a bit frustrating, it is the only way you can migrate from Hyper-V Server 2008 without data loss.

Do you think Hyper-V Server should implement an in-place upgrade feature? Let us know in the comment section below.

How to upgrade from Hyper-V Server 2008 R2#

How do I upgrade from Hyper V Server 2008 R2?#

How to upgrade from Hyper-V Server 2008 R2

How do I upgrade from Hyper V Server 2008 R2?